English author Christopher Isherwood, who created the character of Sally Bowles for a 1937 novella, enjoyed the attention the movie brought to his career, but he felt Liza Minnelli was far too talented for the role. According to him, Sally Bowles was based upon Jean Ross, a 19-year-old amateur singer and aspiring actress who lived under the delusion that she had star quality, the antithesis of Judy Garland's daughter.
The film won 8 Oscars, though not the Academy Award for Best Picture. It lost Best Picture as well as Best Adapted Screenplay to The Godfather (1972). As of 2022, this picture still holds the record for winning the most Oscars without winning Best Picture.
Years before Cabaret (1972) was filmed, Liza Minnelli performed "Maybe This Time" when she appeared with her mother Judy Garland at the London Palladium.
Following the success of 1972 film, Jean Ross (who inspired the character of Sally Bowles) was hounded by journalists before her death in 1973. She bitterly noted that reporters always claimed to seek knowledge "about Berlin in the Thirties" and yet they did not wish "to know about the unemployment or the poverty or the Nazis marching through the streets. All they want to know is how many men I went to bed with."
In preparation for reprising his stage role of the Emcee for the film adaptation, Joel Grey did extensive research in order to achieve a more authentic German accent.