I saw this today in Los Angeles at the Egyptian Theater with my friend Mike. First, it was a Broadway hit, winning the Tony for Best Musical. Then it was made into a film in 1972, produced by one of the original Warner brothers: Jack L. Warner, who loved the Broadway show. Most of the original cast was recruited; most names were unfamiliar to moviegoers, though many had notable screen credits: William Daniels had a small role in 1965's A Thousand Clowns as a social worker, and Howard DeSilva was in The Lost Weekend and Sargent York. Songs are memorable- and it's so wonderful what has been done with this film: expanded sets, beautiful exteriors, lush costumes, impressive cinematography, and great music - grand entertainment. Here's a version of a Broadway show that I think works much better on the screen than on the stage. I've seen the musical performed live twice and I always think back to this movie. William Daniels's performance is brilliant; I think he deserved an Oscar for it. The Academy didn't favor this movie, though. The big musical film of 1972 was Cabaret, and the biggest movie was The Godfather.The screening was followed by a Q and A with director Peter Stone. At the Q&A at the Egyptian, Peter Stone recalled some fond memories of working on the stage show: how professional the actors were, and how they staged a special showing at the White House for President Nixon.