Movie Musical Challenge: Easter Parade

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching 20 films I picked as great films or films I wanted to watch.  This post is about the 1948 musical Easter Parade starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire.

Easter Parade is a charming film, but without a lot of substance.  Fred Astaire and Judy Garland are a great onscreen match though - they had good chemistry and a sweet romance ultimately. And of course their dancing together was excellent.

The film is a kind of a Cinderella story, with Judy's character Hannah, being primed by Astaire's character Don to becoming a big star of the stage.  Their ups and downs as a performing couple, and then as a romantic couple are shown, but it's strange that their romance was a bit of a surprise.  Although they had chemistry as performers, I felt like they didn't really show how that developed romantically until Hannah was suddenly sighing over Don.  Being such a fan of romance, I'm sure if that was developed gradually, I would have loved this film more.

The music is good, but surprisingly unmemorable to me.  I can't even pinpoint a great musical moment - the only one perhaps that stands out above the rest is "Stepping Out With My Baby" which features Fred Astaire, and some awesome dancing.  And an interesting slow-mo sequence of him dancing, while the back up dancers look to be dancing in real time.  It seemed a little odd for that bit of technical filming to be included in this, when everything else in the film was pretty straightforward, but it was cool to watch.

Originally Gene Kelly was cast in the male lead role, but had to back out when he broke his ankle, so a part of me is sad that I can't see what Gene would have done with the part, because while this is a nice film, it doesn't particularly stand out to me.  Perhaps the biggest draw is the fact that it features Judy Garland and Fred Astaire together, and for that I can recommend giving this a watch.

Movie Musical Challenge: Calamity Jane

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching 20 films I picked as great films or films I wanted to watch.  This post is about the 1953 Western romp "Calamity Jane", starring Doris Day and Howard Keel.

I love a fun Western, and since this also has music, Doris Day, and Howard Keel, I was already completely on board with this.  And it is so much fun.  Seeing Doris Day as this "masculine", abrasive, rootin', tootin' and shootin' character might have been a stretch for me (because I associate her with feminine grace and perfect diction), but I still loved her portrayal and enjoyed seeing her in such a different role.  And truly she does a great job bringing Calamity Jane (or Calam) to life because she really committed to the part.

The actual story had some surprises for me - the cross dressing, the challenges on gender roles (although the female gender role was pretty clearly conservative with the song "A Woman's Touch") but I think the general fact that there were some instances where gender roles were blurred made the story more interesting, and of course more farcical.  This film is a great farce, with lots of misunderstandings and improbable situations.  It's definitely a romp!

My favorite song and scene in the film was the song between Calamity and Wild Bill Hickcok - "I Can Do Without You" which had some heavy "Anything You Can Do" (from Annie Get Your Gun) rivalry vibes with an undercurrent of attraction between the two characters.  And Doris Day was ludicrously swung around by Howard Keel's character during the number.

For the high shenanigans and the upbeat, catchy music, this movie was a great film to watch, and 1000%  a better choice for this challenge than my previous Doris Day film - Jumbo!

Movie Musical Challenge: The Little Mermaid

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching 20 films I picked as great films or films I wanted to watch.  This post is about the 1989 Disney classic The Little Mermaid, starring the vocal talents of Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, and Samuel E. Wright.

This is my favorite Disney movie, so I was eager to add it to my list for this challenge.  I've seen it quite a lot so I feel like there's not much in the way of new insights to the story for me, because I've thought this was a fantastic film for a long time.  But for this post, I'll highlight what I love about it, and why I think it works so well, and why it's appeal is so enduring.

The Little Mermaid's Broadway type musical structure makes it very special I think.  The orchestral main theme, that features the opening credits, is absolutely gorgeous.  I mean, I can just listen to the wistful, haunting melody forever.  Seriously.  It's probably a little thing when thinking of the whole movie, but it starts off the mood of Ariel's earnest fascination for the human world, and for the romance perfectly.

The introduction to Ariel is kind of perfect too - she is shown as scatter-brained, impulsive, curious, and brave, just from the first few scenes and she is a fantastic heroine.  I have seen disparaging comments on Ariel's changing herself to be with a man, but I think it's clearly established that she wanted to be a part of the human world, and her feelings for Prince Eric was the impetus.  Love at first sight though - I'm totally iffy on that. LOL

I think I love this story the most out of the Disney films because Ariel is so intent on achieving her dream.  She risks everything, she wears her heart out on her sleeve, she is so honest and passionate, and I love the adventure of her story.  It's nice that it has a fantastical setting, showing a (unrealistic) version of life under the sea to make the beauty of the story even more appealing.  The music is just beautiful too - listening again to just the incidental music, the melodies are so strong.  And there are three (possibly four) really popular, well known songs from this film, which not every Disney film can boast.  "Part of Your World" is my favorite song, and to me is the best one, but a case can be made that "Under the Sea" or "Kiss the Girl" can take that title.

The music, the story, and the heart of this film make it a beloved movie for me, and I don't think I can ever get tired of just how sweetly earnest and romantic it all is.

Movie Musical Challenge: The Gay Divorcee

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching 20 films I picked as great films or films I wanted to watch.  This post is about the 1934 film The Gay Divorcee starring the classic duo of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

For my second Astaire/Rogers films, this one was another winner - so charming and romantic, and Ginger and Fred are really perfect as a duo.  Great comic timing, chemistry and of course perfect dance partners.  They work beautifully together.

The story of this film, is another fun farcical romance with Astaire chasing after Ginger who is trying to get a divorce.  Astaire's character, Guy, pining for Ginger's character Mimi is over the top and actually I could see why Mimi was so annoyed initially.  But it was a little sweet to see him wear her down (lol) and all the romantic overtures that went with it.  Including sealing the burgeoning relationship with a beautiful, emotional dance.

The film has a great comic aspect in the two supporting cast - Alice Brady and Edward Everett Horton, who are such caricatures, but entertaining nonetheless.  They add to the farcical plot line, and I think Horton's character was a great foil to Astaire's romantic side.

This is a fun, light-hearted romantic comedy, with some fantastic actors and dancing.  I think this is one of the more popular Astaire/Rogers films and I completely understand why.

Movie Musical Challenge: Kiss Me Kate

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching 20 films I picked as great films or films I wanted to watch.  This post is about the 1953 film Kiss Me Kate starring Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel and Ann Miller.

I like Kiss Me Kate.  I saw the stage version for the first time a couple years ago, and in that version I was a little iffy on the romance because it seemed like Fred and Lilli got back together when they maybe hadn't really worked out the issues in their marriage.  But with this film, it seemed better somehow.  More believable that they realized they divorced over something little, and it did help that Fred still seemed to be in love with Lilli.  I'm not sure if the film did it better, or if I wanted them to get back together more.  Anyways, I enjoyed their dynamic very much - especially their antagonism.  They had chemistry even when they were attacking each other. LOL  The image they picked for this poster really highlights how messed up their relationship is though...

The music is Cole Porter, and I love me some Cole Porter.  "Why Can't You Behave,"  "I Hate Men," and my very favorite "So In Love" were highlights in this film, with the staging and dancing of "Why Can't You Behave" being the visual highlight.  Ann Miller is such a vivacious dancer.  Even the gangsters who annoyed me a bit when I saw the show live, came off as more silly and fun in this film.  The approach to the story with this movie was much more entertaining for me, I guess.

This film also re-teamed Grayson and Keel after their roles in Showboat from a couple years earlier, and I love them as a team.  I think Kathryn Grayson distinguishes herself much more in this though - she was perfect as the young, innocent ingenue in Showboat, but she was also fantastic as the cynical, shrewish Lilli/Kate in this.  I was wondering how I would feel about her singing too, because it's such a pure soprano, that I found it hard to imagine it imbued with the hate or anger that Kate sings with.  But she did it!

It's interesting to note that Bob Fosse is one of Bianca's beaus in this film, and he got to choreograph his own two minute dance with Carol Haney.  When I saw his name in the opening credits, I was trying to figure out which character he was playing, but when he started that dance, I knew it was him.  It was fantastic.

Movie Musical Challenge: High Society

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching 20 films I picked as great films or films I wanted to watch.  This post is about the 1956 film High Society starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra.

High Society is a cute movie.  Louis Armstrong, bookends the film with his song and his engaging personality.  I feel like I've always just known who Louis Armstrong was - I've never really seen him in anything (except maybe one scene in Hello Dolly which I'll be able to revisit with this challenge), so it was interesting to see him in this and see what a personality he was, and how unique was his voice!

Even though this is a fun movie, I'm not sure if I really loved it though.  It felt a little strange that Grace Kelly's character Samantha, seemed both so maligned and worshipped throughout the film.  I guess she wanted perfection from her men, but when she makes a mistake, it's okay to throw away her standards.  It felt like a lot of bad decisions were being made throughout this movie.  And the four way love quadrangle was a little weird - I wasn't sure who we were supposed to root for in this!  The story is farcical, and over the top and just a little judgmental, and I wasn't expecting any of it.

The music didn't stand out for me much either.  With such star power as Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, this film certainly had it's moments, but not as much as I would have though.  But I think the best song in this film is True Love.  I already loved this song and didn't know it was from this movie, so that was a treat for me.  The scene it goes to is very sweet, and the song is so liltingly beautiful.  I was pleasantly surprised to know that Grace Kelly does have a nice singing voice too.

High Society had it's ups and downs for me - on the one hand, the plot is a little convoluted and unsatisfactory to me, and on the other I liked all the actors, some of the songs, and the characterizations were fun.  There were some great comic moments as well.

Movie Musical Challenge: Jumbo

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching 20 films I picked as great films or films I wanted to watch.  This post is about the 1962 film Billy Rose's Jumbo starring Doris Day, Stephen Boyd and Jimmy Durante.

I picked this movie to be a part of my challenge this year on the strength of it starring Doris Day and because one of my favorite songs "My Romance" is from this film.  Unfortunately this was not the best film.

I won't say this is a bad film - it has a sweet romance at it's heart between Doris Day and Stephen Boyd's characters.  The fact that it's called Jumbo makes it seem like it centers around the elephant, which it kinda doesn't, but it was sweet how much love Jumbo got from his circus family.  And speaking of the circus, I'm glad I don't have any problems with clowns, because for anyone who might, this could be an issue.  Especially with the finale.  The problem I had with this movie was how light on plot it is.  It's more of a slice of life on a circus - it features quite a few circus act performances, some trials and tribulations facing them, with a thin plot against the Wonder Circus to be taken over by a rival.  The story feels very light, and the drama predictable.

Doris Day is still wonderful throughout this though, I just love her singing, and she does brightly feminine with a touch of asperity so well.  She's fun for me to watch.  Stephen Boyd is quite attractive too - I loved his brooding presence in this film, as he has a secret he's keeping.  I should talk about the music as well - "My Romance" is still a wonderful song to me - definitely my favorite from a film that was light on musical numbers, although it did feature another catchy tune in "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World."

I think that this film is dated though, and unfortunately the appeal of circus life is lacking in modern times, so this isn't really a memorable film.  And I should have picked Doris Day's "Calamity Jane" as part of this challenge as I think it's a better film - so I'm changing it up!  If you are doing this challenge, I'm substituting Calamity Jane for Jumbo, and will add that as a bonus musical for me to watch this year.  (I haven't seen it before!)

Movie Musical Challenge: Bride and Prejudice

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching 20 films I picked as great films or films I wanted to watch.  This post is about the 2004 film Bride and Prejudice starring Aishwarya Rai and Martin Henderson.  A Bollywood take on Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Fun.  This whole movie was just so much fun.  I loved how much of the original Pride and Prejudice worked for the changed setting and time, how the music tied in with the emotions, and with the lead actors - they were perfect!  Aishwarya as Lalita was brilliant - smart, sharp and beautiful, and Martin as Darcy was a good match for her too - a little clueless, awkward and restrained, but he had a good heart.  By the end, it was so sweet for them to finally get together.  I loved how well the romance played out in this.

The music is wonderful too - I'm not as familiar with the sounds and style of a Bollywood type musical, but the music is very catchy and vibrant.  It's a style that appeals to me because it's pop-like, but also unique and interesting.  I don't know if I have a favorite song, but I did really like the opening number where the guys and girls at the wedding are dancing and meeting each other for the first time.

And this is weird for me, but another highlight of the story was in how spot on they were in casting the "Mr. Collins" or Mr. Kholi.  He's just so icky, it's hilarious.  Also I really loved how they captured Lalita's parents - also true to Austen's representations of the Bennets, and so funny to watch.

The way the film would switch between heightened fantasy song sequences to the plot was a little off-putting, although that seems to be part of the Bollywood style.  I suppose it makes the form of a musical interesting because it takes the fact that a musical is a heightened version of reality, and takes it to the next level.  All in all though, this was a wonderful film!

Movie Musical Challenge: The Music Man

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching 20 films I picked as great films or films I wanted to watch.  This post is about the 1962 film The Music Man starring Robert Preston and Shirley Jones.  And a young, ridiculously still cute Ron Howard!

First of all, thank you Quinn!  And everyone who said what a wonderful musical this is.  You are all completely right - it's marvelous.  I can't understand how it didn't make AFI's top 25 list.  From the first scene on a train, I was impressed by how the words make the music in this show.  It fits because of how words are the main character, Harold Hill's stock in trade.  The patter of his songs are just impressive too - I'll already say "Ya Got Trouble" is my favorite song from the show with Harold's persuasive, conversational and completely brilliant warning against the evils of a pool table.  The catchy cadence of the words and how the backing vocals of his audience adds to the music of it is genius.

Genius is pretty much how I describe this show though - the music and lyrics are exceptional, Robert Preston as Harold is practically dripping charm and assurance and makes his brand of con-man so very attractive.  Even though Marian the librarian is a very sensible and intelligent woman, it's completely believable that Harold wins her over in the end!  That romance is another exceptional aspect to the musical.  Because Marian is 'the sadder and wiser girl', I found her already very appealing, and perfect for Harold who eventually becomes a better person because of her.  And Harold also makes Marian a better person too - so it's the best kind of romance.

Watching this, I was also struck by how appealing the setting of turn of the century America.  I love the music from the time (barbershop quartets are so good!) and the style, and the aesthetic.  At least as it has been filtered to me through popular culture.  So this movie also appealed to me for that.

Even though Harold is a liar and a cheat, there's something about him that makes you want him to get the girl, and be a winner.  And The Music Man delivers on that, and is imbued with so much joy and wonder and humor that it's absolutely a film everyone should watch!

Movie Musical Challenge: Annie Get Your Gun

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching 20 films I picked as great films or films I wanted to watch.  My first film for this year's challenge is the effervescent Annie Get Your Gun from 1950, starring Betty Hutton and Howard Keel.

Annie Get Your Gun is a really fun film to watch.  Because I like Westerns, the Western theme makes me happy, and the main character Annie is high-spirited, talented and engaging.  Betty Hutton was so perfect as Annie - she played Annie's lack of refinement, but excess of enthusiasm so perfectly.  Her transformation was surprising to me too - in the beginning of the film, when she is just fresh from the backwoods, she did not look even old enough to be enamored with (the very handsome haha) Frank Butler.  I mean she looked really young! I was like - isn't anyone going to ask how old she is before asking her to join the show??  That's great makeup and acting I guess.  And when she fixes herself up to become more lady-like, the difference is very striking.

The romance is sweet but just a little problematic to me though.  I get why Annie is so taken by Frank Butler, but I wish he could have accepted that Annie was a better shot than him and still loved her.  It seems sad that she can't be her best but still get the man.  Frank was a little annoying with his overweening pride.  And he went back and forth a lot - feeling like he loved Annie, to getting so angry when she showed her talent.  I was completely in agreement with the character of Charlie Davenport in telling off Frank over his selfishness.  So even though I really enjoyed this movie and even the romance at times, the ending made me a little sad for Annie.

The best part of the film has to be the one song that I was familiar with in this show - "Anything You Can Do" which is a hilarious scene where Annie and Frank are trying to one up each other.  And the lyrics are so clever.  I was looking forward to this scene when I first started watching, and it didn't disappoint.  Annie and Frank have wonderful chemistry together despite their antagonism.

There are lots of clever and catchy songs in this film, although not all of them stand out as much as "Anything You Can Do" and "There's No Business Like Show Business."  I'm glad I finally watched this one though - it made for great entertainment.

Movie Musical Challenge - 2016

A new year, a new Movie Musical Challenge!  Last year, my challenge was to watch AFI's top 25 films, but this year I decided to pick the films I wanted to watch - the ones I haven't seen before (but heard they were good) or because I thought they should be recognized.  This time I'm going with 20 films to make things a bit easier on me.  And out of this list, I've only seen three films!  Well, I probably have seen White Christmas, but I don't remember it really.  I'm probably not going to watch this in any particular order (but for sure I'm saving White Christmas for December!)  Like last year, I'll do a wrap-up post where I order these films as the top best/ favorites.  Now here's the list:

The Little Mermaid (1989) ✓ (watched)
The Lion King (1994) ✓
The Music Man (1962)  (watched)
Oklahoma (1955)
South Pacific (1958)
Kiss Me Kate (1953)  (watched)
Anchor's Aweigh (1945) ✓
White Christmas (1954)
Easter Parade (1948)  (watched)
The Gay Divorcee (1934)  (watched)
Bride and Prejudice (2004)  (watched)
Swing Time (1936)
Gigi (1958)
Hello Dolly (1964)
Annie Get Your Gun (1950)  (watched)
Jumbo / or Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962)  (watched)
Shall We Dance (1937)
The Pajama Game (1957)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
High Society (1956)  (watched)
Calamity Jane (1953)  (watched)

Continue reading →

Movie Musical Challenge: Wrap-Up

In January, I started this challenge to watch all 25 of AFI's Greatest Musicals, and I'm so happy to say that I finished!  Just barely though - I watched the number one musical on December 20th.  As part of the challenge though, I wanted to take another look at AFI's list and put them in my own order of what I think was the best, now that I've seen them all.  

The AFI Top 25 List	Bookish Whimsy's Top 25
1. Singin' in the Rain (1952)	1. The Sound of Music (1965)
2. West Side Story (1961)	2. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
3. The Wizard of Oz (1939)	3. Mary Poppins (1964)
4. The Sound of Music (1965)	4. Chicago (2002)
5. Cabaret (1972)	5. An American in Paris (1951)
6. Mary Poppins (1964)	6. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
7. A Star Is Born (1954)	7. Show Boat (1936)
8. My Fair Lady (1964)	8. Top Hat (1935)
9. An American in Paris (1951)	9. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
10. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)	10. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
11. The King and I (1956)	11. On the Town (1949)
12. Chicago (2002)	12. Funny Girl (1968)
13. 42nd Street (1933)	13. A Star Is Born (1954)
14. All That Jazz (1979)	14. My Fair Lady (1964)
15. Top Hat (1935)	15. West Side Story (1961)
16. Funny Girl (1968)	16. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
17. The Band Wagon (1953)	17. The King and I (1956)
18. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)	18. Grease (1978)
19. On the Town (1949)	19. Guys and Dolls (1955)
20. Grease (1978)	20. The Band Wagon (1953)
21. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)	21. 42nd Street (1933)
22. Beauty and the Beast (1991)	22. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
23. Guys and Dolls (1955)	23. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
24. Show Boat (1936)	24. Cabaret (1972)
25. Moulin Rouge! (2001)	25. All That Jazz (1979)

The first five and the last five were the easiest to order for me - but my choices are really going off on personal preferences.  Although I really think The Sound of Music is just the best musical - it has so much going for it!

I feel like I have a better appreciation for movie musicals after this project too.  Before this, I mostly just stuck with the films that I felt like I would love, so this challenge has made me branch out with the benefit that I appreciate more some musicals that I didn't think was that great before, like "West Side Story" and "Grease".  However I've also found out "Cabaret" is still disappointing, and I don't even want to remember "All That Jazz".  I'm most grateful though that this challenge has given me one new musical song that is just an absolute favorite of mine now - "Can't Help Lovin Dat Man" from Show Boat.  I still have it on my favorites playlist!

Next year I plan to do another version of this challenge - with films that I'm picking mostly because I haven't seen them yet, or because they deserve recognition.  I'll be posting about it sometime next month, so watch out for that!

Movie Musical Challenge: Singin' in the Rain

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching all 25 picks for AFI's Greatest musicals starting from the bottom.  Number 1 is the 1952 film Singin' in the Rain starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor.

I made it to through the list! And I had this delightful film to reward me.  I am very happy that Singin' in the Rain made the top of the AFI list, because it is such a wonderful musical movie.  The numbers are catchy, the dancing is excellent, and the story is full of humor and romance.  And it has Gene Kelly. :D  I love this film, so let's explore why it made the top spot.

It's interesting that a film with quite a simple story is just so good.  It's a look at the move from silent film to talking pictures, it's a romance between a movie star and a budding actress, and it's a light-hearted romp with three very likable characters.  The story may be simple, but the script is clever and entertaining from the first scenes.  The montage of Don Lockwood and his friend Cosmo's childhood which paints a very different story to how Don is telling it, is so humorous and wonderfully done.  And it exudes character.  You understand them completely from just the first few minutes.  Even with Lina Lamont, who doesn't do too much right away nor does she speak, but you know what kind of person she is from just one scene.

Continue reading →

Movie Musical Challenge: West Side Story

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching all 25 picks for AFI's Greatest musicals starting from the bottom.  Number 2 is the 1961 film West Side Story starring Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer.

I tried to watch West Side Story once upon a time, and it did not go well.  I gave up when it got to the school dance scene.  For some reason, I was just so bored.  But now, with watching it for Movie Musical Challenge, I don't know if it's because I had to watch it, or because I have more of an appreciation for movie musicals having watched the previous 23 films on the list - but I watched the whole thing, and found it engrossing!  It's a complete turnaround for me.

As I'm sure most people know, the story is a take on Romeo and Juliet, and with that, I was interested in seeing the parallels, and in how they would adapt certain things.  Especially Juliet's "death".  I mean Maria's.  For such a different setting and character background, the story was very true to Shakespeare's and I really appreciated how well written this musical is.  It's very wordy, and the lyrics are beautiful.

The film is remarkable in other ways too.  The style is very unique to the story - with the choreography being so integral to the look and feel, and the aesthetic of the set is sometimes true to the setting of New York City, but sometimes feels very stagey and unrealistic.  And there's this flashing of red at times that is a little disconcerting.  There is also an interesting blend of dance styles and music genres to makes this film especially striking.

I do have to say that I don't love this film.  It's very well done, it has an excellent score, and a dynamic plot - but I just can't get over how sad it all is, and how pointless.  But the sadder thing perhaps, is just how much I can understand why the characters acted the way they did, and how hard it was for them to change things, and change their lives.  The ending was so tragic, and I feel like I can never love this film because it is so utterly heartbreaking.  However, for my favorite scene in the movie, it is probably the "America" song scene, but my favorite song is "Somewhere."

The actors are amazing, and everything just works with this musical.  There is also a very timely, and still relatable theme of cultural prejudice and racism, that was kind of surprising to see, but only because it felt so contemporary, and it's chilling to see how much hasn't changed about that.  The way the police officers favored the white gang was particularly disturbing.  Perhaps there are some numbers that I wouldn't mind if the story dropped, but other than that I really can't fault this movie.  I can definitely understand why it's so close to the top.

Movie Musical Challenge: The Wizard of Oz

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching all 25 picks for AFI's Greatest musicals starting from the bottom.  Number 3 is the classic film The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland and three lovable character actors.  Oh and a dog!

It's been a very long time since I watched The Wizard of Oz.  And you know what I realized watching it again now?  It's really good.  I forgot!  Not like 'better-than-The-Sound-of-Music-good, let's not get crazy, but totally deserving of the number 3 spot.

I want to take a moment to talk about Judy Garland.  When I started my Gene Kelly obsession a few years ago, I also started seeing more of Judy Garland since he did three films with her.  (Summer Stock is my fave of the three he did with her btw).  And also with this challenge, I've seen Judy in two more films, so I felt like I was pretty familiar with her as an actress, but I never really fell in love with her in a way that made me want to see more of her films.  But now watching The Wizard of Oz again after so many years, I get the obsession with her.  It's first of all startling to see her so young and innocent, but then again she's also so perfect in the role.  So effervescent and yet quintessentially Judy.  And her voice is amazing.  I got chills when "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" started.  It's perhaps most intriguing now to watch this and look back on her other films to see how she developed as an actress.  Of course there's a lot of tragedy there too, but with The Wizard of Oz at least, you know that she is what she seems on screen.  And all of that innocence and sense of wonder is glorious in the film.  Judy is just captivating as Dorothy.

I remembered that the three farm hands in the beginning would make an appearance in Dorothy's "dream" as the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion, but I forgot how much it's foreshadowed by their dialogue and actions in Kansas.  I thought that was fun - and it reminded me of how they do a similar thing in the musical Wicked.  Great tie-in to the film, Wicked!  The three actors (despite all the agonies that apparently went on with the costumes and the filming) are exceedingly likable and really provide so much heart to the story.  It's been even longer since I read the Baum book, but from what I gather, they really simplified the story of the film to make it about Dorothy's self-discovery about the importance of home, and the three characters as her companions and friends were just so sweet.

Probably if I had to pick a favorite scene it would be the Somewhere Over the Rainbow sequence, although I have a very soft spot for the Tin Man's "If I Only Had a Heart" song.  I've always liked his version of the song the best.  It's the romantic in me I guess.

This film is lyrical in it's construction, wonderful in all it's technicolor glory, with some truly inspiring performances from the entire cast.  I can't believe it's taken me so long to rediscover my appreciation for this lovely film, despite how deeply embedded it is in pop culture.

Now it will be even more interesting to watch the live musical of The Wiz that NBC is putting on next month.  (I've never really liked The Wiz though)

Move Musical Challenge: The Sound of Music

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching all 25 picks for AFI's Greatest musicals starting from the bottom.  Number 4 is the bestest, most glorious and awe-inspiring movie musical ever - The Sound of Music, released in 1965.  (Who me, biased?)

If you have not seen this movie before, there is nothing more important in your life than to go immediately to Amazon, or your local Target or wherever and pick up a copy.  You should buy it because you are going to love it.  It's 100% my favorite movie musical, and an amazing achievement in the genre.  Here's why:

--- Julie Andrews = BOSS ---
The character of Maria is the most important aspect of this movie.  Maria is the catalyst who every character falls in love with (well maybe except for the Baroness).  She has to carry the whole film on her sunshine-y shoulders and Julie Andrews is captivating.  She's full of determination, compassion and grace.  And loveliness - it's such a perfectly pitched performance - not too saccharine, because she knows when to fight back against the Captain, and yet she is the sweetest most understanding governess.  And what an amazing voice!  Her diction is so crystal clear, and her high notes are effortless.  It's enough to make me cry.   Julie Andrews is perfection in this film.

Continue reading →

Movie Musical Challenge: Cabaret

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching all 25 picks for AFI's greatest musicals starting from the bottom.  Number 5 is the 1972 musical Cabaret starring Liza Minelli and Joel Grey.

Confession - when I was in college, I was obsessed with the Broadway revival of Cabaret which starred Alan Cumming as the emcee.  I listened to the soundtrack lots, I may have acquired some footage of the production, I just loved it.  The tone, the approach, the update on the music, all worked for me, in a way that made, and still makes unfortunately, this movie musical a disappointment to me.  It's just too "seventies", I guess, to appeal to me as a realistically, gut-wrenching portrayal of these people who cling to their craft and their lifestyle in the face of such horrors.  And ultimately pay the price for it.  So everything in my review most likely reflects my inner comparison between the revival and this version.  But it was interesting for me to watch this movie, knowing I love the story and the music, but I just don't really like how they brought it to life in the movie.

The casting of this movie was great generally though.  Liza Minelli, Michael York, and Joel Grey bring the characters to life wonderfully.  I do kind of wish there was more for Joel Grey to do too - he's really a wonderful actor.  The part where I'm a little iffy on this movie though, is in the editing.  It's very abrupt, there's lots of weird close-ups, and an artsy way of shooting people who are completely, unnaturally still.  I think a more realistic take on the story, would have been much more effective.  The songs that are sung in the cabaret sometimes reflect what's happening in the plot, and the rising tension with the Nazis, so that is very clever, but again, I wasn't thrilled by how the scenes would move back and forth between the stage performance, and some shots of what was happening outside.  The story takes a nightclub and makes it a microcosm to reflect what is happening in the real world, but it all felt too choppy and artificial.  It was hard to really sympathize with the characters because of this.

In my mind, I'm also comparing this to Chicago, which I think also takes that sort of vague premise of looking at the world through the eyes of a performer/performance.  And Chicago is just so much slicker and full of more emotional impact for me.  I think this Cabaret is very much a product of it's time.

So in summary... meh.  I would really like to see a new version of this musical as a movie.  Preferably with Alan Cumming as the Emcee - I think it would come off as so much more devastating and darker if it was done now.  And it would be brilliant.  This is a great musical, but I really don't have a lot of love for the film.

Movie Musical Challenge: Mary Poppins

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching all 25 picks for AFI's greatest musicals starting from the bottom.  Number 6 is the 1964 magical musical Mary Poppins starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke.

So many reasons to love this film.  For me, there are lots of sentimental ones of course, but objectively how can anyone not like this magical movie?  It's full of joy and heart and whimsical, clever songs.  Julie Andrews is utterly bewitching (and practically perfect) and even if people have a few disparaging words for Dick Van Dyke's accent, he's perfect as Bert - so charming, funny, relatable and kind.

Rewatching this film, I have a new appreciation for the children too - how wonderful are they in this film?  They are too cute, and mischievous and self-interested and so believable.

The reason that Mary Poppins is a film that resonates is that beneath the fantasy trappings, and the whimsical humor, the story is driven by the need for Mary Poppins to fix this family.  And there's such utter satisfaction and heart-warming joy in seeing how it all unfolds, even with the melancholic tinge of Mary leaving when her work is done.  I'm also a little obsessed with the dynamic between Mary and Bert which is so full of understanding as to be romantic, but they seem just the best of friends.  I'm glad there is ambiguity to it, because it makes their interactions all the more interesting.

As for my favorite scene - I really do love everything about this movie, but the scene that fills me with joy every single time is Jolly Holiday.  You guys, I love it so much!!  The song is just glorious, and the romp through an idyllic English countryside is everything I want my life to be!  Hmm, I wonder if this film had an bigger influence on me than I thought, as I am now always happy to go visit England...  I need to say though, that Feed the Birds is also a huge scene for me - the fact that it is about being kind, is so touching.  I love how it is worked into the film too - just to realize that Mary Poppins planted that song in the children's head to start a chain reaction of change in their father's life - oh my goodness.  This story is brilliant.

This film is absolutely deserving of a high position in the top 25 list, and everyone needs to have watched it.  Preferably when they were young, but it's never too late to let this magical film into your life.

Movie Musical Challenge: A Star is Born

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching all 25 picks for AFI's greatest musicals starting from the bottom.  Number 7 is the 1954 film A Star is Born starring Judy Garland and James Mason.

I initially had not heard of this film when I started this challenge, and knew nothing about the plot, so a quick google later, I found out that it is about a girl's rise to stardom, and her famous husband's decline.  So from that I knew that the story takes a darker turn in the end.  Which was important I think, because when I first started watching this, I couldn't see why this film was in the top 25, but by the end it is much clearer why.

I'll start at the beginning though.  Judy Garland and James Mason were so perfect in these roles.  Of course Judy would be - she has all the talent to portray a hard-working singer looking for (and deserving) a big break, but James Mason was such a stand out as well.  He's so charming and rakish, and unfortunately beset by alcoholism and issues of pride.  I wish there was a little more about why he was the way he was, but I suppose there are too many instances of men with these kinds of weaknesses, that the audience can fill in the gaps.

The story begins in a very heartwarmingly, romantic way, with Mason's character-  Norman Maine - captivated by Judy's character's (Esther) singing, and determined to give her a chance at the big time.  His belief in her, and his charm, makes it easy to see why she would fall in love with him.  And as for Esther, she is so kind and open-hearted and talented, that it was great to see Norman fall in love with her.

Continue reading →

Movie Musical Challenge: My Fair Lady

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching all 25 picks for AFI's greatest musicals starting from the bottom.  Number 8 is the 1964 adaptation of My Fair Lady starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison.

I have ...often walked down this street before... just kidding.  I have seen this film before, but I didn't think I really knew it all that well, so it surprised me to discover how much I knew the songs even if I didn't quite remember all the scenes.  Watching this again, I realize how much fun the songs are, even with Rex Harrison's talk-singing.  This is a great musical, which begins in a rather whimsical sort of way, but by the end, the personalities of Eliza and Professor Higgins are so strongly created, that the emotion of their character journeys is very striking.  I think that is why this musical is so well regarded now.

Eliza, as played by Audrey Hepburn, is such a luminous creature.  Her personality is overwhelming in the beginning with her strident voice and accent, but Audrey transforms the character beautifully, and of course the actress herself is the embodiment of refinement and elegance.  She makes Eliza perfectly sympathetic and believable.  And I have to love curmudgeonly Professor Higgins.  He's so awful in the way he treats people, but he is always honest, and that makes his character fun.  Especially when he reacts in ways that are unexpected.  I know that when I first watched this film, I wanted more of a romantic ending with the characters, but watching it now, I can see just how perfect it is that neither of them gives in too much, and they seem ready to settle into their strangely understanding relationship.  It doesn't need romance because they seem happy to have each other.

While watching this, I was reminded too that I have a thing for Jeremy Brett - I forgot he was in this film!  I've seen him in an old production of the light opera The Merry Widow and loved that - he's so dashing and handsome.  He's a bit of a milksop in this film, but still dashing and handsome.  I enjoyed his scenes immensely.

Favorite scene for me would have to be "I Could Have Danced All Night."  Eliza's joy is catching, and the song is pretty catchy as well.  I do love seeing pure joy in musicals - for some reason that emotion seems more resonant when expressed in a musical, so this was the scene that stood out for me.

Overall, this is another delightful film.  I was surprised to find that it was almost three hours because it went by pretty fast.  I am glad I watched it for this challenge, since I fell in love with the characters and music all over again.