The Best Musicals of the 1930's, Wizard of Oz Definitely

Flopper

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The 1930's was the decade when movie goers discovered sound, Garbo Speaks, Music you love, etc. So Hollywood produced a number of movies based on music and dancing. Everyone had to Sing from John Wayne, James Stewart to Rin Tin Tin. The resulted at first was pretty awful movies but finally Hollywood started producing movies with lots of great music and dancing's. Some of the productions were carried to extremes with lavish production, musically number that lasting 15 mins or longer and with dozens of cast member singing and dancing. A special sound stage at MGM was build for these numbers. What most of these movies lacked was a good story. When Astaire and Rogers hit the screen with fabulous dancing, they also had some pretty good storylines which contributed to their success. From that point on the great Musicals had stories to tell.

The Wizard of Oz was based on a story written in 1900 and was made into a silent movie in 1925. It had only moderate success.

MGM's, Louis B. Mayer authorized making of the 1939 version of Oz. He decided that it would unitize the new color film, technicolor and it would be a movie for the whole family, not just kids. He did not believe a children would be that successful. Victor Fleming was selected to direct the film.

Fleming also directed another film you are are probably familiar with, Gone With the Wind. In spite directing two of most famous films ever made, he remains relatively unknown today. Many parts of Oz that made the movie so popular was his ideas such as using sepia for segments in Kansas which created a stark contrast to the land of Oz. Also the depiction of the Magnificent Oz, and the cackle of the Wicked Witch of the West were all his ideas

Originally Oz was not going to be a musical because Shirley Temple was going to star in the movie and it was felt that she did not have a strong enough voice. There would just be a couple musical numbers and the rest would be a drama. However, she had to turndown the part of Dorothy and Garland was selected. Fleming insisted that all new songs be written for the production and Over the Rainbow would be sung by Garland and would be the central piece in the production.

Critic reception was generally good however, the huge hit that Meyer was counting on did not happen, at least not immediately. It made money, and won 2 academy awards but was soon forgotten. In 1949, it was re-released in all sepia but it was not until it's third release in1955 followed by an LP album that established it as one our greatest movies. It was re-release over and over, often at Christmas first in theaters and then on TV. It is regularly shown in countries around the world. Even after 80 years it is still being played.

Are there any other movie musicals of 30's that you believe are noteworthy?
 
The 1930's was the decade when movie goers discovered sound, Garbo Speaks, Music you love, etc. So Hollywood produced a number of movies based on music and dancing. Everyone had to Sing from John Wayne, James Stewart to Rin Tin Tin. The resulted at first was pretty awful movies but finally Hollywood started producing movies with lots of great music and dancing's. Some of the productions were carried to extremes with lavish production, musically number that lasting 15 mins or longer and with dozens of cast member singing and dancing. A special sound stage at MGM was build for these numbers. What most of these movies lacked was a good story. When Astaire and Rogers hit the screen with fabulous dancing, they also had some pretty good storylines which contributed to their success. From that point on the great Musicals had stories to tell.

The Wizard of Oz was based on a story written in 1900 and was made into a silent movie in 1925. It had only moderate success.

MGM's, Louis B. Mayer authorized making of the 1939 version of Oz. He decided that it would unitize the new color film, technicolor and it would be a movie for the whole family, not just kids. He did not believe a children would be that successful. Victor Fleming was selected to direct the film.

Fleming also directed another film you are are probably familiar with, Gone With the Wind. In spite directing two of most famous films ever made, he remains relatively unknown today. Many parts of Oz that made the movie so popular was his ideas such as using sepia for segments in Kansas which created a stark contrast to the land of Oz. Also the depiction of the Magnificent Oz, and the cackle of the Wicked Witch of the West were all his ideas

Originally Oz was not going to be a musical because Shirley Temple was going to star in the movie and it was felt that she did not have a strong enough voice. There would just be a couple musical numbers and the rest would be a drama. However, she had to turndown the part of Dorothy and Garland was selected. Fleming insisted that all new songs be written for the production and Over the Rainbow would be sung by Garland and would be the central piece in the production.

Critic reception was generally good however, the huge hit that Meyer was counting on did not happen, at least not immediately. It made money, and won 2 academy awards but was soon forgotten. In 1949, it was re-released in all sepia but it was not until it's third release in1955 followed by an LP album that established it as one our greatest movies. It was re-release over and over, often at Christmas first in theaters and then on TV. It is regularly shown in countries around the world. Even after 80 years it is still being played.

Are there any other movie musicals of 30's that you believe are noteworthy?
Joe Biden must really suck badly, to have reflections on movies made 90 years ago....
 
The best American musicals ever are from the 1930s! :up:

There were a lot of bombs in the '30s too. "Terror of Tiny Town" and "Box Car Blues", to name just two.

Four of the greatest musicals of all time (or at least the most popular) "Oklahoma", based on a 1934 book, on stage in the 1940's and a movie in 1955;

"Sound of Music", based on an 1949 book, on stage in the '50s and '60s and a movie in 1965.

"Music Man", on Broadway in the '50s, and a movie in 1962

and "My Fair Lady", based on an ancient Greek play as well as a play by George Bernard Shaw, on Broadway in the 1950's and a movie in 1964.
 
There were a lot of bombs in the '30s too. "Terror of Tiny Town" and "Box Car Blues", to name just two.

Four of the greatest musicals of all time (or at least the most popular) "Oklahoma", based on a 1934 book, on stage in the 1940's and a movie in 1955;

"Sound of Music", based on an 1949 book, on stage in the '50s and '60s and a movie in 1965.

"Music Man", on Broadway in the '50s, and a movie in 1962

and "My Fair Lady", based on an ancient Greek play as well as a play by George Bernard Shaw, on Broadway in the 1950's and a movie in 1964.
Agree, all those musicals are great.
 
There were a lot of bombs in the '30s too. "Terror of Tiny Town" and "Box Car Blues", to name just two.

Four of the greatest musicals of all time (or at least the most popular) "Oklahoma", based on a 1934 book, on stage in the 1940's and a movie in 1955;

"Sound of Music", based on an 1949 book, on stage in the '50s and '60s and a movie in 1965.

"Music Man", on Broadway in the '50s, and a movie in 1962

and "My Fair Lady", based on an ancient Greek play as well as a play by George Bernard Shaw, on Broadway in the 1950's and a movie in 1964.


Yes, great musicals every decade, but the 1930s was THE decade of musicals, people had to be entertained during the Depression years. :)
 
The best American musicals ever are from the 1930s! :up:
I think there were a lot good dramas in the 30's There were only few musicals I liked, Wizard of Oz, 42nd Streets, and Top Hat.
 
Yes, great musicals every decade, but the 1930s was THE decade of musicals, people had to be entertained during the Depression years. :)

I'm not sure I would agree. Yes, there were lots of movie musicals in the '30. The movies of the Marx Bros were adapted from stage musicals (also performed by the brothers).
The first animated musical of Disney, "Snow White", from 1937. "Cheek to Cheek" and "Top Hat" with Fred Astaire.

But ...

In my uniformed opinion, I believe that musical theatre, particularly Broadway, hit it's zenith in the 1950's and '60s. The shows were grander, and more lavish, Broadway attendance was at an all time high.
 
I'm not sure I would agree. Yes, there were lots of movie musicals in the '30. The movies of the Marx Bros were adapted from stage musicals (also performed by the brothers).
The first animated musical of Disney, "Snow White", from 1937. "Cheek to Cheek" and "Top Hat" with Fred Astaire.

But ...

In my uniformed opinion, I believe that musical theatre, particularly Broadway, hit it's zenith in the 1950's and '60s. The shows were grander, and more lavish, Broadway attendance was at an all time high.
I think that is true also of movie musicals. Both Broadway and Hollywood, musicals have simple got to expensive and as result the numbers and size began to shrink. Today, about half of the top movie musicals are animated.
 
Fantasia

Fred and Ginger movies


Exactly, that's what I was going to say ....Fred and Ginger dancing ......Busby Berkeley totally amazing musicals!!!!!!WOW! and many, many more.....

It all started in the 1930s and it was so, so incredible!!!!never to be the same!
 
Both Broadway and Hollywood, musicals have simple got to expensive and as result the numbers and size began to shrink

Since the beginning of this century, several very excellent stage musicals have come out.

Specifically, "Wicked", "Book of Mormon", "Avenue Q", "Hairspray" (a revival of a 1980's movie musical of the same name), and "The Producers" (based on a 1960's non-musical movie), to name just a few.
 
Wiz/Oz might have been considered as a musical but it was more of a fantasy production and the best of Hollywood in the late 30's. Fred Astaire was the image of staged musicals of the 30's. They all ran together with shallow plots but every Astaire musical was a gem.
 
The two last GREAT and perfectly done musicals, for me, were Mame (Lucille Ball) and Victor Victoria (Julie Andrews).

Todays "musicals" just seem to be badly written movies with horrible scores added to them to keep you from walking out.
Like......how much MORE horrible can this thing get?? LOL
 
Lucille Ball?

The only Mame worth watching is Rosalind Russell
 
Wiz/Oz might have been considered as a musical but it was more of a fantasy production and the best of Hollywood in the late 30's. Fred Astaire was the image of staged musicals of the 30's. They all ran together with shallow plots but every Astaire musical was a gem.
I think most people forget that there were 14 original songs, including Somewhere Over the Rainbow all written for Oz. Oz is different in many ways from 30's musicals such as a strong dramatic story, limited dancing, a family musical, first technicolor movie, and first movie to use sepia and color for effect. In fact, it is so different, I think audiences did not know what to think about the movie. People were bowled over by the color. In fact that is all people could talked about was the incredible color. The movie did second runs but by the end of 1940 it was done and MGM retired it to it's vault of musicals satisfied that it made money although not the success hoped for. For some strange reason it was re-released in 1949 in total sepia and that did not go well.

In 1955 it was released a third time to theaters at the same time as an LP album of the music was released. Judy Garland who was hugely popular at the time promoted the movie. The result was a big success. The next year in November, CBS showed the movie in it's entirety at the beginning of the Christmas season making it a new Christmas classic. In the sixties and seventies it was syndicated to TV stations around the country and it was released in over a hundred countries. Every Christmas, there were more Wizard of Oz toys on shelves. Then to VHS tapes, DVDs and finally streaming. It is estimated that as much as 2 billion people have seen it.
 
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The 1930s..idk. It was the height of The Great Depression. I'd say "Anything Goes" which really has a 20s vibe.

They do The Charleston and everything.
 

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