20th Century Fox, 1962
Starring Pat Boone, Pamela Tiffin, Ann-Margaret, and Bobby Darrin
Directed by Jose Ferrer
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein and Richard Rodgers
If this looks familiar, I reviewed the original 1946 musical last September. Fox had been trying to get a remake off the ground since 1960, with more music by Rodgers and Hammerstein. By the time the movie came out two years later, Hammerstein had passed away, leaving Rodgers to write the new music on his own. How does this bucolic story look over fifteen years later and taking place in a different state fair? Let's head back to the Frake farm, this time in Texas, to find out...
The Story: The Frakes have high hopes that this state fair will be their best ever. Mrs. Frake (Alice Faye) is putting her money on her mincemeat. Her husband (Tom Ewell) is coddling his enormous pig, Blue Boy, in order for him to win a blue ribbon. Son Wayne (Boone) wants to win the state car racing championship. Daughter Margie (Tiffin) just wants to get away from her steady but dull boyfriend. Mr. Frake makes a bet with a gloomy neighbor (
On his first day at the track, Wayne meets Emily (Ann-Margaret) when she poses with a few drivers. He's smitten the moment he sees her. Turns out she's a dancer and model at the fair's theater who performs at various fairs throughout the US. It takes her a little longer, but she falls for him, too. Margie finds her own man in Jerry (Darrin), a fast-talking TV reporter who is covering the fair for a local station. He claims to have a girl in every city, and she's uncertain about him at first, but he finally brings her around. Wayne, however, has a girl at home, and Emily's not the type of girl you bring home to mother. Not to mention, Jerry's angling to work in a bigger market.
The Song and Dance: I have no idea why they moved this to Texas from Iowa, but it does make for some nice cinematography. There's some lovely widescreen shots of dusty Texas, especially in the beginning on the Frake farm. Location shooting at the real-life Texas and Oklahoma state fairs helps add to the southwestern feel.
Pat Boone and Ann-Margaret are by far the stand-outs here as the girl who's been around and the boy who's wild for her, no matter what kind of a woman she is. Boone comes off as surprisingly sexy and charismatic, given his squeaky-clean image, and matches red-hot Ann-Margaret better than you might think. Their chemistry lends their love scenes an unusual amount of heat for a musical.
Favorite Number: Boone gets a relaxed "That's For Me" around the car track after he first meets Emily and falls for her at first sight. Of Rodgers' solo contributions, my favorites were the adorable "More Than Just a Friend," sung by Mr. Frake to Blue Boy when he's trying to buoy his spirits at the fair, Boone and Ann-Margaret's lovely duet "Willing and Eager," and the Frakes' sweet song on the merry-go-round at the fair, "The Little Things In Texas."
Trivia: Alice Faye came out of retirement to appear in this film.
This was Ann-Margaret's second movie after Pocketful of Miracles.
This was not the last version of State Fair, though to date it's been the last on the big screen. A stage version with additional music from other Rodgers and Hammerstein shows made Broadway briefly in 1997, and a non-musical TV film debuted in 1976.
What I Don't Like: This movie has the opposite problem from the 1946 State Fair. Here, it's Margie and her suitor who are the dull ones. Bland Tiffin barely registers (and is dubbed), and Darrin is so smarmy and creepy, you wonder why Margie's interested in him. Faye and Ewell are cute together, but neither especially feel like Texas farmers with young adult children.
There's music problems, too. The remaining Rodgers solo songs aren't nearly as memorable as the originals. Darrin's ballad "This Isn't Heaven' is especially dull. "Isn't It Kind of Fun" becomes an inexplicably strange number for Ann-Margaret and the chorus. It starts with cutesy romance and ends with her and the chorus in black outfits and a sexy red background, and it just doesn't work. Jose Ferrer, who mainly worked in drama, probably wasn't the best choice to direct a rural musical, either.
The Big Finale: Like this summer's version of The Lion King, this remake simply was not necessary. Only worth checking out if you're a major fan of Boone, Faye, or Ann-Margaret. Everyone else is probably fine with the 1946 film.
Home Media: Currently, this can only be found on the out-of-print 2-disc special edition State Fair DVD set. Check used venues or look for it occasionally on TCM.
DVD
Reviews of musical films, from 1930s black and white to widescreen 21st century extravaganzas.
Showing posts with label Rogers and Hammerstein. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rogers and Hammerstein. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Saturday, August 31, 2019
Musicals On TV - Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997)
ABC/Disney, 1997
Starring Brandy, Whitney Houston, Bernadette Peters, and Paolo Montalban
Directed by Robert Iscove
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein and others
Whitney Houston had been wanting to remake Cinderella for years, but by the time Disney was interested, she thought herself too old for the role and suggested Brandy instead. This movie was important in several respects. Not only did it re-launch the beloved anthology The Wonderful World of Disney, but it was the first version of Cinderella to use color-blind casting, with a black Cinderella and an Asian prince. Did the gamble pay off? Let's head back to the square, where Cinderella and her stepmother and stepsisters are shopping, to find out...
The Story: While helping her stepmother (Peters) and stepsisters with their shopping, Cinderella (Brandy) encounters a handsome young man (Montalban) in the town square. She's smitten with him, but her stepmother thinks the idea of marrying for love is foolish. Queen Constatina (Whoopi Goldberg) would agree. She insists that her son holds a ball to find a bride, though her husband thinks their son should marry for love. Cinderella's stepmother is quite jealous of her pretty stepdaughter, who is so much sweeter than her own spoiled daughters, and has no intention of letting her go to the ball. Cinderella finally gets help from the glittering Fairy Godmother (Houston), who shows her that love and trust are the most important things in any relationship, and that real love comes from a kind and gentle heart.
The Song and Dance: Disney really went all out with this one. From the colorful fairy-tale costumes to the stunning sets, this is by far the best Cinderella to look at. The cast is mostly pretty decent, too. Bernadette Peters has a lot of fun as the scheming stepmother, who will do anything possible to push and shove her daughters into high society. Goldberg and Garber are equally amusing as the king and queen. The handsome and charming Montalban is a revelation as the Prince; easy on the eyes, sings like a dream, handles the dramatic and comedic moments equally well.
Favorite Number: We have a nice opening with "The Sweetest Songs" as Prince Christopher helps Cinderella out in the square, and they win each other's hearts. Jason Alexander, as the Prince's long-suffering steward Lionel, leads the chorus through an excitingly-choreographed "The Prince Is Giving A Ball." The stepmother was previously played by non-singing actresses. They beefed up Peters and the stepsisters' roles with the Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart ballad "Falling In Love With Love." Montalban really ladles his instrument into "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" Houston finishes with the rare Rodgers and Hammerstein ballad "There's Music In You."
Trivia: "There's Music In You" is from the little-known film Main Street to Broadway. "The Sweetest Sounds" was written by Richard Rodgers alone and was taken from the 1961 stage musical No Strings. "Falling In Love With Love" comes from the 1930's Rodgers and Hart show The Boys From Syracuse.
What I Don't Like: I know this was Houston's project, but she and Brandy stick out like sore thumbs. Like Carrie Underwood, their pop sensibilities don't work with the music or the material (although, as mentioned, Houston does manage a nice "There's Music In You"). Brandy's voice is too small for the music, and she can come off as a little stiff. This being television, the CGI effects on Houston look fairly cheap and obvious.
While "Falling In Love" sounds great on Peters, the darker Rodgers and Hart tune is a bit out of place among the more romantic songs Rodgers did with his later partner.
The Big Finale: I saw this when it first debuted in 1997, and I still enjoy it today. Slightly older princesses and those who have equally fond memories will really enjoy this one.
Home Media: Only on DVD at the moment, but it can be found for under 5 dollars in most places.
DVD
Starring Brandy, Whitney Houston, Bernadette Peters, and Paolo Montalban
Directed by Robert Iscove
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein and others
Whitney Houston had been wanting to remake Cinderella for years, but by the time Disney was interested, she thought herself too old for the role and suggested Brandy instead. This movie was important in several respects. Not only did it re-launch the beloved anthology The Wonderful World of Disney, but it was the first version of Cinderella to use color-blind casting, with a black Cinderella and an Asian prince. Did the gamble pay off? Let's head back to the square, where Cinderella and her stepmother and stepsisters are shopping, to find out...
The Story: While helping her stepmother (Peters) and stepsisters with their shopping, Cinderella (Brandy) encounters a handsome young man (Montalban) in the town square. She's smitten with him, but her stepmother thinks the idea of marrying for love is foolish. Queen Constatina (Whoopi Goldberg) would agree. She insists that her son holds a ball to find a bride, though her husband thinks their son should marry for love. Cinderella's stepmother is quite jealous of her pretty stepdaughter, who is so much sweeter than her own spoiled daughters, and has no intention of letting her go to the ball. Cinderella finally gets help from the glittering Fairy Godmother (Houston), who shows her that love and trust are the most important things in any relationship, and that real love comes from a kind and gentle heart.
The Song and Dance: Disney really went all out with this one. From the colorful fairy-tale costumes to the stunning sets, this is by far the best Cinderella to look at. The cast is mostly pretty decent, too. Bernadette Peters has a lot of fun as the scheming stepmother, who will do anything possible to push and shove her daughters into high society. Goldberg and Garber are equally amusing as the king and queen. The handsome and charming Montalban is a revelation as the Prince; easy on the eyes, sings like a dream, handles the dramatic and comedic moments equally well.
Favorite Number: We have a nice opening with "The Sweetest Songs" as Prince Christopher helps Cinderella out in the square, and they win each other's hearts. Jason Alexander, as the Prince's long-suffering steward Lionel, leads the chorus through an excitingly-choreographed "The Prince Is Giving A Ball." The stepmother was previously played by non-singing actresses. They beefed up Peters and the stepsisters' roles with the Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart ballad "Falling In Love With Love." Montalban really ladles his instrument into "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" Houston finishes with the rare Rodgers and Hammerstein ballad "There's Music In You."
Trivia: "There's Music In You" is from the little-known film Main Street to Broadway. "The Sweetest Sounds" was written by Richard Rodgers alone and was taken from the 1961 stage musical No Strings. "Falling In Love With Love" comes from the 1930's Rodgers and Hart show The Boys From Syracuse.
What I Don't Like: I know this was Houston's project, but she and Brandy stick out like sore thumbs. Like Carrie Underwood, their pop sensibilities don't work with the music or the material (although, as mentioned, Houston does manage a nice "There's Music In You"). Brandy's voice is too small for the music, and she can come off as a little stiff. This being television, the CGI effects on Houston look fairly cheap and obvious.
While "Falling In Love" sounds great on Peters, the darker Rodgers and Hart tune is a bit out of place among the more romantic songs Rodgers did with his later partner.
The Big Finale: I saw this when it first debuted in 1997, and I still enjoy it today. Slightly older princesses and those who have equally fond memories will really enjoy this one.
Home Media: Only on DVD at the moment, but it can be found for under 5 dollars in most places.
DVD
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Musicals On TV - Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1965)
CBS, 1965
Starring Leslie Ann Warren, Stuart Damon, Celeste Holm, and Jo Van Fleet
Directed by Charles S. Dubin
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein
The 1957 Cinderella had been a major success, one that CBS was eager to repeat. After a stage version also went over well in London, they decided to do a remake that took advantage of new color and videotaping technologies. How does this more traditional version stack up against the previous one? This time, we're going to start on the road to the castle to find out...
The Story: The Prince (Damon) has returned from a year of rescuing beauties and slaying dragons. His parents the King (Walter Pidgeon) and Queen (Ginger Rogers) are holding a ball in honor of his arrival home and hope that he'll choose a bride. Sweet servant Cinderella (Warren) doesn't think she'll be among those chosen. Her obnoxious stepmother (Fleet) and stepsisters Prunella (Pat Carroll) and Esmerelda (Barbara Ruick) won't allow her to go, as they wish to capture the Prince's eye themselves. It'll take a little bit of magic from Cinderella's glamorous fairy godmother (Holm) to get Cinderella to the ball...and the equally potent magic of her own kind nature to win his heart.
The Song and Dance: This is the version of Cinderella I grew up with. It ran a lot on cable when I was little, and my sisters and I always enjoyed it when it was on. Warren is a wonderfully sweet Cinderella, and Damon is suitably dashing as her Prince Charming. Ruick and especially sarcastic Carroll have some nice moments as the jealous stepsisters. Holm makes a far warmer and more motherly fairy godmother. Once again, the sets and especially the costumes are lavish and gorgeous. That vaunted color glows like a child's fairy-tale picture book from the 1960's.
Favorite Number: Damon kicks things off in romantic style with "Loneliness of Evening," a gorgeous ballad originally cut from South Pacific. Holm and Warren discuss the importance of wishing in "Impossible/It's Possible," just as Cinderella's come true. Damon and Warren do a lovely "Ten Minutes Ago." Ruick and Carroll's "Stepsisters' Lament" is tied slightly better into the story and is very funny.
What I Don't Like: I wish both of the earlier Cinderellas did more with the Prince. In fact, "Loneliness of Evening" was added because Cypher's Prince in the original was a bit of a nonentity. Damon's so charming and witty when he does turn up, I kind of wish we could see more of him. Ironically, we don't see enough of the King and Queen. Despite being played by movie stars Pidgeon and Rogers, their role is greatly reduced from the other two films. They're mostly just seen at the ball and consoling their son after his dream girl runs off.
The Big Finale: Still a favorite of mine, this simple and sweet Cinderella might be especially nice for the youngest fairy-tale lovers and those who grew up with it like I did.
Home Media: Out of print and fairly expensive on DVD. Your best bet here is streaming. It can currently be found for free on several streaming services, including YouTube.
DVD
YouTube
Starring Leslie Ann Warren, Stuart Damon, Celeste Holm, and Jo Van Fleet
Directed by Charles S. Dubin
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein
The 1957 Cinderella had been a major success, one that CBS was eager to repeat. After a stage version also went over well in London, they decided to do a remake that took advantage of new color and videotaping technologies. How does this more traditional version stack up against the previous one? This time, we're going to start on the road to the castle to find out...
The Story: The Prince (Damon) has returned from a year of rescuing beauties and slaying dragons. His parents the King (Walter Pidgeon) and Queen (Ginger Rogers) are holding a ball in honor of his arrival home and hope that he'll choose a bride. Sweet servant Cinderella (Warren) doesn't think she'll be among those chosen. Her obnoxious stepmother (Fleet) and stepsisters Prunella (Pat Carroll) and Esmerelda (Barbara Ruick) won't allow her to go, as they wish to capture the Prince's eye themselves. It'll take a little bit of magic from Cinderella's glamorous fairy godmother (Holm) to get Cinderella to the ball...and the equally potent magic of her own kind nature to win his heart.
The Song and Dance: This is the version of Cinderella I grew up with. It ran a lot on cable when I was little, and my sisters and I always enjoyed it when it was on. Warren is a wonderfully sweet Cinderella, and Damon is suitably dashing as her Prince Charming. Ruick and especially sarcastic Carroll have some nice moments as the jealous stepsisters. Holm makes a far warmer and more motherly fairy godmother. Once again, the sets and especially the costumes are lavish and gorgeous. That vaunted color glows like a child's fairy-tale picture book from the 1960's.
Favorite Number: Damon kicks things off in romantic style with "Loneliness of Evening," a gorgeous ballad originally cut from South Pacific. Holm and Warren discuss the importance of wishing in "Impossible/It's Possible," just as Cinderella's come true. Damon and Warren do a lovely "Ten Minutes Ago." Ruick and Carroll's "Stepsisters' Lament" is tied slightly better into the story and is very funny.
What I Don't Like: I wish both of the earlier Cinderellas did more with the Prince. In fact, "Loneliness of Evening" was added because Cypher's Prince in the original was a bit of a nonentity. Damon's so charming and witty when he does turn up, I kind of wish we could see more of him. Ironically, we don't see enough of the King and Queen. Despite being played by movie stars Pidgeon and Rogers, their role is greatly reduced from the other two films. They're mostly just seen at the ball and consoling their son after his dream girl runs off.
The Big Finale: Still a favorite of mine, this simple and sweet Cinderella might be especially nice for the youngest fairy-tale lovers and those who grew up with it like I did.
Home Media: Out of print and fairly expensive on DVD. Your best bet here is streaming. It can currently be found for free on several streaming services, including YouTube.
DVD
YouTube
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Musicals On TV - Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1957)
CBS, 1957
Starring Julie Andrews, Jon Cypher, Edie Adams, and Ilka Chase
Directed by Ralph Nelson
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein
Live television musicals have existed for as long as the medium has, but they were usually adaptations of Broadway shows. Rodgers and Hammerstein were originally approached by NBC to write the first major original TV musical, but switched the project to CBS when they heard that they'd signed Julie Andrews. The duo were eager to work with her after she became a star in the original Broadway production of My Fair Lady and filled the cast with mainly Broadway and TV stars. How does the first of three TV versions of this beloved fairy tales look over 60 years later? Let's head to the town square, just as the town crier is about to make a major announcement, and find out...
The Story: Cinderella (Andrews) is a little drudge who lives with her bossy stepmother (Chase) and her two stepsisters, silly Portia (Kaye Ballard) and gloomy Joy (Alice Ghostley). She'd love to go to the ball, but her family would rather she stayed at home and did her many chores. Meanwhile, Queen Maisie (Dorothy Stuckney) wishes her son the Prince (Cypher) would settle down, but he hasn't found a woman who interests him. Cinderella gets her chance to attend the ball from her fairy godmother (Adams), who turns animals and a pumpkin into a coach and her rags into a ball gown. When she arrives, the prince instantly falls in love with her, and they're together the rest of the evening...but she can only stay until midnight. After she leaves behind a glass slipper, the Prince becomes determined to find the foot that fits that shoe.
The Song and Dance: I can understand why Rodgers and Hammerstein wanted Andrews so badly for this role. Even in the fuzzy black-and-white prints currently available, she glows as the servant who gets the chance to show she's more than a mere cinder girl. Chase, Ghostley, and especially the giggling, snorting Ballard are hilarious as her abusive family, and Adams makes an unusually young and friendly fairy godmother. The costumes and sets are quite lovely and lavish for TV in this time period, especially at the ball.
Favorite Number: Andrews has fun singing "In My Own Little Corner" and acting out the lyrics to the song, from her African safari to being glad to be home. She and Adams turn "Impossible/It's Possible" into an adorable woman-to-woman chat before Adams reveals why she's really there. "Ten Minutes Ago" and the waltz at the ball are lovely, with Cypher and Andrews lovely and romantic in their duet. She, Ghostly, and Ballard are very cute as they recall the splendors of the ball in "A Lovely Night."
What I Don't Like: I suspect the only reason for the expanded role of the King and Queen here is because Stickney and Lindsay were major stage stars at the time, having just come off the long-running Life With Father. Their number "Your Majesties (The Royal Dressing Room Scene)," is cute but unnecessary, and has never been used in any other version.
The biggest problem here has less to do with the cast or music and more with the ravages of time. The prints currently available are of the black-and-white kinescopes (early recordings) of the technical dress rehearsal. They're watchable, but definitely not the best prints in the world or what many people nowadays are used to seeing in their widescreen, 4K specials.
The Big Finale: No matter how bad the print is, this is still a piece of TV history. It was a massive hit at the time, the biggest in US television history, with over 24 million houses watching, and it's still fun to watch today, especially for fans of Andrews.
Home Media: Currently only on DVD via Image Entertainment.
DVD
Starring Julie Andrews, Jon Cypher, Edie Adams, and Ilka Chase
Directed by Ralph Nelson
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein
Live television musicals have existed for as long as the medium has, but they were usually adaptations of Broadway shows. Rodgers and Hammerstein were originally approached by NBC to write the first major original TV musical, but switched the project to CBS when they heard that they'd signed Julie Andrews. The duo were eager to work with her after she became a star in the original Broadway production of My Fair Lady and filled the cast with mainly Broadway and TV stars. How does the first of three TV versions of this beloved fairy tales look over 60 years later? Let's head to the town square, just as the town crier is about to make a major announcement, and find out...
The Story: Cinderella (Andrews) is a little drudge who lives with her bossy stepmother (Chase) and her two stepsisters, silly Portia (Kaye Ballard) and gloomy Joy (Alice Ghostley). She'd love to go to the ball, but her family would rather she stayed at home and did her many chores. Meanwhile, Queen Maisie (Dorothy Stuckney) wishes her son the Prince (Cypher) would settle down, but he hasn't found a woman who interests him. Cinderella gets her chance to attend the ball from her fairy godmother (Adams), who turns animals and a pumpkin into a coach and her rags into a ball gown. When she arrives, the prince instantly falls in love with her, and they're together the rest of the evening...but she can only stay until midnight. After she leaves behind a glass slipper, the Prince becomes determined to find the foot that fits that shoe.
The Song and Dance: I can understand why Rodgers and Hammerstein wanted Andrews so badly for this role. Even in the fuzzy black-and-white prints currently available, she glows as the servant who gets the chance to show she's more than a mere cinder girl. Chase, Ghostley, and especially the giggling, snorting Ballard are hilarious as her abusive family, and Adams makes an unusually young and friendly fairy godmother. The costumes and sets are quite lovely and lavish for TV in this time period, especially at the ball.
Favorite Number: Andrews has fun singing "In My Own Little Corner" and acting out the lyrics to the song, from her African safari to being glad to be home. She and Adams turn "Impossible/It's Possible" into an adorable woman-to-woman chat before Adams reveals why she's really there. "Ten Minutes Ago" and the waltz at the ball are lovely, with Cypher and Andrews lovely and romantic in their duet. She, Ghostly, and Ballard are very cute as they recall the splendors of the ball in "A Lovely Night."
What I Don't Like: I suspect the only reason for the expanded role of the King and Queen here is because Stickney and Lindsay were major stage stars at the time, having just come off the long-running Life With Father. Their number "Your Majesties (The Royal Dressing Room Scene)," is cute but unnecessary, and has never been used in any other version.
The biggest problem here has less to do with the cast or music and more with the ravages of time. The prints currently available are of the black-and-white kinescopes (early recordings) of the technical dress rehearsal. They're watchable, but definitely not the best prints in the world or what many people nowadays are used to seeing in their widescreen, 4K specials.
The Big Finale: No matter how bad the print is, this is still a piece of TV history. It was a massive hit at the time, the biggest in US television history, with over 24 million houses watching, and it's still fun to watch today, especially for fans of Andrews.
Home Media: Currently only on DVD via Image Entertainment.
DVD
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Musicals On TV - The Sound of Music Live
NBC/Universal, 2013
Starring Carrie Underwood, Stephan Moyer, Christine Bennati, and Audra McDonald
Directed by Rob Ashford and Beth McCarthy-Miller
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein
Hoping to promote more live events, NBC made The Sound of Music their big holiday special for 2013. At the time, it was a big gamble. A live musical hadn't been seen on television since the 1960's. Not only that, but their staging was based on the original Broadway show, using only one of the songs from the film. How well did they do? Let's return to those famous Austrian hills...or a stage approximation...to find out...
The Story: Maria Rainer (Underwood) is a novice nun at Nonnberg Abbey in Austria, but she's too spirited for the order. The Mother Superior (McDonald) sends her to be a governess to the stern Captain Von Trapp (Moyer) and his seven children. The Captain uses a whistle to call them and expects Maria to do the same, but she gives them respect and plays music with them instead, gaining their trust. The Captain comes home to discover his children and Maria are running around in clothes she made from her discarded curtains. He dismisses her after she points out that he barely knows his children...but changes his mind when he hears the children singing for his good friend Max Detweiller (Christian Borle) and fiancee Countess Elsa Schrader (Benatti).
He holds a party for them and dances a lander, an Austrian national dance, with Maria. Realizing she's in love with him. Maria runs off, but the Mother Abbess realizes she's hiding and sends her back. Meanwhile, the kids are upset and no longer feel like singing, and the Captain is disgusted by Max and Elsa constantly insisting that he should go along with the Nazis and their taking over Europe. Maria says she'll stay until they can find another governess, but the Captain has realizes that he loves her.
The Nazis invade Austria while they're on their honeymoon. When they return, they discover that Max has entered the family into the Kaltzenburg Festival and the Captain has been commissioned into the German Navy. Maria convinces the Nazis to let them sing at the festival...but it'll take all their know-how, and some help from the nuns at the Abbey, to allow them to escape over the mountains to freedom.
The Song and Dance: The supporting cast really shines here, with Broadway stars McDonald, Borle, and Benatti the stand-outs as the warm and wise Mother Abbess, sarcastic Max, and self-centered Countess. Ariene Rinehart and Michael Campayno are lovely as Von Trapp's eldest daughter Lisel and her sweetheart, too. I actually like that the story returns to its original contours. "The Lonely Goatheard" makes more sense as a way for Maria to cheer up the children than as a random number for them and puppets.
Favorite Number: Underwood and the kids have a great time marching in place as she teaches the kids "Do-Re-Mi" and still follows their father's orders. Rinehart and Campayno are adorable rolling down the hill in "Sixteen Going On Seventeen." "The Lonely Goatherd," with the kids hiding under the bed as Underwood sings the story, is just too funny. We get to hear more from Elsa and Max, who point out the inevitability of invasion in "No Way to Stop It" and "How Can Love Survive?"
What I Don't Like: While it is nice to hear two songs that didn't make it into the film, they also put more emphasis than needed on Max and Elsa and less than you'd like on Maria's relationship with the kids. Despite mostly sticking to the show, they actually did sneak a movie song in, "Something Good." The scenery, while lovely, can't match the very real Austria in the film and lacks the intimacy and warmth it displayed.
The biggest problem is the leads. Underwood is a wonderful country singer, but she's not much of an actress, and her instrument is totally inappropriate for Broadway showtunes. Moyer's stiff and dull opposite her.
The Big Finale: Underwood is no Julie Andrews, but the supporting cast is good, and it gets far closer to the original Broadway show. If you're a fan of Broadway or the cast or are willing to check out a different "Sound of Music," this is worth at least a look.
Home Media: Cheap and easily found on DVD and a few streaming services.
DVD
Amazon Prime (buy only)
Starring Carrie Underwood, Stephan Moyer, Christine Bennati, and Audra McDonald
Directed by Rob Ashford and Beth McCarthy-Miller
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein
Hoping to promote more live events, NBC made The Sound of Music their big holiday special for 2013. At the time, it was a big gamble. A live musical hadn't been seen on television since the 1960's. Not only that, but their staging was based on the original Broadway show, using only one of the songs from the film. How well did they do? Let's return to those famous Austrian hills...or a stage approximation...to find out...
The Story: Maria Rainer (Underwood) is a novice nun at Nonnberg Abbey in Austria, but she's too spirited for the order. The Mother Superior (McDonald) sends her to be a governess to the stern Captain Von Trapp (Moyer) and his seven children. The Captain uses a whistle to call them and expects Maria to do the same, but she gives them respect and plays music with them instead, gaining their trust. The Captain comes home to discover his children and Maria are running around in clothes she made from her discarded curtains. He dismisses her after she points out that he barely knows his children...but changes his mind when he hears the children singing for his good friend Max Detweiller (Christian Borle) and fiancee Countess Elsa Schrader (Benatti).
He holds a party for them and dances a lander, an Austrian national dance, with Maria. Realizing she's in love with him. Maria runs off, but the Mother Abbess realizes she's hiding and sends her back. Meanwhile, the kids are upset and no longer feel like singing, and the Captain is disgusted by Max and Elsa constantly insisting that he should go along with the Nazis and their taking over Europe. Maria says she'll stay until they can find another governess, but the Captain has realizes that he loves her.
The Nazis invade Austria while they're on their honeymoon. When they return, they discover that Max has entered the family into the Kaltzenburg Festival and the Captain has been commissioned into the German Navy. Maria convinces the Nazis to let them sing at the festival...but it'll take all their know-how, and some help from the nuns at the Abbey, to allow them to escape over the mountains to freedom.
The Song and Dance: The supporting cast really shines here, with Broadway stars McDonald, Borle, and Benatti the stand-outs as the warm and wise Mother Abbess, sarcastic Max, and self-centered Countess. Ariene Rinehart and Michael Campayno are lovely as Von Trapp's eldest daughter Lisel and her sweetheart, too. I actually like that the story returns to its original contours. "The Lonely Goatheard" makes more sense as a way for Maria to cheer up the children than as a random number for them and puppets.
Favorite Number: Underwood and the kids have a great time marching in place as she teaches the kids "Do-Re-Mi" and still follows their father's orders. Rinehart and Campayno are adorable rolling down the hill in "Sixteen Going On Seventeen." "The Lonely Goatherd," with the kids hiding under the bed as Underwood sings the story, is just too funny. We get to hear more from Elsa and Max, who point out the inevitability of invasion in "No Way to Stop It" and "How Can Love Survive?"
What I Don't Like: While it is nice to hear two songs that didn't make it into the film, they also put more emphasis than needed on Max and Elsa and less than you'd like on Maria's relationship with the kids. Despite mostly sticking to the show, they actually did sneak a movie song in, "Something Good." The scenery, while lovely, can't match the very real Austria in the film and lacks the intimacy and warmth it displayed.
The biggest problem is the leads. Underwood is a wonderful country singer, but she's not much of an actress, and her instrument is totally inappropriate for Broadway showtunes. Moyer's stiff and dull opposite her.
The Big Finale: Underwood is no Julie Andrews, but the supporting cast is good, and it gets far closer to the original Broadway show. If you're a fan of Broadway or the cast or are willing to check out a different "Sound of Music," this is worth at least a look.
Home Media: Cheap and easily found on DVD and a few streaming services.
DVD
Amazon Prime (buy only)
Thursday, April 25, 2019
Oklahoma! (1955)
20th Century Fox/RKO, 1955
Starring Shirley Jones, Gordon MacRae, Charlotte Greenwood, and Gloria Grahame
Directed by Fred Zimmerman
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
I'm doing this one in honor of the 75th anniversary revival of the original stage show that just opened on Broadway a couple of weeks ago. This is a far more traditional take on this story than the stripped-down version that's currently playing in New York, and was a huge hit in 1955. Rodgers and Hammerstein personally oversaw the production and made sure it was represented faithfully. How does it compare now? Let's head to the wide open plains of Skidmore, Indiana Territory in 1912 to find out...
The Story: Cowboy Curly (MacRae) wants to ask pretty farm girl Laurey (Jones) out to the big box social that night, but her hired hand Jud Fry (Rod Steiger) gets there first. He ends up going with Laurey's Aunt Eller (Greenwood). Laurey likes Curly, but Jud has an edge of danger to him. Angry, Curly goes to the smoke house where Jud lives to more-or-less threaten him. Aunt Eller warns them off, but Laurey's still nervous. Turns out she has reason to be. Jud's interest in her is turning into obsession. His competing with Curly for Laurey bubbles over at the party...and ultimately ends in tragedy.
Laurey's best friend Ado Annie (Grahame) is having her own romantic problems. She's been pursuing the Persian peddler Ali Hakim (Eddie Albert), but her true love Will Parker (Gene Nelson) is back in town. Her father Mr. Carnes (James Whitmore) promised that he could marry Annie if he had 50 dollars. He had it, but he spent it on gifts for Annie. Ali's not really interested in Annie...and he may have a way to make everyone happy.
The Song and Dance: There's a reason this show was such a hit when it first debuted in 1943. While its relatively dark story and use of music to propel the action isn't as revolutionary today, the script and the simple story mostly still work. Of the cast, my favorites are Greenwood as a perfectly salty Aunt Eller, Jones as troubled Laurey, and Grahame as the indecisive Annie. Too bad Grahame didn't do more comedy, as her Annie is hilarious as she switches between beaus. Nelson makes an amiable Will Parker, and Stieger is darkly menacing as the loutish Jud. The gorgeous costumes and lovely color cinematography (in CinemaScope or ToddAO) give us a marvelous view of a changing state.
One of the things I really enjoy about the movie are getting to see details of farm life and local ritual that didn't make it onto the stage, like Laurey bathing in a local river or the "shiveree" with the men tossing corn husk dolls at Curly and Laurey on a hay stack. It brings at least a little more authenticity to the proceedings.
Favorite Number: Agnes de Mille recreated her famous dances from the original cast here, including Laurey's dream ballet mid-way through that gives us her dream of what will happen if she marries Curly...and her nightmare with Jud. Nelson gets to show off his ragtime steps with "Everything's Up to Date In Kansas City," and he and Grahame do an adorable "All or Nuthin'." MacRae's opening "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" sounds gorgeous, and he, Jones, and Greenwood have fun with "The Surrey With the Fringe on the Top." Grahame's not really a singer, but her expressions are so funny in "I Cain't Say No," it works anyway.
Along with "Laurey Makes Up Her Mind," probably the most famous numbers here are the ensemble routines. Laurey and the girls claim that "Many a New Day" will pass before they mourn a lost love as they perform a charming dance in lovely frilly petticoats. The big title song is appropriately rousing as well.
Trivia: The movie was actually made by the Magna Corporation and originally filmed in the 70 millimeter ToddAO process. My review is based on the CinemaScope 35 mm version, but the ToddAO one is also available and has a few different scenes.
It was supposed to film in the real Oklahoma, but oil drilling there forced them a few states over to Arizona.
The movie version cut Ali Hakim's comic number "It's a Scandal, It's an Outrage," and Jud's mournful "Lonely Room."
Marc Platt, who appeared the year before as Daniel, one of the brothers in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, can be seen in a few numbers and during the party. He's the one who buys Curly's saddle and claims Annie's sweet potato pie gave him a "three day bellyache."
What I Don't Like: As lovely as Arizona is, the location shooting makes the sound stage-bound sets look cramped and fake. Eddie Albert is funny as Ali Hakim, but his character is basically a stereotype and may annoy some people today. Speaking of plot points that don't work now, in 1955, Curly probably just looked like he was needling Jud a bit over his interest in Laurey during that "Poor Jud Is Dead" song. Nowadays, he comes off as a jerk who is practically encouraging a man to commit suicide. No wonder Jud attacks them later. The costumes are gorgeous and fairly authentic. The extremely 50's hair and makeup, especially the cute, short dos on some of the younger girls, are not.
And while "Scandal" isn't one of the better songs in the score and is no great loss, I do wish they'd kept "Lonely Room," even if they had to dub Steiger. It explains Jud's motivations and back story far better than any dialogue could.
The Big Finale: This has long been one of my favorite movies, and my favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. If you haven't seen it yet, this is the perfect time to head to the brand-new Sooner State and meet its colorful residents. Highly recommended.
Home Media: My 2-disc DVD set that includes the CinemaScope and ToddAO versions is out of print, but was re-released in 2017. It's on Blu-Ray and most streaming platforms as well.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Shirley Jones, Gordon MacRae, Charlotte Greenwood, and Gloria Grahame
Directed by Fred Zimmerman
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
I'm doing this one in honor of the 75th anniversary revival of the original stage show that just opened on Broadway a couple of weeks ago. This is a far more traditional take on this story than the stripped-down version that's currently playing in New York, and was a huge hit in 1955. Rodgers and Hammerstein personally oversaw the production and made sure it was represented faithfully. How does it compare now? Let's head to the wide open plains of Skidmore, Indiana Territory in 1912 to find out...
The Story: Cowboy Curly (MacRae) wants to ask pretty farm girl Laurey (Jones) out to the big box social that night, but her hired hand Jud Fry (Rod Steiger) gets there first. He ends up going with Laurey's Aunt Eller (Greenwood). Laurey likes Curly, but Jud has an edge of danger to him. Angry, Curly goes to the smoke house where Jud lives to more-or-less threaten him. Aunt Eller warns them off, but Laurey's still nervous. Turns out she has reason to be. Jud's interest in her is turning into obsession. His competing with Curly for Laurey bubbles over at the party...and ultimately ends in tragedy.
Laurey's best friend Ado Annie (Grahame) is having her own romantic problems. She's been pursuing the Persian peddler Ali Hakim (Eddie Albert), but her true love Will Parker (Gene Nelson) is back in town. Her father Mr. Carnes (James Whitmore) promised that he could marry Annie if he had 50 dollars. He had it, but he spent it on gifts for Annie. Ali's not really interested in Annie...and he may have a way to make everyone happy.
The Song and Dance: There's a reason this show was such a hit when it first debuted in 1943. While its relatively dark story and use of music to propel the action isn't as revolutionary today, the script and the simple story mostly still work. Of the cast, my favorites are Greenwood as a perfectly salty Aunt Eller, Jones as troubled Laurey, and Grahame as the indecisive Annie. Too bad Grahame didn't do more comedy, as her Annie is hilarious as she switches between beaus. Nelson makes an amiable Will Parker, and Stieger is darkly menacing as the loutish Jud. The gorgeous costumes and lovely color cinematography (in CinemaScope or ToddAO) give us a marvelous view of a changing state.
One of the things I really enjoy about the movie are getting to see details of farm life and local ritual that didn't make it onto the stage, like Laurey bathing in a local river or the "shiveree" with the men tossing corn husk dolls at Curly and Laurey on a hay stack. It brings at least a little more authenticity to the proceedings.
Favorite Number: Agnes de Mille recreated her famous dances from the original cast here, including Laurey's dream ballet mid-way through that gives us her dream of what will happen if she marries Curly...and her nightmare with Jud. Nelson gets to show off his ragtime steps with "Everything's Up to Date In Kansas City," and he and Grahame do an adorable "All or Nuthin'." MacRae's opening "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" sounds gorgeous, and he, Jones, and Greenwood have fun with "The Surrey With the Fringe on the Top." Grahame's not really a singer, but her expressions are so funny in "I Cain't Say No," it works anyway.
Along with "Laurey Makes Up Her Mind," probably the most famous numbers here are the ensemble routines. Laurey and the girls claim that "Many a New Day" will pass before they mourn a lost love as they perform a charming dance in lovely frilly petticoats. The big title song is appropriately rousing as well.
Trivia: The movie was actually made by the Magna Corporation and originally filmed in the 70 millimeter ToddAO process. My review is based on the CinemaScope 35 mm version, but the ToddAO one is also available and has a few different scenes.
It was supposed to film in the real Oklahoma, but oil drilling there forced them a few states over to Arizona.
The movie version cut Ali Hakim's comic number "It's a Scandal, It's an Outrage," and Jud's mournful "Lonely Room."
Marc Platt, who appeared the year before as Daniel, one of the brothers in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, can be seen in a few numbers and during the party. He's the one who buys Curly's saddle and claims Annie's sweet potato pie gave him a "three day bellyache."
What I Don't Like: As lovely as Arizona is, the location shooting makes the sound stage-bound sets look cramped and fake. Eddie Albert is funny as Ali Hakim, but his character is basically a stereotype and may annoy some people today. Speaking of plot points that don't work now, in 1955, Curly probably just looked like he was needling Jud a bit over his interest in Laurey during that "Poor Jud Is Dead" song. Nowadays, he comes off as a jerk who is practically encouraging a man to commit suicide. No wonder Jud attacks them later. The costumes are gorgeous and fairly authentic. The extremely 50's hair and makeup, especially the cute, short dos on some of the younger girls, are not.
And while "Scandal" isn't one of the better songs in the score and is no great loss, I do wish they'd kept "Lonely Room," even if they had to dub Steiger. It explains Jud's motivations and back story far better than any dialogue could.
The Big Finale: This has long been one of my favorite movies, and my favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. If you haven't seen it yet, this is the perfect time to head to the brand-new Sooner State and meet its colorful residents. Highly recommended.
Home Media: My 2-disc DVD set that includes the CinemaScope and ToddAO versions is out of print, but was re-released in 2017. It's on Blu-Ray and most streaming platforms as well.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Honoring Chinese New Year - Flower Drum Song
Universal, 1961
Starring Nancy Kwan, James Shigata, Miyoshi Umeki, and Jack Soo
Directed by Henry Koster
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein
We celebrate the Year of the Pig with this colorful generation gap tale. This may seem like an odd choice for Rogers and Hammestein, but they were no strangers to musicals about cultural folkways. It was the first modern-set movie with a primarily Asian cast in a story about Asians, and it was fairly popular in the early 60's. Let's head to San Francisco to see how well this tale of modern love triangles clashing with old-world Asian values holds up today...
The Story: Mei-Li (Umeki) and her father Dr. Han Li (Kam Tong) immigrate illegally to Chinatown so Mei to honor her pre-arranged marriage with Sammy Fong (Soo). Fong is the owner of the Celestial Gardens nightclub and has no desire to marry anyone but his girl, singer and stripper Linda Low (Kwan)...eventually. He turns the Lis over to Madame Liang (Juanita Hall), the sister-in-law of prosperous old-fashioned Master Wang (Benson Fong). Wang and Liang hope that Mei-Li will marry Wang's very American college son Wang Ta (Shigeta), but he ends up smitten with Linda. She doesn't really care much about him, other than getting a ring on her finger. She has the club's announcer and comedian Frankie Wing (Victor Sen Yung) pose as her brother in order to get the Wangs to agree to the wedding.
Sammy finally breaks off the wedding when he invites Master Wong to Celestial Gardens on Chinese New Year to see what Linda really does for a living. Shocked, Ta gets drunk and stays overnight with his friend Linda Chao (Reiko Sato), a seamstress who is also in love with him. Mei Li comes to her to have a coat mended, sees Ta's clothes there, and jumps to the wrong conclusion. Ta tries to talk to her, but she says she's ready to go through with the arranged marriage. Sammy, however, is not, and Ta really does care about her. It'll be up to Mei-Li herself to figure out how to unmix these couples and get "the younger generation" matched to everyone's satisfaction.
The Song and Dance: In many ways, this is still very charming. The ladies are the winners here. Kwan and Umeki score as the two very different brides, with Umeki delicate and sweet as a plum blossom, and Kwan brassy and salty. I also like the sole major non-Asian, Juanita Hall, as Madame Liang, who is taking citizenship classes and is more open to Western ways than Master Wang. James Shigata is quite easy on the eyes and has a stunning voice; no wonder all the women chase him. The Oscar-nominated sets, costumes, and cinematography ably capture all the hustle and "chop suey" East-Meets-West of San Francisco's Chinatown.
It's interesting that much of the story hinges on illegal immigration, considering how much that's in the news these days. While a lot of aspects of this story don't work now, that one almost feels ahead of its time.
Favorite Number: Kwan's "I Enjoy Being a Girl" is the sole standard to come from this score, and it gets a number worthy of it, too as she admires many versions of herself in the mirrors of her plush pink bedroom. Umeki's best musical moment is the actual "flower drum song" in the opening sequence, "A Hundred Million Miracles." Sato's "Love Look Away" is a ravishing ballad, with a lovely abstract ballet representing Helen's desire for Ta after it. Shigata gets another good love song, "You are Beautiful." "Grant Avenue" is better integrated into the score here than in the original Broadway version as a number for Kwan and the male dancers at the Chinese New Year Parade. Kwan and Soo get a more comic ballet, the hilarious "Sunday," as they imagine being normal suburban parents.
Trivia: The Broadway show debuted in 1958, and was the first and only stage show directed by Gene Kelly. It was one of the biggest hits of the 1958-1959 Broadway season, running for a year and a half. Hall, It would be revived in 2002, with a totally re-written book by Chinese-American playwright David Henry Hwang. This version wasn't as well-received and lasted only six months.
This would be the last major American film with a mostly Asian cast until 1993's The Joy Luck Club.
Fans of sitcoms of the 60's and 70's will recognize two members of the cast. Soo played Sargent Nick Yemana on the long-running 70's cop comedy Barney Miller, while Umeki was the housekeeper Mrs. Livingston on The Courtship of Eddie's Father.
What I Don't Like: A lot of this story has simply not dated well, and not just the occasionally condescending portrayals of "The Older Generation" and Asian values and traditions. Linda Low's desperation for security and marriage and the cartoony "Sunday" number are very, very early 60's, as is the silly nightclub routine for Frankie Wing, "Gliding Through My Memoree." Hall was cast as Madame Liang because their original choice, Anna May Wong, passed away before filming began and she played the role on Broadway...and yeah, it's pretty obvious she's the only non-Asian. Some of the lines comparing East and West sound awkward at best nowadays and slightly offensive at worst. Not to mention, not only were few people dubbed, but they were dubbed by non-Asians.
Linda Chao vanishes half-way through is never seen or heard from again. In the book this is based on, she apparently commits suicide after she can't get Ta to fall in love with her. Obviously, the musical wasn't going to be able to go that dark, but they could have at least mentioned her. Her big song and ballet, as beautiful as they are, really do nothing to move the plot along and just add to the already excessive length.
The Big Picture: Mixed feelings on this one. As much as I love the colorful costumes and some of the songs and performances, a lot of the story doesn't hold up nowadays. As one of the few mostly-Asian American films (and to my knowledge, the only mostly-Asian American musical), this is recommended on the sheer novelty value, performances, and musical numbers alone.
Home Media: I highly recommend my 2-disc DVD set from 2006, which has a gorgeous restoration and a ton of extras. It can also found on Amazon Prime and as part of a 3-pack with two other popular Universal musicals, Mamma Mia! and Jesus Christ Superstar.
DVD
DVD - Musicals Spotlight Collection
Amazon Prime
Starring Nancy Kwan, James Shigata, Miyoshi Umeki, and Jack Soo
Directed by Henry Koster
Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein
We celebrate the Year of the Pig with this colorful generation gap tale. This may seem like an odd choice for Rogers and Hammestein, but they were no strangers to musicals about cultural folkways. It was the first modern-set movie with a primarily Asian cast in a story about Asians, and it was fairly popular in the early 60's. Let's head to San Francisco to see how well this tale of modern love triangles clashing with old-world Asian values holds up today...
The Story: Mei-Li (Umeki) and her father Dr. Han Li (Kam Tong) immigrate illegally to Chinatown so Mei to honor her pre-arranged marriage with Sammy Fong (Soo). Fong is the owner of the Celestial Gardens nightclub and has no desire to marry anyone but his girl, singer and stripper Linda Low (Kwan)...eventually. He turns the Lis over to Madame Liang (Juanita Hall), the sister-in-law of prosperous old-fashioned Master Wang (Benson Fong). Wang and Liang hope that Mei-Li will marry Wang's very American college son Wang Ta (Shigeta), but he ends up smitten with Linda. She doesn't really care much about him, other than getting a ring on her finger. She has the club's announcer and comedian Frankie Wing (Victor Sen Yung) pose as her brother in order to get the Wangs to agree to the wedding.
Sammy finally breaks off the wedding when he invites Master Wong to Celestial Gardens on Chinese New Year to see what Linda really does for a living. Shocked, Ta gets drunk and stays overnight with his friend Linda Chao (Reiko Sato), a seamstress who is also in love with him. Mei Li comes to her to have a coat mended, sees Ta's clothes there, and jumps to the wrong conclusion. Ta tries to talk to her, but she says she's ready to go through with the arranged marriage. Sammy, however, is not, and Ta really does care about her. It'll be up to Mei-Li herself to figure out how to unmix these couples and get "the younger generation" matched to everyone's satisfaction.
The Song and Dance: In many ways, this is still very charming. The ladies are the winners here. Kwan and Umeki score as the two very different brides, with Umeki delicate and sweet as a plum blossom, and Kwan brassy and salty. I also like the sole major non-Asian, Juanita Hall, as Madame Liang, who is taking citizenship classes and is more open to Western ways than Master Wang. James Shigata is quite easy on the eyes and has a stunning voice; no wonder all the women chase him. The Oscar-nominated sets, costumes, and cinematography ably capture all the hustle and "chop suey" East-Meets-West of San Francisco's Chinatown.
It's interesting that much of the story hinges on illegal immigration, considering how much that's in the news these days. While a lot of aspects of this story don't work now, that one almost feels ahead of its time.
Favorite Number: Kwan's "I Enjoy Being a Girl" is the sole standard to come from this score, and it gets a number worthy of it, too as she admires many versions of herself in the mirrors of her plush pink bedroom. Umeki's best musical moment is the actual "flower drum song" in the opening sequence, "A Hundred Million Miracles." Sato's "Love Look Away" is a ravishing ballad, with a lovely abstract ballet representing Helen's desire for Ta after it. Shigata gets another good love song, "You are Beautiful." "Grant Avenue" is better integrated into the score here than in the original Broadway version as a number for Kwan and the male dancers at the Chinese New Year Parade. Kwan and Soo get a more comic ballet, the hilarious "Sunday," as they imagine being normal suburban parents.
Trivia: The Broadway show debuted in 1958, and was the first and only stage show directed by Gene Kelly. It was one of the biggest hits of the 1958-1959 Broadway season, running for a year and a half. Hall, It would be revived in 2002, with a totally re-written book by Chinese-American playwright David Henry Hwang. This version wasn't as well-received and lasted only six months.
This would be the last major American film with a mostly Asian cast until 1993's The Joy Luck Club.
Fans of sitcoms of the 60's and 70's will recognize two members of the cast. Soo played Sargent Nick Yemana on the long-running 70's cop comedy Barney Miller, while Umeki was the housekeeper Mrs. Livingston on The Courtship of Eddie's Father.
What I Don't Like: A lot of this story has simply not dated well, and not just the occasionally condescending portrayals of "The Older Generation" and Asian values and traditions. Linda Low's desperation for security and marriage and the cartoony "Sunday" number are very, very early 60's, as is the silly nightclub routine for Frankie Wing, "Gliding Through My Memoree." Hall was cast as Madame Liang because their original choice, Anna May Wong, passed away before filming began and she played the role on Broadway...and yeah, it's pretty obvious she's the only non-Asian. Some of the lines comparing East and West sound awkward at best nowadays and slightly offensive at worst. Not to mention, not only were few people dubbed, but they were dubbed by non-Asians.
Linda Chao vanishes half-way through is never seen or heard from again. In the book this is based on, she apparently commits suicide after she can't get Ta to fall in love with her. Obviously, the musical wasn't going to be able to go that dark, but they could have at least mentioned her. Her big song and ballet, as beautiful as they are, really do nothing to move the plot along and just add to the already excessive length.
The Big Picture: Mixed feelings on this one. As much as I love the colorful costumes and some of the songs and performances, a lot of the story doesn't hold up nowadays. As one of the few mostly-Asian American films (and to my knowledge, the only mostly-Asian American musical), this is recommended on the sheer novelty value, performances, and musical numbers alone.
Home Media: I highly recommend my 2-disc DVD set from 2006, which has a gorgeous restoration and a ton of extras. It can also found on Amazon Prime and as part of a 3-pack with two other popular Universal musicals, Mamma Mia! and Jesus Christ Superstar.
DVD
DVD - Musicals Spotlight Collection
Amazon Prime
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
State Fair
20th Century Fox, 1945
Starring Jeanne Crain, Charles Winninger, Dick Haymes, and Dana Andrews
Directed by Walter Lang
Music by Richard Rodgers, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein
First of all, Musical Dreams Reviews Blog will be going on hiatus from this Saturday through next Friday. I'll be on vacation for most of next week. There will be an extra review this week to make up for it. For now, let's head to Iowa with the Frake family to attend the State Fair, which proves to be life-changing for several members...
The Story: The Frakes have big plans for their trip the Iowa State Fair. Mrs. Frake (Fay Bainter) has high hopes that her pickles and mincemeat will win the top food prizes. Mr. Frake (Winninger) makes a bet with a gloomy neighbor (Percy Kilbride) that his huge hog Blue Boy will win first prize, and that nothing bad will happen to him or his family. Wayne (Haymes) is disappointed that his girlfriend Eleanor can't go, but is looking forward to taking on a carnival barker who humiliated him the year before. Margie (Crain) just wants to get away from her bore of a boyfriend and the stifling day-to-day life on the farm.
They all get what they want eventually, in very different ways. Margie meets handsome reporter Pat Gilbert (Andrews) at the roller coaster and falls hard for his charm and sophistication. Wayne gets help with the barker (Harry Morgan) from Emily Edwards (Vivian Blaine), who turns out to be the singer with the orchestra at the fair's night club. Emily, however, has her own romantic problems, ones she really can't explain to sweet Wayne.
The Song and Dance: Crain and Andrews, despite both being dubbed, are the best things about the movie. She's sassy and sweet in turns; he's the epitome of the dashing reporter of the movies of the 30's and 40's. Bainter and Winninger are also adorable and quite believable as an old married couple, and Donald Meek is hilarious as a judge at the mincemeat competition. The bucolic atmosphere of a typical midwestern state fair is so beautifully done, you can practically smell the popcorn and grease from the roller coaster on the midway.
Trivia: This is the only film musical Rogers and Hammerstein did expressively for film. All of their later movie musicals were adaptations of their Broadway shows.
"It Might as Well Be Spring" won Rogers and Hammerstein their only Oscar for Best Song.
It's also the second of three film versions of the 1932 book. There was a non-musical film in 1933 with Janet Gaynor as Margie and Will Rogers as Mr. Frake. The musical was remade in 1962, with Ann-Margaret as Emily, Pat Boone as Wayne, Pamela Tiffin as Margie, and retired singer Alice Faye as Mrs. Frake.
Favorite Number: While Margie's ballad of longing "It Might as Well Be Spring" won the awards and was a hit, I prefer the ensemble number at the fair "It's a Grand Night For Singing" and the sprightly "That's For Me," especially in the second version performed by Margie and Wayne the day after they meet their respective partners at the fair. Their little dance routine is too cute and really does look like something a brother and sister would throw together for fun in the morning. Blaine and Haymes have also have a nice duet at a party, "Isn't It Kinda Fun?"
What I Don't Like: In contrast to Crain and Andrews, Blaine and especially Haymes are stiff and a bit dull as the lovers involved in the slightly darker plot. This is not for people who like their musicals big, bold, and sophisticated. It's a simple, down-home story about romance and pig contests at a midwestern fair. Some of the attitudes about big city folks vs rural residents and farmers are a bit dated today, as is the completely unnecessary character of McGee, the nasal New York song plugger. This is also the lightest version of this story. The other two film versions retain more of the darker elements from the original book, including more of Emily's seduction of Wayne.
The Big Finale: Evidently critics were rough on this when it came out, complaining about the bucolic plot and characters and calling it average. I think it's mostly worn well. If you like Rogers and Hammerstein or want to try a smaller and more rustic musical, this charmer is definitely worth checking out.
Home Media: I'm afraid my 60th Anniversary DVD set featuring this and the 1962 film are out of print on DVD at press time and is only on Blu Ray in a set with other Rogers and Hammerstein films. Your best bet may be streaming services like Amazon Prime.
DVD 2-disc set (with 1962 version)
The Rogers and Hammerstein Collection on Blu Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Jeanne Crain, Charles Winninger, Dick Haymes, and Dana Andrews
Directed by Walter Lang
Music by Richard Rodgers, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein
First of all, Musical Dreams Reviews Blog will be going on hiatus from this Saturday through next Friday. I'll be on vacation for most of next week. There will be an extra review this week to make up for it. For now, let's head to Iowa with the Frake family to attend the State Fair, which proves to be life-changing for several members...
The Story: The Frakes have big plans for their trip the Iowa State Fair. Mrs. Frake (Fay Bainter) has high hopes that her pickles and mincemeat will win the top food prizes. Mr. Frake (Winninger) makes a bet with a gloomy neighbor (Percy Kilbride) that his huge hog Blue Boy will win first prize, and that nothing bad will happen to him or his family. Wayne (Haymes) is disappointed that his girlfriend Eleanor can't go, but is looking forward to taking on a carnival barker who humiliated him the year before. Margie (Crain) just wants to get away from her bore of a boyfriend and the stifling day-to-day life on the farm.
They all get what they want eventually, in very different ways. Margie meets handsome reporter Pat Gilbert (Andrews) at the roller coaster and falls hard for his charm and sophistication. Wayne gets help with the barker (Harry Morgan) from Emily Edwards (Vivian Blaine), who turns out to be the singer with the orchestra at the fair's night club. Emily, however, has her own romantic problems, ones she really can't explain to sweet Wayne.
The Song and Dance: Crain and Andrews, despite both being dubbed, are the best things about the movie. She's sassy and sweet in turns; he's the epitome of the dashing reporter of the movies of the 30's and 40's. Bainter and Winninger are also adorable and quite believable as an old married couple, and Donald Meek is hilarious as a judge at the mincemeat competition. The bucolic atmosphere of a typical midwestern state fair is so beautifully done, you can practically smell the popcorn and grease from the roller coaster on the midway.
Trivia: This is the only film musical Rogers and Hammerstein did expressively for film. All of their later movie musicals were adaptations of their Broadway shows.
"It Might as Well Be Spring" won Rogers and Hammerstein their only Oscar for Best Song.
It's also the second of three film versions of the 1932 book. There was a non-musical film in 1933 with Janet Gaynor as Margie and Will Rogers as Mr. Frake. The musical was remade in 1962, with Ann-Margaret as Emily, Pat Boone as Wayne, Pamela Tiffin as Margie, and retired singer Alice Faye as Mrs. Frake.
Favorite Number: While Margie's ballad of longing "It Might as Well Be Spring" won the awards and was a hit, I prefer the ensemble number at the fair "It's a Grand Night For Singing" and the sprightly "That's For Me," especially in the second version performed by Margie and Wayne the day after they meet their respective partners at the fair. Their little dance routine is too cute and really does look like something a brother and sister would throw together for fun in the morning. Blaine and Haymes have also have a nice duet at a party, "Isn't It Kinda Fun?"
What I Don't Like: In contrast to Crain and Andrews, Blaine and especially Haymes are stiff and a bit dull as the lovers involved in the slightly darker plot. This is not for people who like their musicals big, bold, and sophisticated. It's a simple, down-home story about romance and pig contests at a midwestern fair. Some of the attitudes about big city folks vs rural residents and farmers are a bit dated today, as is the completely unnecessary character of McGee, the nasal New York song plugger. This is also the lightest version of this story. The other two film versions retain more of the darker elements from the original book, including more of Emily's seduction of Wayne.
The Big Finale: Evidently critics were rough on this when it came out, complaining about the bucolic plot and characters and calling it average. I think it's mostly worn well. If you like Rogers and Hammerstein or want to try a smaller and more rustic musical, this charmer is definitely worth checking out.
Home Media: I'm afraid my 60th Anniversary DVD set featuring this and the 1962 film are out of print on DVD at press time and is only on Blu Ray in a set with other Rogers and Hammerstein films. Your best bet may be streaming services like Amazon Prime.
DVD 2-disc set (with 1962 version)
The Rogers and Hammerstein Collection on Blu Ray
Amazon Prime
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