Favorite Musicals

Personally I view Singin' in the Rain as the perfect tribute to the MGM movie musical. It was done to near perfection in a way that made you remember why you love an MGM musical in the first place. From the portrayal of the transition from silent film to talkies and the trouble it caused for some actors to the unforgettable dance routines, it was a brilliantly thought out movie with a very talented cast and crew. Definitely one of my favorites to recommend to others as well as one to re-watch.

I do love Donald and Gene performing together. Great dancers and wonderful comedy:

Like Singin' in the Rain, I think this movie appeals to me because of the set-up of the story. Add in some real comedic moments and beautifully choreographed numbers and you get a true show stopper.

This is the movie that gives us "That's Entertainment" and the performance in the film is executed perfectly.

The final ballet has to be my favorite piece of choreography in a major movie musical ever. Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron simply steal your heart throughout the entire film and it all wraps up beautifully in the final number. Even if the rest of the movie were not well done (which it is) that final number has earned it an honored place in musical film history.

Though I admit to liking the remake to some extent, this version is the iconic version that I always return to. If people truly want to see "Show Boat" this is the version I recommend. This version has a special quality that is lacking in the others.

The version of "Old Man River" sang here by Paul Robeson is iconic. It captures all the suffering and tones of the song perfectly:

There may not be any large choreographed numbers, but for some reason this musical, with its catchy songs and lovable characters, is the musical I have re-watched the most. It never fails to make me smile. With songs such as "I Don't Understand the Parisians," "Thank Heaven for Little Girls," and "Say a Prayer," I find myself humming the tunes for hours (if not days) after watching this film. If you are in the mood for an elegantly done romantic comedy musical, this may just be the movie for you.

Maurice Chevalier and Hermione Gringold are great to watch on screen together. Love them:

I am going to keep this brief. You cannot get much better than this cast where everyone brings their own element to the film and makes it that much better. From their singing, to their dancing and comedy, this cast delivered. You want a musical that is pure fun, this is a great one to watch!

And of course Frank Sinatra always has a song that just makes me melt and I love Betty Garrett.

Doris Day and Howard Keel. To me, you cannot get much better than that. Sure, some people could call it an "Annie Get Your Gun"-wanna-be, but I disagree with that idea. Doris Day delivers a comedic yet heartfelt performance as the rough Calamity who you can appreciate for her faults and love for her spirit. Mix in love triangles and set it all in the rural hills of Dakota and it is a musical I never grow tired of.

Love the interaction between these two:

Pair a legendary singer with a legendary actor and this is what you get. Marlon Brando delivers a great performance considering he is not a musical guy. And of course Frank Sinatra plays a funny and lovable Nathan Detroit. Overall this is another one of those films where everything just comes together and makes for a great piece of entertainment. Sure, it has a few flaws, but the joy and entertainment I get from it override those paltry complaints.

And of course:

Audrey Hepburn is almost too sweet to be real in this film and a treat to watch, especially in her bar dance scene that has become quite famous over the years. Not too much to say about this film other than it is another romantic musical that is elegantly done and a joy to watch.

Her last fully filmed movie musical with MGM, Gene Kelly and her are a joy to watch. After watching them in Me and My Gal, it was nice to see them once again paired together in this final MGM film of hers. Of course, the most famous number "Get Happy" is seen towards the end of the film, but along the way there are great moments of comedy and pure "summer stock" style magic. It was a flashback to her old backyard musical films, yet I find it to be more enjoyable than most of them.

That may have to do with Gene Kelly being in this film. As seen here he is just a pleasure to watch dance:

An Easter/spring tradition for me. Of course I will watch it at other times of the year as well, but when Easter comes around you can find me happily singing along to the great collection of songs in this film.

Fred Astaire and Judy Garland really perform to near perfection and strike comedic gold in their "Couple of Swells" song (I laugh every time and can never seem to get through it without a full smile on my face).

Another movie with a dance number that simply steals the show. The barn raising dance number is legendary and just watching it once you'll see why. This was the movie I truly fell in love with Jane Powell as a performer (the first I saw her in but not the first of her movies), and I have a fan crush on Howard Keel so there is no doubt I love his performance as Adam. The interaction between the characters felt real and at the end I walk away with a smile on my face. Can't ask too much more from a romantic comedy musical.

Outside of the barn dance this is possibly my favorite moment from the movie:

Another movie with Jane Powell, this time with Fred Astaire. The music and performances make this musical a feel good movie for me, especially the numbers where Powell and Astaire perform together. Yes it may be pure cheese, but it is a feel good movie...can't blame me for just wanting a few laughs. :)

A lot of people like this musical more than I do, but I will still give it props. It has great music and I love Howard Keel. However, while some people love Betty Hutton in the role of Annie, there has always been something that annoyed me about her during the second half of the musical. To each their own.