Old Movie Musicals

[merry slug]

I don't see a general thread for movie musicals, so I'll start one in the hopes that I'm not the only fan out there.

Some favorites:

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Singing in the Rain (of course)
Scrooge (with Albert Finney - I watch this every christmas)
Gigi

I tried watching "White Christmas" for the first time a few days ago - not impressive. The best part was the dancing by Vera Ellen - there's a point where she's holding her foot just over the ground and tapping her toes down so fast that I swear it must be fake. The rest is schmaltz.

ETA:
NOTE:
I'd like to keep this thread for the older musicals - things like Rent, Cats, Phantom of the Opera, etc... all have their own threads.

[Master Xander]

I loooooooooooooove Singin' in the Rain! Gene Kelly is the best. I also watched An American in Paris, and frankly, I can't fathom how the latter is a Best Picture winner and the former is not.

I have a bunch more VCDs and DVDs of old movie musicals which I haven't watched yet (pressed for time, dammit), but I can't wait to just sit and watch them.

[blue sunrise]

I loooooooooooooove Singin' in the Rain! Gene Kelly is the best. I also watched An American in Paris, and frankly, I can't fathom how the latter is a Best Picture winner and the former is not.

I have a bunch more VCDs and DVDs of old movie musicals which I haven't watched yet (pressed for time, dammit), but I can't wait to just sit and watch them.
Gene Kelly is one of my very favorite actors/dancers/performers of all time. So smooth and so handsome. He always looked so happy when he was dancing.

I could watch Singin' In The Rain over and over- especially Donald O'Connor doing "Make 'Em Laugh". Genius.

[Master Xander]

Gene Kelly remains one of my favorites of all time. And I remember my friend and I discussing last week that, when he danced, he was both graceful and manly... no easy feat, really.

[brdmom]

Singing in the Rain is one of the all time best movie musicals. If you ever get a chance to see Kurt Browning's Singing in the Rain number on ice, it is amazing! Kurt is to skating what Gene Kelly is to dance!
Brigadoon and Oliver! are two of my favorite musicals. I'm also very fond of Meet Me in St. Louis.

[Lostitute]

I'm usually not one to go out of my way to watch movie musicals, but An American In Paris was pretty damn good. Quite entertaining, with wonderful music, great comic relief by Oscar Levant, and I gotta say Gene Kelly's dancing was absolutely outstanding! Nearly everything about this movie worked for me, except Leslie Caron. She seemed (in this film) too homely to get Gene all hot 'n' bothered. But all in all, I'd give it 9 1/2 out of 10 stars, same as I would to Gypsy.

[merry slug]

I loooooooooooooove Singin' in the Rain! Gene Kelly is the best. I also watched An American in Paris, and frankly, I can't fathom how the latter is a Best Picture winner and the former is not.

I have a bunch more VCDs and DVDs of old movie musicals which I haven't watched yet (pressed for time, dammit), but I can't wait to just sit and watch them.


I've heard that Singing in the Rain is generally considered the "best" of the old school musicals.

My absolute favorite dance scene from any movie is the scene from it in the vocal coach's office ("Moses Supposes"). Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor are so perfectly in step - for some reason it's a joy to watch for me every time.

[merry slug]

Singing in the Rain is one of the all time best movie musicals. If you ever get a chance to see Kurt Browning's Singing in the Rain number on ice, it is amazing! Kurt is to skating what Gene Kelly is to dance!
Brigadoon and Oliver! are two of my favorite musicals. I'm also very fond of Meet Me in St. Louis.

OOo I love Oliver! "who Will Buy" and Oliver Reed? Awesome.

Gene Kelly remains one of my favorites of all time. And I remember my friend and I discussing last week that, when he danced, he was both graceful and manly... no easy feat, really.

On that note, one of my favorite MOST romantic scenes ever is from The Sound of Music, when Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer are dancing in the garden. That's exactly what I love about it - CP is smooth, gracful, and every inch a man :D

[Master Xander]

I love almost every major number in Singin' in the Rain. Some of my favorites include the title tune, and "Good Morning" (I forget the actual title... maybe it's "Good Morning to You"?).

[Zaphod of Whiskers]

Not sure how old qualifies for "old" movie musicals, but for me:

Fiddler on the Roof - who else except Topol could be Tevye? Brusque, lovable and a great voice. Fantastic songs, great characters. 'Tradition', 'To Life', 'Rich Man', 'Do You Love Me', so great.

Godspell - Victor Garber (yes, of Alias fame) as Jesus. Great songs, fantastic 70s costumes and I love NY as the backdrop.

Oliver - fantastic. Who doesn't love cockney accents?

Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - Gene Wilder and Oompah Loompahs singing? OF COURSE this is great. "Pure Imagination" I still listen to to this day.

MS - I totally forgot about Scrooge! Yep, great one. Albert Finney, you love him and hate him as Scrooge.

[Master Xander]

I have yet to see the film version of Fiddler on the Roof. I'd been scared away by its length and reports that it's boring, but I got to see it staged, and it doesn't seem that, well, boring to me. :)

[Zaphod of Whiskers]

It is long, yes, but the pacing is well done I think. I didn't find it boring, there's quite a lot of humor in it to keep it moving. I'd say give it a shot.

[blue sunrise]

How about Barbara Streisand and Walter Matthau in Hello, Dolly? She was the perfect busy-body, and he was the perfect curmudgeon. I can't help giggling.

(And I like the music in A Star Is Born even if the movie isn't terrific... shhhh... :p)

Oh!!! And Neil Diamond in The Jazz Singer! I know the music better than the movie-- my mom used to play the album all the time.

[melostmo]

no mention of..

http://www.westsidestory.com/site/level2/archives/photos/poster.jpg

you dudes must be kidding !

http://www.westsidestory.com/site/level2/archives/photos/knee_snap.jpg

"BEST PICTURE!" Winner of 10 Academy Awards! - 1961

[Annie]

Brdmom, I saw Kurt Browning skate "Singing in the Rain" and I couldn't agree with you more.

They recently redid South Pacific on tv and it was decent. Is Grease in this category? You gotta love it.

[ozchick]

Singin In The Rain
West Side Story

pretty much anything with Fred and Ginger

And yes, I'll say it: The Wizard of Oz :p

[Master Xander]

West Side Story is a classic, and this is another classic movie musical I love. (The Sondheim dork in me, of course, adores the fact that he's the lyricist.)

[merry slug]

Not sure how old qualifies for "old" movie musicals, but for me:

Fiddler on the Roof - who else except Topol could be Tevye? Brusque, lovable and a great voice. Fantastic songs, great characters. 'Tradition', 'To Life', 'Rich Man', 'Do You Love Me', so great.

Godspell - Victor Garber (yes, of Alias fame) as Jesus. Great songs, fantastic 70s costumes and I love NY as the backdrop.

Oliver - fantastic. Who doesn't love cockney accents?

Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - Gene Wilder and Oompah Loompahs singing? OF COURSE this is great. "Pure Imagination" I still listen to to this day.

MS - I totally forgot about Scrooge! Yep, great one. Albert Finney, you love him and hate him as Scrooge.

A big YES to all except FotR - which I haven't seen. I'm not religious, but I love the music from Godspell, and Willy Wonka was magical.

no mention of..

http://www.westsidestory.com/site/level2/archives/photos/poster.jpg

you dudes must be kidding !

http://www.westsidestory.com/site/level2/archives/photos/knee_snap.jpg

"BEST PICTURE!" Winner of 10 Academy Awards! - 1961


How weird that you mention this - we just came back form a day on the lake. One our way back in we were looking at two groups of birds on the docks - Skimmers on one side, seagulls on the other, facing each other like they were about to rumble. My (younger) co-workers mentioned they looked like gangs and I said "Yeah, any minute now they'll break out into song." They just looked at me like I'd lost my last brain cell :D

[melostmo]

frig, all those songs have been buzzin' thru my head ever since I posted that..

"the Jets are gonna have their way tooonnniiitttttteeee"
______________

"I feel prrreeeeeetttyyy"
_________________

"gotta rocket, in your pocket" :bump:

[Master Xander]

"Something's Coming" is the best song from WSS, for me.

[Zaphod of Whiskers]

I will need to check out West Side Story, as I've not seen it. Everyone seems to love it though. :)

I left off "Mary Poppins" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", I always forget about Dick Van Dyke's work. "Chim Chim Cheree", "Doll on a musicbox/Truly Scrumptious", "Hushabye Mountain", the title song. All fantastic.

[merry slug]

I will need to check out West Side Story, as I've not seen it. Everyone seems to love it though. :)

I left off "Mary Poppins" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", I always forget about Dick Van Dyke's work. "Chim Chim Cheree", "Doll on a musicbox/Truly Scrumptious", "Hushabye Mountain", the title song. All fantastic.

I love the doll on a musicbox scene/song - I usually watch just for that :)

[merry slug]

In the spirit of the season, I may just go and rent "Meet me in St. Louis:, which I've never seen all the way through (though I know most of the songs by heart).

Perhaps it is time...

[Master Xander]

I still need to open some of the videos I have. Dang it.

[clayseason1]

I love musicals. I bet I've seen every one of them. My favorite - the one I can watch over and over and never grow tired of is - The Music Man with Robert Preston.

[cinderellabop]

Awwww... I love the Music Man... :heartpump

[melostmo]

I really like MM also
so inspirational

WSS must be seen in large screen, in theatre - it's a feast for the eye, as well as ear.

[merry slug]

Pop quiz for giggles:

What SciFi movie used a song from Singing in the Rain during it's climax?

Extra points if you can name the song :)

[ozchick]

Pop quiz for giggles:

What SciFi movie used a song from Singing in the Rain during it's climax?

Extra points if you can name the song :)

Do you mean A Clockwork Orange? The song is Singing in the Rain.

[merry slug]

Do you mean A Clockwork Orange? The song is Singing in the Rain.

Really? I've never seen it all the way through :o :rotfl:

I meant Alien - "You are my Lucky Star," so I guess there are (at least) two! :D

[Zaphod of Whiskers]

??? What scene in Alien is the song played?? I thought I was a huge Alien buff, and I can't recall it.:what:

[merry slug]

Ripley is singing bits and pieces of it when she's in the escape pod/getting ready to blast the thing out into space.

[The Life of Riley]

Pretty much an movie musical with Julie Andrews. My favorite when I was little was The Sound of Music. I wanted to be a Von Trapp kid. :p

[GardenMom]

Saw Sound of Music in the theater when I was 8 years old. Then I spent 22 years searching for a man like Captain von Trapp that would sing to me in a gazebo and knew how to dance. I never found him. Perhaps I should have waited. Absolutely my all time favorite movie.
http://thecia.com.au/reviews/s/images/sound-of-music-4.jpg

[Zaphod of Whiskers]

Ripley is singing bits and pieces of it when she's in the escape pod/getting ready to blast the thing out into space.

wow, great catch MS. I never picked up on that. put yourself down for a raise. :coffeedunk:

[azteclady]

Oh so many!

Most of the ones mentioned, but one I fell in love with as a kid is "Paint Your Wagon" (yes, I even like Clint Eastwood singing, sue me)

[clayseason1]

Oh so many!

Most of the ones mentioned, but one I fell in love with as a kid is "Paint Your Wagon" (yes, I even like Clint Eastwood singing, sue me)

Yeah, if you put cotton in your ears - he was easy on the eyes though. :D

Western old movie musicals -- The Harvey Girls - Judy Garland and a very pretty Angela Lansberry (is that her name) - Murder she wrote star.

eta: Calamity Jane with Doris Day -- but my all time favorite old western musical - Annie Get Your Gun with Barbara Hutton
Can you bake a pie?

[azteclady]

:D very easy! :flowers: hello, cs1! long time no see! :awwhug:

[merry slug]

Western old movie musicals -- The Harvey Girls - Judy Garland and a very pretty Angela Lansberry (is that her name) - Murder she wrote star.

I watched that one because Ray Bolger was in it. I had just seen him in April in Paris (another favorite) where he actually played the lead opposite Doris Day, and quite nicely I might add :).

As far as The Harvey Girls goes, I liked the ambiance and most of the songs, but the acting/romance seemed forced to me.

And Clay, there's nothing wrong with a little Eastwood singing ;) :D. Did you know he wrote the (beautiful) music to Bridges of Madison County?

[merry slug]

My fave dance number:

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[merry slug]

And my favorite romantic scene

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[melostmo]

mo's fav

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ya gotta luv it :bump:

[MinaKitty]

No one has mentioned On the Town, another great Gene Kelly movie. Also stars Frank Sinatra and Ray Bolger.

Yankee Doodle is another favorite. James Cagney definately had his own dance style. He is also good in Footlight Parade.

[melostmo]

James Cagney definately had his own style [MK]


ya, like
" mmm, you dirty raaat, mmm " - Cagney

[MinaKitty]

ya, like
" mmm, you dirty raaat, mmm " - Cagney


Yeah - but imagine that in tap shoes . . .

[vincentstuntdbl#23]

I usually hate musicals with the heat of a nova, but I own White Christmas.

[merry slug]

Holiday Inn White Christmas

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or White Christmas White Christmas?

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[melostmo]

old enough ..

lZeeELBWkJc&hl