Comments | film_flammers: The Movie Musical - Part One, because this turned into a longer piece than I anticipated!

siochembio in film_flammers

The Movie Musical - Part One, because this turned into a longer piece than I anticipated!

Aug 14, 2011 00:23

Music in Film - Category 1: The Movie Musical
To see the genesis of this article, read the original here.As I started to consider what the absolute best movie musicals are, I quickly began to realize that compiling a list of the Top 5 Musicals would be completely out of the question. Top 10 Musicals would likewise be totally unrealistic. Perhaps ( Read more... )

Comments 6

paleogirl514 August 15 2011, 00:06:10 UTC

Thank you for your honorable mention of Yankee Doodle Dandy. I was going to mention that because of James Cagney. I was so moved by that film; Cagney's presence on screen is amazing.

And yes, young Frank is Frank pre-mob.

paleogirl514 August 15 2011, 00:19:50 UTC

I also want to give a shout-out to the Busby Berkeley musical Take Me Out To The Ball Game (1949), starring Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, and Esther Williams (anything that pairs Sinatra and Kelly is a.ok in my book). While extremely hokey, Ballgame gives us a precursor to On The Town by trio-ing up Kelly, Sinatra, and Jules Munshin (who plays sailor Ozzie in Town) as baseball players on the same team (oh, and another nod to Town, we have Betty Garrett vying for Sinatra's affection). I think MGM knew what they had with this trio, as they were in two successful musicals from 1949.

siochembio August 18 2011, 23:43:14 UTC

I knew you'd mention Take Me Out to the Ball Game! I honestly don't remember much about it other than I watched it with you down in Tex-ASS.

zombres September 11 2011, 15:20:25 UTC

I always forget that Rita Hayworth (WHAT A GAL!) did musicals! And we need to talk about our mutual love affairs with Marilyn, because I don't think we have yet and this is a GROSS OVERSIGHT.

"Mr. Sex On A Stick" = BEST MONIKER FOR GENE EVERRRRRRRRR. Nnnnnngh.

I haven't honestly watched a single Judy Garland film besides Wizard of Oz. I now feel really badly about this, in light of this article. I suppose I should devote some serious time to rectifying this.

And I really need to have a Fred and Ginger day; it's been ages since I watched any of their films, and your comparison of them to champagne is so perfect I can hardly stand it.

You are a treasure and a joy, m'dear, and I'm ridiculously happy to see all of your nostalgic excitement come through in these pieces. :D

anonymous May 18 2012, 19:14:35 UTC

I haven't seen all the musicals you mention, including the one you picked as the best of the 30s, but I've seen my share. I'd also mention 42nd Street for the 30s. My favorite would be Swing Time. For the 40s I'd pick Yankee Doodle Dandy. For the 50s it would be Singin' in the Rain, of course. For the 60s it would be The Sound of Music. For the 70s my favorite musical would be Grease, but as you saw my favorite movies that happens to be a musical is Cabaret. For the 80s it would be Beauty and the Beast (just a note - Toy Story 3 was also nominated for Best Picture in 2011). For the 90s I'm not sure what I'd pick. For the 00s I'd pick Hairspray.

Chip from Tips from Chip

siochembio May 18 2012, 22:13:35 UTC

Chip - thanks for the note on Toy Story 3. To be fair, when I originally wrote this, Oscar noms hadn't come out yet. Now that they've upped the number of best picture nominations, I retract my previous statement. They have certainly made it more feasible for animated films to get their due.

You and my sister, both with Yankee Doodle Dandy. I must watch it again. I love James Cagney.

Oh, I hope you get around to seeing Love Me Tonight from 1932. I enjoy it so so so so much.