Gideon24 Fame was a hip and contemporary 1980 musical that was an inside look at the lives of a disparate group of talented teenagers at the High School of Performing Arts in New York. The episodic film takes a close look at the inner workings of show business and what drives performers to go through the work and constant rejection that being in the business involves. The film opens on a particular freshman year at the school and concludes four years later.Along the way we meet Montgomery McNeill (Paul McCrane), the neglected son of a famous actress who despite his lonely childhood, still finds the business enticing. Maureen Teefy is wonderful as Doris Finsecker, a painfully shy teen who has been pushed into the business by her mother, but does come out of her shell at the school and discovers a talent for acting. Irene Cara plays CoCo Hernandez, a triple-threat know-it-all, who learns that she doesn't know as much as she thinks she does. Lee Curreri plays Bruno, an electronic keyboard genius who loves sitting in front of a keyboard but is at a complete loss at how to act in the real world. Barry Miller is brilliant in an Oscar-worthy turn as Ralph Garcy, a bitter Latino teen who is trying to bury his resentment about his father deserting him as a child by being a stand-up comedian. The late Gene Anthony Ray also shines as a dancer who only came to the auditions to partner a friend who wants to get in the school, but he is the one who has the talent, a star in the dance studio, but not so much in the classroom who constantly butts heads with Miss Sherwood (Anne Meara), the school's hard-nosed English teacher.Just like a real-life school, students come and go as the years pass, most notably in the sophomore year, where we meet Hilary Van Dorn (Antonia Francheschi) a snooty rich dance major who comes between a budding romance between CoCo and Leroy and has her own career aspirations derailed in the process.This film is riveting from jump as we watch students going through the painful audition process and struggle to develop their talent while keeping up their academic studies as well. The actors are pretty much perfectly cast, with standout work from Miller and Meara.Alan Parker's direction is breezy and energetic, giving all of his very talented cast a little time in the sun and Christopher Gore's screenplay is surprisingly bold and uncompromising. The musical numbers leap off the screen, thanks to some inventive choreography and strong vocals, particularly Cara, whose rendition of the title tune won the Oscar for Best Original Song.A movie that will have you tapping your toes and wanting to watch over and over again. The film inspired a long running television series, with Curreri and Ray recreating their movie roles, and a remake.

Miss Naughtia I only watched this movie because I wanted to see it before I'm going to watch the new version.'Fame' is from the early eighties and one can clearly see and hear the stereotypical eighties' fashion style and music style. This gives me a somewhat nostalgic feeling of that period.The movie follows some students as they strive to become successful performing artists. They all go to school in New York and they all have so many hopes for their future.You really get to feel the eighties' spirit when you watch this movie and the movie has probably been spectacular at the time it premiered but I think that the eighties are very weird and entertaining. This movie is a classic of its time and I'm now looking forward to seeing the new up-to-date version of this same story.

tedg Watching films and wondering about the experience is made that much richer by comparing the films and comparing the wonder.It is a bit more fun when the films are similar, like sequels or remakes. I've recently watched the 2009 remake and liked it a lot. That is because the camera was given the energy, the hunger, the risky curiosity of the kids. The investment was made in the capture of the thing. So instead of watching some kids with juice, we became them.This is an entirely different film, about as different as you can get. The camera and all the cinematic art is hidden. Your place in it is the same as if you were watching a documentary, like "Mad Hot Ballroom," which has some of the same components.All of the investment here is in the kids, their characters. There are engaging songs, designed not to engage you in the song directly, but the characters you see associated with the songs. The actors have juice, unlike in the remake. These kids put everything on the line. They are not mature powerhouses, but there is an appeal to getting honesty instead of craft.None of these kids had a meaningful career. But they did make something that matters, and once should be enough.Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

liamforeman This was on TV last night. I painfully forced my way through it, and barely made it through. First of all, except for Leroy, Hilary, and possibly Coco, NONE of the other students we are supposed to care about have any discernible talent. It's like HSPA had no standards, just sign on the dotted line and you're in. The story lines were grating and obvious. Doris was just impossibly awful. The gay guy was such a thrown away cliché (funny how that school had only one gay guy, right...) I liked the Leroy character, but calling your teacher an obscenity and then vandalizing the school should have sent Leroy packing. Lisa looks like she'd rather be anywhere else, and since she wasn't any talent, I wonder why they kept her. I would have rated this one star (awful), but the music wasn't that bad, and I did like the premise. It just would have worked much better if the students had been attractive and actually had some talent.