In 2020, I bought a book called The Movie Musical! by Jeanine Basinger. The book provided me an entirely new look on movie musicals that I’ve seen thousands of times and introduced me to movie musicals that I’ve never even heard of. Jeanine Basinger provided a more thorough analysis of movie musicals from earlier decades, including the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 50s. I happened to love that she shined a brighter light on those decades because I have always appreciated the older movie musicals than the newer ones. Although, I love the movie adaptions of musicals released in recent years such as Les Miserables, Dreamgirls, Into the Woods, Mamma Mia, and Cats (fight me). Movie musicals from the earlier decades hold a special place in my musical heart. The Movie Musical! inspired me to watch some of the movies Jeanine mentioned in the book.
Today I am rating 12 movie musicals I watched that I had never seen before. Many of the films made me smile while others made me want to cringe.
1930’s
42nd Street (1933)
Rating: 4 out of 5
The story of life as a performer in the ’30s as they open a new show was energetic and confusing at times in regards to the plot but had a couple of great songs by Al Dubin and Harry Warren. The two leading women Ruby Keeler and Bebe Daniels, stole the show every time they were on the screen. Some plot points didn’t quite make sense to me, such as Daniels’s love interest seems to give attention to Keeler’s character, but nothing comes of it. And Keeler’s own love story wasn’t well developed. But I did overall enjoy watching it and hearing music like the title song.
Top Hat (1935)
Rating: 5 out of 5
There is only one word I can use to describe the movie starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers: charming. This may sound crazy, but I had never seen a Fred Astaire movie until I watched Top Hat. This musical comedy was the perfect introduction to the Astaire/Rogers team. The had an ease and elegance about them that made me fall in love with the movie. The comedic timing and writing for the character Beddini were hilarious. This movie is timeless.
Babes in Arms (1939)
Rating: 1 out of 5
I love Judy Garland and usually take a liking to any movie she is in, BUT, Babes in Arms is the exception. The teaming of Mickey Rooney and Garland is a favorite of some classic Hollywood movie lovers. I, on the other hand, did not enjoy that duo. I can see why the author of The Movie Musical! said Garland and Rooney look like they are hyped up on drugs in their scenes. While I did not enjoy the movie, there were moments I did like, such as the number in Rooney’s living room. What made the movie cringe-worthy for me was the minstrel number where everyone (Garland included) were in blackface. *Shaking my damn head.* Judy, Judy, Judy. Why?? I could barely watch that number, and it went on forever. The movie also did not have a great plot.
1940’s
Me and My Gal (1942)
Rating 5 out of 5
Another iconic duo came together: Judy Garland and Gene Kelly. Out of all the pairs I’ve seen, this one is my favorite. The passion, care, energy, and work they put into every musical number was evident throughout Me and My Gal. I could see the effort the screenwriters put into making this the perfect wartime movie. It had the happy musical moments that could put a smile on your face and moments that brought the reality of war to the audience. This movie is practically perfect in every way. *Said in my Mary Poppins voice* This movie makes it hard for you not to fall for the talents and charms of Garland and Kelly. Me and My Gal was one of my favorites from this week.
Cover Girl (1944)
Rating: 5 out of 5
Rita Hayworth is an absolute angel in Cover Girl. Gene Kelly showed out during is “alter ego” dance break. And watching the friendship between Kelly, Hayworth, and Phil Silvers was brilliant. You couldn’t ask for a more dynamic and entertaining threesome. The plot had a real story going on that made sense to me, and the musical numbers were breathtaking. Kelly and Hayworth were gorgeous together. I wanted to yell at the screen every time Otto Kruger’s character tried to break up the couple. Thankfully, the old man’s stupid plot to give Hayworth’s character the life her grandmother could have had failed.
State Fair (1945)
Rating: 3 out of 5
I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate it. There were some cute songs by Rogers and Hammerstein, and I still find my self singing “It’s a Grand Night for Singing” around the house. I didn’t understand how Dick Haymes’ character went from liking a girl from home to falling in love at the fair to going back to the other girl like nothing happened. *Sigh.* State Fair was a basic movie musical that had all the elements needed to make a cute movie. There was nothing that I disliked, but I also was not dazzled.
Easter Parade (1948)
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
The pairing of Judy Garland and Fred Astaire was magical. Two legends on one screen and yet they never battled for attention. Every moment felt organic, genuine, and happy. I love how the duo is not afraid of making funny faces and always perform as if they are having the time of their lives. Ann Miller was also a treat even though I did not care for her character. I wish we had more movies with the duo, but alas, we were not fortunate enough to receive that blessing.
1950’s
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Outside of the clearly misogynistic and annoyingly sexist views by the main male lead, Adam, I quite enjoyed Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. The musicals numbers were utterly joyful, amusing, and visually pleasing to the eye. The dancing number where the brothers are trying to impress the young women was out of this world! Jane Powell, as the female lead, had just enough power and charm to boss those boys around and whip them into shape. Howard Keel’s voice and looks could almost make up for his character’s stupidity. The brothers were also fine as hell, so that is always a plus. If the boys hadn’t kidnapped the girls (yeah, you read that right), I would have given the movie a perfect rating. By the way, my favorite brother is Gideon.
Carmen Jones (1954)
Rating: 5 out of 5
I love the music from Bizet’s opera Carmen, so I was thrilled to find that there was a musical movie adaption. Dorothy Dandridge was an excellent choice to play Carmen. She took control of any scene she was in with her seducing energy and undeniable talent. Every actor in Carmen Jones fits their role to a T! Hammerstein’s lyrics with Bizet’s classical music fit just right, and the musical numbers never disappointed me. Not to mention, the singing was beautiful. One of the scene stealers for me was Pearl Bailey. She exuded attitude and sass in the best way. I would recommend this movie to anyone.
Gigi (1958)
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
The Movie Musical! made me believe Gigi was about to be one of the best musicals of the late ’50s…and boy was I wrong in assuming that. The only reason I gave it more than a 1 was because of Leslie Caron’s adorable and sweet portrayal of the young Gigi. Her acting and the visuals (props, sets, costumes) made this movie at least watchable for me. The script was horrible. The men in the film were the worst. The male characters’ mindsets on love and relationships were not attractive to me in the slightest. Also, the first hour of the movie sets it up that Louis Jordan’s character only thinks of Caron’s like a little sister, then out of the blue, he falls in love with her. What? There needed to be a full development of their relationship. And the men did too much talking instead of singing during their musical numbers. However, I did enjoy some of the songs.
1960’s
Bye Bye Birdie (1963)
Rating: 2 out of 5
The opening and closing number featuring Ann-Margret were…horrible to listen to. I was cringing every second while she “sang” the title song. The annoying and downright selfish mother was the worst. The rockin’ rollin’ singer and icon that all the girls wanted was grody, to say the least. And the script was overly cheesy and such a basic musical. A couple of the songs were cute. I liked the dance break for “A Lot of Livin’ to Do” and appreciated Dick Van Dyke and Janet Leigh’s portrayal of their characters. Paul Lynde, who plays the dad, was the comedic relief I needed in the movie and Bobby Rydell as the young love interest was lovable. Rydell’s character deserved better.
Funny Girl (1968)
Rating: 5 out of 5
I feel beyond blessed that I took the time to watch Funny Girl. I love it with my whole heart! Barbara Streisand was charismatic and tore my heart out when she sang “My Man” at the end of the movie. I felt like I was watching Fanny Brice’s life and love story come to fruition. Every musical number included Streisand, which was perfectly fine with me because she took it home every time. The one thing I didn’t like about the movie was the constant dialogue about how ugly Streisand’s character is. It made me feel sad for her, but it also made me want her to succeed even more and find her happiness. I now understand why people love Streisand so much.
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