Movie Mondays: The Movie Musical Part 3

Continuing on through the history of musicals, the 1960s were mostly hits from Broadway that were adapted for film. This era brings many exciting developments but only two exceptional leading ladies were brought to the screen from Broadway as well.

One of these stars came flying in on an umbrella from her Broadway success of My Fair Lady. Julie Andrews, denied the staring role of Eliza in the movie version of the show because she was (and I quote) "not photogenic enough," was asked to portray the first 'Super Nanny' in Walt Disney's Mary Poppins. With incomparable Dick Van Dyke as co-star, Julie shines in her Oscar winning performance which would lead her to the role that made her career, Maria in The Sound of Music. Julies magic can also be found in the hilarious Thoroughly Modern Millie and the astonishing Victor/Victoria (in a role which she later originated on Broadway).

The other leading lady for this era worth mentioning don't have Julie's charm or class for that matter, but she is truly sensational. Debuting in Funny Girl, a role she originated on Broadway, Barbara Streisand's excellent performance won her the Oscar for Best Actress. Other musicals in her repertoire included, Funny Lady(the sequel to Funny Girl), Hello Dolly (big hair, long nails and Louis Armstrong :D) and Yentl (oh man, so much awkward).

Other musicals with roots in Broadway that were total hits include, Bells are Ringing, The Music Man, My Fair Lady, A Funny Thing Happened on The Way to The Forum, Sweet Charity, West Side Story, Oliver! and Finian's Rainbow.

A musical you should never see (and I mean NEVER. I couldn't even make it through the whole thing... it was that bad) is Camelot. Super boring and terrible showmanship. Just plain bad.


In the 70s, there were more of Broadway's hits were turned into movies with mixed results. Fiddler on The Roof and Cabaret did well but most did terribly.

The 70s also brought the use of rock songs in musicals like Jesus Christ Super Star, Hair, The Rose, Tommy and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Unfortunately critic and audiences alike really hated most of these attempts.

Two movies contradicted these trend however.

First, Grease, full of catchy songs and teen angst, immediately won over audiences and critics alike. John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John provided fun for the whole family in their portrayals of the rough and tough greaser and the sweater toting goody-two-shoes.

Although Rocky Horror Picture Show was not received well by critics, it has developed an impressive and bizarre following especially among college students.



At the end of the 70s, most people considered the movie musical to be pretty much dead. It would take some puppets and mythical water creatures to convince people that the movie musical should be a part of our world.

Movie Mondays: The Movie Musical Part 2

Now for a look a musicals from the 40s and 50s or the Golden Age of Musicals

With the boys getting ready and heading off to war, the movie musicals of the 40s were designed to lift the spirits and take people out of the misery of the day-to-day.

Bing Crosby, the crooner famous for his rendition of the classic hit White Christmas, was in his hay day in the 40s. His warm vocals and endearing personality was reassuring to a nation at war. Even though Bing is usually the main love interest along side stellar leading ladies, he is more of someone you'd want to be your super cool uncle or sweet grandfather. Bing's best include: White Christmas (the movie this time), High Society and Holiday Inn.

Judy Garland, who's performance in The Wizard of Oz launched her into stardom, appeared in 16 movie musicals and 14 feature films during the 40s. Holy cow that a lot! With her charming girl-next-door quality and stunning set of pipes, Judy Garland will forever be a household name. The best of Judy include: For Me and My Gal (Gene Kelly's Debut!), Meet Me in St Louis, Easter Parade (with Fred Astaire!) and Summer Stock.

Next up is the master of dance, musical genius and my personal favorite, Gene Kelly. Gene's magical feet, charming singing voice and lovable personality won the hearts of musical lovers the world over. Not only was he a talented performer, he also excelled as a choreographer. Some of his lesser known (but super awesome) works include: Cover Girl, Ziegfeld Follies, The Pirate (which I have actually never seen but it has Judy Garland so it must be good) and On The Town.

The 5os is referred to as both the Golden Age of musicals and the downfall of musicals. Although Elvis was king and you could make more money on a low-budget beach party flick, some of the best musicals of all time were produced during this decade.

Although Rogers and Hammerstein where teamed up before the 50s, their Broadway musicals hit the silver screen in full force during this time. Oklahoma, Carousel, The King and I and South Pacific are excellent examples of the magical music and lyrics of this duo. Don't see your favorite? Don't worry! The R & H tradition carries over into the 60s.

Perhaps the most iconic movie star of all time, Marilyn Monroe made a break through to stardom in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. This steamy, blonde bombshell made the majority of her films in the 50s including Some Like It Hot.

However, MGM's musicals pretty much blew everyone out of the water. Among them are the sensational An American In Paris, delightful Singing In The Rain, the show within a show within a movie The Band Wagon, silly but sweet Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and the last MGM musical Gigi.

There were so many musical stars in those days, all very talented, including Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Danny Kaye, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day and Rita Hayworth. Its impossible to cover them all but check out the links to see some of their showstopping performances

Next time: movie musicals of the 60s and 70s

Movie Mondays: Inception

Well this isn't exactly Monday but I didn't have access to this site til now so let's pretend its Monday, k?

Inception: the birth of an idea.
A single idea from the human mind can build cities. An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules. Which is why I have to steal it.-Cobb
Everyone knows that we only use a fraction of our brains to function in day to day life but what do we do with the rest of that brain power? Well, according to the new movie Inception, in our dreams we have the power to create anything and to access secrets in the deepest recesses of our subconscious.
In a way, the dreams are the final (final, final) frontier and Mr. Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is out to be a good white explorer and exploit it. ;)


Now based on the commercials and the musings of a cynical mind, the most I hoped for was a 'B' action thriller. But surprisingly Inception delivers a very entertaining and captivating 2.5hr ride.

There's even a scene reminiscent of the infamous Fred Astaire ceiling dance in A Royal Wedding.
Do you see it? huh? huh?
Inception: Hit or Miss?
HIT

Movie Mondays: Bollywood or Bust

I propose we start Movie Mondays where each Monday we create a new post about a different genre, craze, actor/actress or individual movie. Let me know what you think!

To kick things off, I have been exploring the wonderfully wacky world of Bollywood Films.

"Bollywood" (a spin off of "Hollywood"), is the largest film producer in India and one of the largest centers of film production in the world. Bollywood films are mostly musicals, expected to contain catchy song-and-dance numbers woven into the script. A film's success often depends on the quality of its musical numbers. Oh yes! Although they are mostly produced in Hindi (with some sporadic English catch phrases ie: Hey baby, Ok, Bye and the like) and subtitled, they are being increasingly produced in English.

Here is an example of a Bollywood take on Pride and Prejudice (produced in English)
In this scene, the Bennetts have just met Mr. Collins (or Mr. Kholi as he is referred to here)


Poor Mr. Kholi! He has no life without wife :(

Sometimes the songs (like the one above) behave similarly to those in Broadway musicals, advancing the plot or expressing emotions; but most of the time they are kind of random fantasies often having nothing to do with the plot other than expressing wild imagination of the characters.
For example, in the movie Kandukondain Kandukondain (which is a Hindi version of Sense and Sensibility set in modern day) the main characters have a fantasy about living in Medieval times.




Most films are romantic and melodramatic, but some Bollywoods that focus on difficult social issues are more serious. Lagaan, for example, is about a village's struggle against imperialists from England. You can also find movies like Doom, which is your classic "good guy vs. bad guys" action movie. Whether you are looking for something serious or just a feel-good film, Bollywood's light-hearted style has something for everyone.

Bollywood: HIT!

Recommended Watching List:
(these are some of my favorites)
Slumdog Millionaire- in English
Lagaan- Subtitles and some English
Bride and Prejudice- in English
Kandukondain Kandukondain- Subtitles
Doom- Subtitles