Best Movie Musicals of the 1950's

[DudleySmith]

I liked the Benny Goodman story because it was actually about music. I never cared for musicals, too affected and shallow. I do like some of the dancing scenes with Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse and Ginger Rogers , but not entire movies of them. I dislike 'Broadway' stuff in general, except for a few plays, like Death of a Salesman and The Front Page. That guy who was married to Sarah Brightman for a while made a couple of plays I like some of the soundtracks of, can't remember his name at the moment; I might go see a musical that has her in it, just for the songs and ignore the rest.

On edit, Andrew Lloyd Webber; had some great songs in some of his plays. Lots of annoying ones, too.

 

[Flopper]

I liked the Benny Goodman story because it was actually about music. I never cared for musicals, too affected and shallow. I do like some of the dancing scenes with Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse and Ginger Rogers , but not entire movies of them. I dislike 'Broadway' stuff in general, except for a few plays, like Death of a Salesman and The Front Page. That guy who was married to Sarah Brightman for a while made a couple of plays I like some of the soundtracks of, can't remember his name at the moment; I might go see a musical that has her in it, just for the songs and ignore the rest.

On edit, Andrew Lloyd Webber; had some great songs in some of his plays. Lots of annoying ones, too.

Steve Allen played the part of Benny Goodman in the movie. Allen was an accomplished musician, composer, actor, comedian, and writer. He created and hosted the first "Tonight Show" on Television. He was a natural for the role of Benny Goodman. He even looked a bit like him. Allen said that Benny Goodman was his idle and he considered it an honor to play him in the movie. Allen was basically a pianist but played a number of instruments including the clarinet. Allen played the music for the young Benny Goodman but Goodman played all the pieces in the later parts of the movie. I saw this movie the first time when I was young but also saw it a few years ago. Since I love the big band music of this era, I enjoyed the movie.

Have you seen the Glenn Miller Story with James Stewart? It's a pretty movie. If you like jazz, The Five Pennys with Danny Kaye is good. It's a semi-autobiographic story of Red Nichols.

The link below list movies with the bands of the 30s thru the 50s.

Big Band movies – Big Band Swing & more

 

[beautress]

I loved Calamity Jane so much I bought 2 discs of it. It was released in 1953.

​

 

[Flopper]

I loved Calamity Jane so much I bought 2 discs of it. It was released in 1953.

​

Never watch it. I think it was done later also but maybe not musical.

 

[Failzero]

South Pacific and L’il Abner are high art , Oklahoma & Paint your wagon are entertainment

 

[beautress]

Never watch it. I think it was done later also but maybe not musical.

It's one of the funniest musical comedies in the world. I lived most of my early adulthood in Wyoming which shares a border with one of the Dakotas, CalamityJane's stomping ground. Doris Day gave it the performance of a lifetime. At least two of the songs were likely in the top ten and others though not as well known were known to be so funny people would laugh so hard tears formed. Hope if things aren't going so well you might get an attitude lifter by watching Calamity Jane on YouTube. Of course you might prefer more serious works than this hilarious western show. Love, beautress.

 

[Flopper]

It's one of the funniest musical comedies in the world. I lived most of my early adulthood in Wyoming which shares a border with one of the Dakotas, CalamityJane's stomping ground. Doris Day gave it the performance of a lifetime. At least two of the songs were likely in the top ten and others though not as well known were known to be so funny people would laugh so hard tears formed. Hope if things aren't going so well you might get an attitude lifter by watching Calamity Jane on YouTube. Of course you might prefer more serious works than this hilarious western show. Love, beautress.

If I don't have pay to see it, I'll give it a try.

 

[Flopper]

If I don't have pay to see it, I'll give it a try.

I believe the Doris Day's romantic comedies are an interesting part of cinematic history. The last one was made in 1968 during the sexual revolution when boyfriend and girlfriend giving each other a peck after a hot date was just plain weird.

In a PBS interview she said,
"I have the unfortunate reputation of being Miss Goody Two-Shoes, America’s Virgin, and all that, so I'm afraid it's going to shock some people for me to say this, but I staunchly believe no two people should get married until they have lived together,"

"My public image is unshakably that of America’s wholesome virgin, the girl next door, carefree and brimming with happiness," she also said in the book, via The New York Times. "An image, I can assure you, is more make-believe than any film part I ever played. But I am Miss Chastity Belt, and that's all there is to it."

Here musicals, Romance on the High Seas (1948), Lullaby of Broadway (1951), I’ll See You in My Dreams (1951), On Moonlight Bay (1951),By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953), and of course, Calamity Jane (1953), was one of her best.

With all the of the musicals and romantic comedies, the fact that she could actually play dramatic roles as in Love Me or Leave Me is often lost. Her roles in musicals and Romanic comedies were so popular she never got back to playing any real drama which I believe she could done very well.

 

[Failzero]

I believe the Doris Day's romantic comedies are an interesting part of cinematic history. The last one was made in 1968 during the sexual revolution when boyfriend and girlfriend giving each other a peck after a hot date was just plain weird.

In a PBS interview she said,
"I have the unfortunate reputation of being Miss Goody Two-Shoes, America’s Virgin, and all that, so I'm afraid it's going to shock some people for me to say this, but I staunchly believe no two people should get married until they have lived together,"

"My public image is unshakably that of America’s wholesome virgin, the girl next door, carefree and brimming with happiness," she also said in the book, via The New York Times. "An image, I can assure you, is more make-believe than any film part I ever played. But I am Miss Chastity Belt, and that's all there is to it."

Here musicals, Romance on the High Seas (1948), Lullaby of Broadway (1951), I’ll See You in My Dreams (1951), On Moonlight Bay (1951),By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953), and of course, Calamity Jane (1953), which was one here best.

With all the of the musicals and romantic comedies, the fact that she could actually play dramatic roles as in Love Me or Leave Me is often lost. Her roles in musicals and Romanic comedies were so popular she never got much a chance to play any real drama.

Paint your Wagon had a Woman with Two Husbands in Gold Rush Era Far Northern California .

 

[beautress]

Paint your Wagon had a Woman with Two Husbands in Gold Rush Era Far Northern California .

Yebbut one of the husbands

was born under a Wandering Star. Love, beautress.

 

[beautress]

I believe the Doris Day's romantic comedies are an interesting part of cinematic history. The last one was made in 1968 during the sexual revolution when boyfriend and girlfriend giving each other a peck after a hot date was just plain weird.

In a PBS interview she said,
"I have the unfortunate reputation of being Miss Goody Two-Shoes, America’s Virgin, and all that, so I'm afraid it's going to shock some people for me to say this, but I staunchly believe no two people should get married until they have lived together,"

"My public image is unshakably that of America’s wholesome virgin, the girl next door, carefree and brimming with happiness," she also said in the book, via The New York Times. "An image, I can assure you, is more make-believe than any film part I ever played. But I am Miss Chastity Belt, and that's all there is to it."

Here musicals, Romance on the High Seas (1948), Lullaby of Broadway (1951), I’ll See You in My Dreams (1951), On Moonlight Bay (1951),By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953), and of course, Calamity Jane (1953), was one of her best.

With all the of the musicals and romantic comedies, the fact that she could actually play dramatic roles as in Love Me or Leave Me is often lost. Her roles in musicals and Romanic comedies were so popular she never got back to playing any real drama which I believe she could done very well.

I was just a kid when "Secret Love" was a #1 song nation wide, which contributed to making her singing it made her seem more human than Calamity Jane blathering on in the bar! I learned all the good songs from my mother who sang them while she was ironing, so when I lucked on to "Calamity Jane," on VCR a couple of decades ago, it was the first time I realized who Doris Day was, other than being the star in a lot of rerun movies on tv. I had to buy a "Calamity Jane" dvd when VCRs stopped production when people got tired of the time and skill of splicing was not always a good fix, and the tapes did get a little stiff after a few years. Needless to mention the VCR players went down, and you couldn't replace a broken one. Also, the tiny ribbons didn't always wind right, and it was hard to tell which side was to go on top since both sides were the same neutral color. I had a dozen musicals on VCRs, and it took several years to find and replace them.

Good job, Mr. Flopper for bringing about this energizing thread.

 

[mudwhistle]

I don't watch musicals. Because I'm not gay.

j/k

I can count on one hand the number of musicals I actually enjoyed.

Both the new and the old West Side Story.

And...I think that's it. Nothing else comes to mind.

Watching musicals has always been torture to me. Like opera.

I hate Disney musicals the most.
The plot is just set up to lead into the next musical number....and it's usually music that sucks ass.

 

[Flopper]

I hate Disney musicals the most.
The plot is just set up to lead into the next musical number....and it's usually music that sucks ass.

Is the plot set up to lead into next number or is next number written to fit into the plot?

A hundred years ago, musicals were mainly songs and comedy, with little plot. Often they were musical extravaganzas of song and dance with lush costumes and sets. The musicals films of Busby Berkeley were a good example. The songs usually had little to do with the story. That all changed in 1943 with Rogers and Hammerstein first collaboration, Oklahoma. Every song either helped move the plot along or help the audience understand the characters. Almost all musicals followed this pattern and that includes Disney.

Disney musicals differ from most musicals because they almost all the have a magical atmosphere. And those don't have an air of unrealism.

 

[Foul Owl]

This one is tough. A lot of classic musicals in the 50's. If I HAD to pick just one I'd have to go with 'A Star Is Born' (1954).

 

[Flopper]

This one is tough. A lot of classic musicals in the 50's. If I HAD to pick just one I'd have to go with 'A Star Is Born' (1954).

I would have to go with the AFI best musical of all times, Singing in the Rain.

 

[francoHFW]

So many great ones, singing in the rain about movies but my favorite is Gigi, Love Paris and Camped in a van next to that carpeaux fountain for a month once, girls liked it l O l.

 

[francoHFW]

"Its Always Fair weather" is the only cynical musical I have ever seen.

the ending isn't!

 

[Failzero]

South Pacific FTMFW

 

[francoHFW]

South Pacific FTMFW

so many great musicals. Gigi won the most Oscars and I saw it on a transatlantic liner OMG....

 

[Failzero]

Fuck Oklahoma