Ever since sound and movie had been first united in The Jazz Singer (1927), the musical has been a staple of cinema historical past and widespread tradition. Over time the style has advanced, peaked and waned. Hollywood cornered the market, although Bollywood has definitely given it a run for its cash over time, and it loved a prolonged golden age.
The previous couple of years have seen the (Hollywood) movie musical get pleasure from a little bit of a comeback, however what are the most effective movie musicals of all time?
Finest movie musicals ever
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Harold Arlen & Yip Harbug
dir. Victor Fleming
The yellow-brick highway, the ruby slippers, the depraved witch of the west… All the pieces about The Wizard of Oz is iconic. Based mostly on L. Frank Baum’s kids’s tales concerning the fantasy land of Oz (first printed in 1900), this mini epic can be notable for its use of the fledgling Technicolor movie course of – although the movie begins in black and white, the land of Oz is revealed to us in spectacular color. The unique songs by Arlen and Harburg are all classics, with the Oscar-winning ‘Someplace Over the Rainbow’ probably the most well-known. The movie was launched simply months into the Second World Conflict, and so the track grew to become one thing of an anthem for hope of higher instances forward.
Although there have been stage variations of the story, this tackle it was solely totally tailored for the theatre stage in 2011 and featured extra songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Singin’ within the Rain (1952)
Nacio Herb Brown & Arthur Freed
dir. Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly
Everybody is aware of the title track, and the picture of Gene Kelly splashing about in puddles and swinging round a lamp submit is definitely engrained on the favored conscience. However there’s extra to Singin’ within the Rain than that soggy dance quantity. It’s a vibrant, comical movie about making movies with memorable turns from leads Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor. Musically it’s a complete patchwork, with nearly all of the featured songs having been written for MGM productions from the Thirties. Solely ‘Make ‘em Snigger’ and ‘Moses Supposes’ had been written for the movie.
The movie was tailored for the stage in 1983 and loved a very talked-about revival in 2011.
Calamity Jane (1953)
Sammy Fain & Paul Francis Webster
dir. David Butler
The musical was massive enterprise for Hollywood within the Fifties and so was the western, so bringing them collectively made numerous sense. Annie Get Your Gun had been an enormous success for MGM and so Warner Bros determined to get a chunk of the motion. ‘Calamity Jane’ was an actual particular person, famed for her vibrant life within the American West, and the story brings collectively (and in lots of respects softens) her most storied exploits. Delivered to vivid life by Doris Day, ‘Calamity’ stays one of many display’s most beloved characters and her fabulous vocals added nice weight and color to a clutch of barnstorming musical numbers, together with ‘The Deadwood Stage’, The Windy Metropolis’, ‘The Black Hills of Dakota’ and the Oscar-winning ‘Secret Love’.
West Facet Story (1961 & 2021)
Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Sondheim
dir. Robert Sensible & Jerome Robbins (1961); Steven Spielberg (2021)
The primary on this listing to have truly begun life as a stage musical, West Facet Story has now been tailored twice for the large display and each variations are worthy of a spot right here. The heartbreaking reimagining of Romeo & Juliet options unbelievable choreography and music, to not point out songs which have stood the take a look at of time. The unique movie will stay iconic, with its daring use of color and dynamic set items overseen by the present’s creators. Steven Spielberg managed to make a movie that not solely matched as much as the unique by way of its emotional and visible influence, however did so with a extra profound feeling of authenticity.
Johnny Inexperienced, Irwin Kostal, Sid Ramin and Saul Chaplin shared an Oscar win for his or her work on the 1961 movie’s music.
Mary Poppins (1964)
Robert B. Sherman & Richard M. Sherman
dir. Robert Stevenson
Walt Disney spent years making an attempt to persuade writer PL Travers to let him purchase the movie rights to her character Mary Poppins. Travers’s books had enchanted him and his kids and he thought it will make a magical movie. Thank goodness she relented, as a result of how proper he was. From the picture-book units and costumes to the characterful music and lyrics of the Sherman Brothers, it’s fairly merely Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious. It additionally marked the display debut of Julie Andrews within the title function, which gained her an Oscar.
The Shermans gained two Oscars, for his or her scoring and the track ‘Chim Chim Cher-ee’
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
Michel Legrand
dir. Jacques Demy
Okay, so it’s not solely Hollywood who may make musicals. This French movie from Jacques Demy starred Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo because the romantic leads whose love, and lives, are torn aside by his conscription into the military to combat in Algeria. It’s not precisely cheery, then, however there’s one thing about its melancholy allure that will get underneath the pores and skin. Talking of which, Michel Legrand’s major melody is one in all his perfect and with reprise after reprise (after reprise), you start to hum it lengthy after the movie has ended.
The movie gained the Palme d’Or at Cannes and was tailored for the stage, in English, in 2011.
The Sound of Music (1965)
Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II
dir. Robert Sensible
Like West Facet Story, it didn’t take too lengthy for Hollywood to catch on to this Broadway hit. Certainly Twentieth Century-Fox purchased up the movie rights for what was turning into a Rodgers & Hammerstein basic just some months after its premiere in late 1959. The studio didn’t rush and the work, on the screenplay, location scouting and casting, paid off. Its use of actual places is one motive why the movie works so superbly, one other is its lead; Julie Andrews was the toast of Hollywood after Mary Poppins and, although cautious of enjoying one other singing Nanny, the gamble was price it. Rodgers & Hammerstein wrote a brand new track for the movie: ‘One thing Good’.
Irwin Kostal gained an Oscar for his music path.
We named ‘My Favorite Issues’ one of many finest songs from a musical ever
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
Robert B. Sherman & Richard M. Sherman
dir. Ken Hughes
This absolute gem was, consider it or not, primarily based on a novel by 007 writer Ian Fleming, produced by Bond’s legendary helmsman ‘Cubby’ Broccoli and initially tailored for the display by Roald Dahl. The success of Disney’s Mary Poppins has so much to do with this movie’s creation, significantly because it stars Dick van Dyke and options unique songs by the Sherman Brothers. It’s filled with memorable moments, beloved characters and a few now basic songs… although the much less stated concerning the terrifying Childcatcher the higher.
Oliver! (1968)
Lionel Bart
dir. Carol Reed
Lionel Bart’s 1960 West Finish musical wants little introduction, and neither does this movie model – a go-to for TV schedulers at Christmastime… or anytime for that matter. Based mostly on Charles Dickens’s beloved basic, this big-screen tackle Oliver Twist spared no expense with its lavish units, costumes and thrilling musical numbers. The casting, too, makes it a winner – who can neglect Ron Moody as Fagin, or Oliver Reed as Invoice Sykes?
Johnny Inexperienced gained an Oscar for his music path.
Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick
dir. Norman Jewison
It’s honest to say Fiddler on the Roof owes a bit of of its influence to The Sound of Music in that it, too, was shot partly on location. So many Hollywood musicals had been created throughout the confines of the studios themselves, on backlots and soundstages, that to have the motion happen out in the true world was seemingly simply what the style wanted. Based mostly on Sholem Alecheim’s ‘Tevye’ tales, Fiddler is a vigorous and transferring snapshot of life in a Russian Jewish settlement within the early 1900s. The movie’s star, Israeli actor/singer Topol, lights up the display and Jerry Bock’s unique songs (together with the very acquainted ‘If I Have been a Wealthy Man’) had been delivered to dazzling life by the movie’s musical director, John Williams. Williams gained his first Oscar for his work on the movie.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Manufacturing unit (1971)
Anthony Newley & Leslie Bricusse
dir. Mel Stuart
Roald Dahl’s 1964 ebook Charlie and the Chocolate Manufacturing unit was ripe for adaptation and the funding for a movie model got here from probably the most unlikely of locations… Quaker Oats. Yup, the cereal firm stumped up the money with a tie-in ‘Wonka Bar’ in thoughts. That’s one motive the movie’s producer’s modified the title, so they are saying. Such a vibrant, and at instances frankly odd, story could be served properly with music, and so the venture was devised as an unique musical. Notable composers turned the job down, however songwriting workforce Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley gamely took it on. Although it didn’t precisely gentle up the field workplace upon its unique launch, it has grow to be one thing of a cult basic at this time, with ‘Pure Creativeness’ the standout musical quantity (carried out so memorably within the movie by the late Gene Wilder). That track (plus ‘The Sweet Man’ and ‘Oompa Loompa’) would make it into the 2013 stage musical, Charlie and the Chocolate Manufacturing unit, in any other case that includes unique songs by Hairspray songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
Grease (1978)
Jim Jabobs & Warren Casey; John Farrar; Barry Gibb et al
dir. Randall Kleiser
You’d be forgiven for pondering Grease is an unique movie musical, but it surely was in actual fact tailored from a stage present. It’s honest to say, although, that the movie took it to a complete new stage and introduced mass attraction because of its sizzling younger solid and extra songs by Barry Gibb (of Bee Gees fame) and John Farrar. Certainly probably the most well-known songs had been new, together with ‘Grease’, ‘Hopelessly Devoted’ and ‘You’re the One That I Need’; of the very talked-about numbers, solely ‘Summer time Nights’ featured within the unique stage musical by Jacobs and Casey. The soundtrack album was a multi-million vendor and it appears irrespective of your age, you in all probability know a track from Grease.
Little Store of Horrors (1986)
Alan Menken & Howard Ashman
dir. Frank Oz
Earlier than Menken and Ashman gave voice to Disney Mermaids and Beasts, they had been most well-known for his or her 1982 Broadway hit primarily based on Roger Corman’s 1960 horror comedy movie a few man-eating plant. It’s reputation on stage led to this 1986 display model, now a cult basic, starring Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene (the latter who originated the function of Audrey on Broadway and within the West Finish). Menken’s brilliantly catchy doo-wop rating and Ashman’s snappy lyrics pervade, with memorably zany turns from supporting solid members, together with Steve Martin as a sadomasochistic dentist.
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1996)
Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz
dir. Gary Trousdale & Kirk Sensible
Okay, so we’re spoilt for alternative in relation to Disney animated musicals (they alone actually stored the movie musical alive for years) and a great quantity have now been reworked into blockbuster stage musicals. This lovely movie has been overshadowed by its extra profitable forebears, nonetheless, and actually deserves to be reassessed. The music by Alan Menken is probably his very best work, drenched in pathos, steeped in grandeur. It’s maybe the story, of a person vilified for the way in which he appears to be like, which touches the center probably the most, however Menken (and Stephen Schwartz) responded with a soulful accompaniment. Tom Hulce (who performed Mozart within the movie of Amadeus) voices Quasi-modo and delivers one of many movie’s most spinetingling songs, ‘Out There’. Menken and Schwartz went on to develop their work for the stage, and it was vastly widespread in Germany, although it by no means made it to Broadway. A studio recording of the revised present was launched in 2015.
The Biggest Showman (2017)
Justin Paul & Benj Pasek
Dir. Michael Gracey
This movie has been one thing of a phenomenon and confirmed simply how a lot of an urge for food audiences had developed for movie musicals. Such movies had sometimes finished good enterprise, significantly in the event that they had been tailored from already widespread hits – Chicago (2002), Hairspray (2007) – however an unique movie musical? The Oscar-winning La La Land (2016) was a positive signal that change is perhaps afoot and with its thrilling set items, life-affirming songs and some tugs of the heartstrings, The Biggest Showman ended up being the movie expertise we by no means knew we wanted. Paul and Pasek have a aptitude for a showtune that may double as a preferred hit – as they’d confirmed with their Broadway present Expensive Evan Hansen, and the tunes carry on coming on this upbeat firecracker with a candy centre.
