Family Fun Saturday - Peter Pan (1976)

ITV/NBC, 1976

Starring Danny Kaye, Mia Farrow, Briony McRoberts, and Virginia McKenna

Directed by Dwight Hemion

Music by Anthony Newley; Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

This month, we'll be exploring vintage TV musicals for families on Saturdays, starting with this rarity. This was actually Kaye's second go-around that year in a made-for-TV family musical where he starred alongside a young woman playing a boy's role. I did Pinocchio with Sandy Duncan two years ago. Does this more delicate, slightly darker confection with Mia Farrow as the Boy Who Never Grows Up and Kaye as his most famous rival reach the same heights, or should it stay in Neverland? Let's begin with an unseen Julie Andrews singing the lullaby "Once Upon a Bedtime Story" over the credits as we see children at play in London of the 1900's and find out...

The Story: Peter flies in one night after a frustrated Mr. Darling (Kaye) has banished the Darlings' dog Nana outside. He's hoping to regain his shadow and hear more stories to tell the Lost Boys. Wendy stitches his shadow on and insists they all to to Neverland with him and his fairy friend Tinkerbell. The jealous Tinkerbell tells the Lost Boys to shoot Wendy down. They regret it when Peter tells them she's to be a mother for them. 

Peter is perpetually at odds with mincing Captain Hook (Kaye), who lost his hand to a ticking crocodile and has been avoiding the creature ever since. Hook first captures Princess Tiger Lily (Paula Kelly) of the Native tribe to bring Peter out of hiding, then tries to poison him and captures Wendy and the children. Tinkerbell takes the poison instead, with Peter calling the viewing audience to help save her before they take off to rescue Wendy and Peter's Lost Boys. Even after Peter frees them, Wendy and the boys do insist on going home...but Peter stays behind, preferring childhood to an uncertain real world.

The Song and Dance: There's a lot that's good here. The Native group looks a bit more realistic (and slightly less offensive) than usual for this story, including their decent ballet with an excellent Kelly as the regal princess. The Lost Boys are hilarious, and McRoberts is an adorable and sweet Wendy. Kaye works equally well as the flustered father in the opening and the elegant, flamboyant, villainous pirate. 

The Numbers: We open with that lovely "Once Upon a Bedtime Story" performed by Julie Andrews over the credits. "Sleep, My Sleepy Heads" is Mrs. Darling's (McKenna) lullaby to her children before she and Mr. Darling leave for the night. "We Should Be Together" Peter insists as he encourages Wendy to join him in Neverland. "When You Can Fly" is Peter's song as he teaches the children how to join him in the air. We get some (rather bad and obvious) special effects as they soar across London. The Lost Boys admit reluctantly that they miss their "Mothers, Mothers." 

Hook's first patter number is "They Don't Make Them Like Me Anymore," Hook's bragging about his adventures with the pirates. "Neverland" is the Tiger Lily's song as she and her tribe sing of their need to protect their home from pirates and perform a relatively intricate ballet. The Boys build a house for Wendy with "Windows of Hope." Peter wishes he understood his feelings for Wendy as he admits "I Wish I Had a Dream." Captain Hook's "By Hook or By Crook" is his kidnapping Tiger Lily. Wendy teaches the Lost Boys how to create their own fantasies as they "Just Pretend" they're a family. Peter's not ready for things like families. He'd rather never experience "Growing Up." 

Hook's last big number has him bragging about his villainy putting him in the "Hall of Fame." The pirates reprise "Mothers, Mothers" as they admit they miss their own parents as well, even Hook. The children sing the title song as Peter and Hook have their big duel in the end. Peter tosses in his own version of "They Don't Make Them Like Me Anymore" after he gets Hook in the water. 

What I Don't Like: Mia Farrow is completely miscast as Peter. She's too dainty, delicate, and feminine to be believable as a boy, and her singing isn't any better than it would be almost seven years later in The Last Unicorn. Tinkerbell is portrayed as a tiny light, which gets annoying after a while. The sound she makes is worse, more like a broken bell than a tinkle. Nana being played by an actor in a dog suit comes off far better onstage than it does on screen, where it just looks awkward and silly. While the Natives are treated slightly better here than in most versions of this story, they're still played by actors in bad red makeup (and their costumes are rather brief for a children's fantasy, too). Newley and Bricusse's songs are good but not great, with only "Once Upon a Bedtime Story" making any impression.

The Big Finale: Worth checking out mainly for fans of Kaye or Peter Pan in general. Everyone else will probably be fine with the Mary Martin or Cathy Rigby versions. 

Home Media: Which makes it just as well that the only place this can currently be found is on YouTube.

YouTube 

Musicals On Streaming - Scrooge: A Christmas Carol

Netflix, 2022

Voices of Luke Evans, Jonathan Pryce, Johnny Flynn, and Fra Fee

Directed by Stephen Donnelly

Music and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, Stephen Donnelly, and Jeremy Holland-Smith

We head to England for our next story. This is a partial remake of Scrooge, the 1970 British musical with Albert Finney as the title character and Sir Alec Guinness as Jacob Marley. The film's remained relatively popular during the holiday season, especially in it's native United Kingdom, enough for low-mid budget animation company Timeless to try turning the world's most famous Christmas story into an animated musical. How well did they pull it off? Let's begin with Harry Scrooge (Fee) explaining why he loves this time of year while out and about in London and find out...

The Story: Scrooge (Evans) refuses to come to Harry's Christmas dinner party, or have anything to do with him. He resents that his beloved sister Jan (Jemima Lucy Newton) died giving birth to him. He also won't give money to the poor or let his clerk Bob Cratchit (Flynn) have coal or pay him much, and he forces those in debt to him to pay on Christmas Eve. 

The miserly old man learns a lesson when the ghost of his former boss Jacob Marley (Pryce) appears and tells him he'll be haunted by three ghosts. Past (Olivia Coleman) reminds him how he pushed away his fiancee Isabel (Jessie Buckley) after Jan's death and he left his old boss Mr. Fezziwig (James Cosmo) for the higher-paying Marley. Jolly Present (Trevor Dion Nicholas) shows him the wonderful party he's missing at Harry's and Bob's dinner with his beloved family, including his sickly son Tim (Rupert Trumbull). It's the frightening, silent Future that finally gets across to Scrooge what his nastiness is doing to those around him, and what will happen to them and him if he doesn't change his ways.

The Animation: Sometimes, it looks waxier than the Ghost of Christmas Past, with all the sharp angles and even sharper movement. There's some amazing effects here, though. Past's shapeshifting into different characters and Present's amazing "I Like Life" dance routine are especially well-done. Jacob Marley has an awesome icy entrance, too, all blue, frosty, and angular.

The Song and Dance: There's a lot of interesting ideas here that I think are pretty creative. Considering most versions cut or shortchange the subplot with Scrooge's sister, I like how they connect Scrooge's resentment of his nephew to his difficulties with Christmas and how close he was to Jan here. There's also Scrooge having done nothing to stop Marley from closing the bakery belonging to a certain Mr. Cratchit, then wondering why his son chooses to work for him years later. Scrooge's enormous dog Prudence comes off less of an annoying sidekick and more sweet and loyal, especially when she's one of the only mourners at his funeral in the Future segment. 

The Numbers: The rollicking "I Love Christmas" opens things with a huge dance number that encompasses all of London and even includes Harry playing the saxophone. Bob sings to his "Christmas Children" as they make their way home for the holiday. Scrooge asks Prudence to "Tell Me" why everyone is so crazy about Christmas when it only makes him miserable. Sweet Jan sings gently about her "Christmas Wishes" to her brother working on Christmas Eve, before collapsing in his arms. Isabel and Scrooge dance in the stars as she tells him about her "Happiness," but her hopes for marriage are dashed when he falls more in love with making money and "Later Never Comes."

The Ghost of Christmas Present's "I Like Life" also becomes a huge number, with little cute Cheerlings playing instruments surrounding enormous glistening piles of confections. "The Beautiful Day" is Tiny Tim's sweet little solo at his family's Christmas dinner. "Thank You Very Much" is another big chorus number that basically covers all of London. Even Scrooge is singing along, not realizing that toy shop owner Tom Jenkins (Giles Terrera) is literally dancing on his coffin. He happily claims "I'll Begin Again" after he awakens, and everyone reprises "I Love Christmas" at a huge dinner where Scrooge gives to the charity-collectors, promotes Bob, and releases Tom from his debt. 

What I Don't Like: First of all, what's with the additional songs? None of them are as good as the Leslie Bricusse score from the live-action film, nor do they match their style or the time period. Among the missing numbers are the rousing "December the 25th" at Fezziwig's party (which is basically glossed over) and "A Christmas Carol" that opened and closed the original film. And often, the older songs are given orchestrations that render them almost unrecognizable. For something they dedicated to Bricusse (who died during production), they could have used more of his work.

For all the new ideas that work, others are just plain baffling. Why did they change the names of Scrooge's nephew and sister from Fred and Fan to Harry and Jan? Why does Scrooge look like a handsome middle-aged man rather than a decrepit elderly miser? Why did they change Scrooge's backstory to his father being in debtor's prison? It doesn't come off any better here than it did in Christmas Carol: The Musical. Harry is annoying and too pushy, making you understand a bit better why Scrooge would want nothing to do with him. 

Why are all of the  numbers turned up to 11? The opening and the Ghost of Christmas Present's solo lose their intimacy and charm done as huge productions. None of the kids look like sickly urchins, not even Tim. And while Prudence is a good loyal dog, neither she nor the silly little Cheerlings who appear mid-way through are necessary to the story.

The Big Finale: Not bad if you're prowling around Netflix looking for something to watch with the kids, but there's better versions of this story out there, including the original live-action film. 

Home Media: It's a Netflix exclusive at the moment. 

Netflix

Family Fun Saturday - Doctor Dolittle (1967)

20th Century Fox, 1967

Starring Rex Harrison, Anthony Newley, Samantha Eggar, and William Dix

Directed by Richard Fleischer

Music and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

The enormous success of Mary Poppins in 1964 opened the floodgates for a tidal wave of epic family musicals. Doctor Dolittle may have been the most problematic of the movies that followed in its wake. Fox had tried to adapt the Doctor Doolittle book series since the 1920's. They finally got to it in 1963, when producer Arthur P. Jacobs bought the rights and convinced Rex Harrison it would be a splendid follow-up to My Fair Lady. Does it reach the heights of Harrison's previous musical, or should it be tossed into the loony bin? Let's begin at Puddley-On-the-Marsh, England, as young Tommy Stubbins (Dix) tries to find someone to care for his injured duck, and find out...

The Story: Tommy's introduced to Dr. Dolittle (Harrison) by his good friend, animal food peddler Matthew Mugg (Newley). Dolittle is an animal doctor who had once tended to people, but found animals to be far more congenial. Victorian beauty Emma Fairfax (Eggar) doesn't share his sentiments initially after her uncle General Bellows (Peter Bull) accuses Dolittle of stealing his horse. Dolittle actually fitted it with glasses. Emma doesn't appreciate how he treats humans, but Matthew thinks she's wonderful. 

Dolittle's real interest is funding an expedition to find the Giant Pink Sea Snail. A friend from America sends him a rare llama-like animal with two heads on either side. He sells it to the circus, where it's the star attraction. Also at the circus is Sophie, a seal who misses her mate badly. He dresses her in women's clothing and tosses her into the sea. Fishermen think she's an actual human and accuse him of murder. Dolittle talks to Bellows' dog to convince them he's only trying to help animals, but now they think he's crazy and send him to an insane asylum. 

The animals help Dolittle to escape. They join Emma, Matthew, and Tommy on the expedition to the Atlantic Ocean. They choose the floating Sea Star Island as their destination...and wash up there anyway during a storm. The well-read natives think Dolittle is the reason their animals are all sick, but it turns out to be the chilly waters. Dolittle's attempt to have them pushed further south first nearly gets them killed, then treated like gods. And then there's where the Pink Sea Snail turns up...

The Song and Dance: No matter how much Harrison complained, Bricusse did come up with a very charming score. There's some lovely cinematography, too, especially on the island and in England, and absolutely stunning costumes. Richard Attenborough, later known as a director, has a great cameo as the head of the circus who buys the two-headed llama. He even gets one of the film's best numbers. Some of Dolittle's interactions with the animals are genuinely funny, like his discussions with Polynesia the Parrot or how Rufus, Bellows' dog, is able to tell him details of his master's life at the trial. And I really don't know of many movies set during the early Victorian era; most tend to skip to the Civil War period or the years immediately following. 

Favorite Number: Newley kicks things off with "My Friend the Doctor" as he tells Tommy what a wonderful man Dolittle is. Harrison gets two big patter numbers with his menagerie, "The Vegetarian" as he explains why he doesn't eat meat, and the Oscar-winning "Talk to the Animals," which shows how he can do just that. Alfred Blossom the circus owner is thrilled that "I've Never Seen Anything Like It" as he and his performers build the two-headed llama into the biggest animal attraction in England. 

Matthew and Emma describe a world of "Beautiful Things" as he shows her around the circus and starts to fall for her. Dolittle's not nearly so lucky as he tries to tell the magistrate why humans should behave "Like Animals." Matthew's "After Today" has him boasting of what he'll do when he takes off for adventure, while all five leads sing about the "Fabulous Places" they hope to visit after they're on the ship. Dolittle and Emma dance around the idea that "I Think I Like You" once they get on the island. Matthew has more fun telling the kids stories of "The World of Doctor Dolittle."

Trivia: Filming this movie was an unpleasant experience for all concerned. Both England and the tropical island had constant rain delays. Harrison spent the shoot behaving like a jerk to everyone in firing range, insulting his co-stars, cutting down their roles, and making unreasonable demands. The animals were unruly and refused to pretty much do anything. Polynesia kept yelling "Cut!" and making people think she was directing. A goat ate Fleischer's script. Ducks couldn't swim and had to be rescued. The residents were even worse, with one almost blowing up the set. 

20th Century Fox thought so much of the movie, they launched a huge merchandising campaign behind it, then treated the Academy Awards voters to huge dinners in order for the movie to get a Best Picture nomination. All they got out of it were Oscars for "Talk to the Animals" and the special effects and millions of dollars lost on unsold merchandise, including a million copies of the soundtrack. 

Newley and Harrison were supposed to have a song reflecting their growing feelings about Emma, "Where are the Words," while Harrison had a ballad on his relationship with her, "Something In Your Smile." "Something In Your Smile" and Newley's version of "Where are the Words" are on the soundtrack album, but Harrison's vocals for "Words" and all of the footage has since been lost. 

Richard Burton and Richard Harris were in contention for Dolittle early-on. Christopher Plummer was almost called in as a replacement when Harrison balked at the demands of the role. Other possible Dolittles included Peter Ustinov, Peter Sellars, Alec Guinness, Peter O'Toole, and Jack Lemmon. John Huston and Vincent Minnelli were in the running to direct. 

What I Don't Like: People online have praised Harrison as Dolittle, but I think he and Newley are miscast. The doctor's supposed to be shy with humans and warm with animals, not cold and inconsiderate to both. Newley's trying way too hard to be upbeat with a man he didn't like and a bad Irish accent. Some of the antics with the animals push from "goofy" into downright idiotic, like Dolittle singing the sweet love ballad "When I Look In Your Eyes" to Sophie the seal dressed as a woman. His "Talk to the Animals" sounds nearly funereal for such a sprightly song. (Newley and Sammy Davis Jr., among others, would do it much better in later years.) 

Eggar's role was added for the film. Most of the romantic triangle between Emma, Matthew, and Dolittle was cut, making her interest in him towards the end of the film far too sudden and leaving her with little to do. There's no reason for the movie to behave like she's in the wrong for pointing out what a jerk he is, either, and constantly punishing her for it. None of the leads have a dollop of chemistry, once again likely caused by Harrison's obnoxious behavior on the set. 

The biggest problem is the extravagant length. You feel every minute of those 2 1/2 hours. The film moves slower than the Pink Sea Snail, and is often about as interesting to watch. The special effects won an Oscar and were much-touted at the time, but they now look annoyingly dated, especially that obviously mechanical sea snail. There's also the stereotypes being tossed around, not only for the natives (though they defy it by being book-smart), but also the Native who sends Dolittle the two-headed llama. 

The Big Finale: The movie has a lot of fans online who either saw it in the theater or on cable or video as a kid and enjoyed it. If you can get them to sit for it, or are able to split it into several days' viewing, kids might be the best audience for this nowadays. They'll enjoy the animal antics and ignore the slow plot and out-of-place romance. For adults who didn't grow up with it, I recommend looking up the soundtrack and ignoring the rest. 

Home Media: Easy to find on DVD and streaming. The Twilight Time Blu-Ray is expensive. 

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Amazon Prime

Back to School Again - Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969)

MGM, 1969

Starring Peter O'Toole, Petula Clark, Sian Philips, and Michael Redgrave

Directed by Herbert Ross

Music and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

MGM kicked around the idea of doing a musical remake of their hit 1939 film since at least 1951. They pulled it out again after the success of My Fair Lady around 1964 for Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison, but that version also fell through. Even after pre-production finally began in 1968, they ran through directors and leads before finally settling on Clark, O'Toole, and in his first film, Ross. They couldn't have picked a worse time to release the movie, too. It came out just as epic traditional musicals were quickly becoming albatrosses on both sides of the Atlantic. Does it still deserve to be shunned today? Let's begin with Mr. Chipping (O'Toole) as he greets the boys at Brookfield School just outside of London and find out...

The Story: Arthur Chipping teaches Latin, but he can't seem to get across to his pupils, who find him dull. He's married to his work, until he meets music hall star Kathrine Bridges (Clark) in the dining room at the Savoy Hotel in London. They encounter each other again at Pompeii during his summer vacation. She's on a cruise to escape her most recent lover and a life that no longer satisfies her. He's mystified by her; she's delighted with him and asks him to see her show in London. Even though he thinks they have nothing in common, he still returns to Brookfield with a lovely new wife on his arm. 

His students think Mrs. Chips is gorgeous and are all happy to see that she manages to soften his rougher edges, making them both far more popular among the student body. Katherine is not popular with the straight-laced faculty, however. Lord Sutterwick (George Baker) threatens to withhold a large donation to the school because of Kathrine's background. Katherine is shocked and runs off, but she and Chipping end up getting help from her friend Ursula Mossback (Phillips) who knew Sutterwick years before. 

Chipping and Katherine are married for 20 happy years after that. By 1939, war is on the horizon, but his mind is mainly on becoming headmaster. Unfortunately, in retaliation for him insisting on remaining married to Katherine, they choose conservative William Baxter (Jack Hedley) instead. Chipping does finally get the longed-for promotion...but Katherine doesn't live to see it. Mr. Chips still has his students, his "hundreds of boys" who now adore him, and he lives out his life taking care of them and with his happy memories.

The Song and Dance: Considering current reviews tend to compare it unfavorably it to the classic 1939 film, I actually found this to be very sweet and touching. I figured O'Toole would be miscast, but he surprisingly makes a wonderful Chipping, alternately cold, awkward, and charming. He completely deserved his Oscar nomination. Clark simply glows as the stage star who loves Chipping so much, she's willing to give up her posh life to be a schoolmaster's wife. Phillips (Peter O'Toole's real-life wife at the time) is hilarious in her brief but memorable role as Ursula, who is always on, even when she's a little off. The cinematography is incredible, especially those long shots of the two in Pompeii and London. Authentic locations in Italy, London, and an actual public school go a long way towards enhancing the performances.

Favorite Number: "Fill the World With Love" is the school's song and the movie's theme. This stirring chorus number is heard many times over the course of the film, notably after the boys arrive at school in the opening and when Katherine bursts into a solo during the faculty introduction after Chipping comes to Brookfield with her. Katherine's big number in the music hall show is the rousing "London Is London." This is the film's sole large production number, with her leading the chorus through every conceivable British stereotype, from buskers in studded costumes to English beauties in gossamer pink. 

Katherine gets a series of ballads reflecting her tumultuous thoughts in Pompeii as Arthur shows her the town, including "And the Sky Smiled" during a montage of their stroll and her brief prayer to "Apollo." His solos are "Where Did My Childhood Go?" as he wonders how to connect with his students, and "What a Lot of Flowers" after he marries her and starts to see color in his gray academic world. The boys reflect on what wonderful things they'll do "When I Am Older" after their school vacation ends and join Mrs. Chips for the rousing "Schooldays" at an assembly saluting the retiring schoolmaster (Redgrave). She sings the touching "You and I" as they discuss their 20-year union and his near-resignation. 

Trivia: Director Herbert Ross' first film.

MGM cut the movie to two hours after its initial road show run didn't go over well, including many musical numbers that explained the characters' inner thoughts. Thankfully, all current streaming, cable, and DVD prints are of the full 2 1/2 hour film. 

After Julie Andrews proved unavailable, MGM wanted to reunite Rex Harrison and Samantha Eggar from Doctor Doolittle. Harrison wouldn't do it, so they went with Richard Burton. They replaced Eggar with Lee Remick, then replaced Remick with Petula Clark. Remick sued for damages. Burton wouldn't work with a music star and dropped out, to be replaced by O'Toole. At one point, Elizabeth Taylor campaigned for the female lead, likely to work with her husband again. Others considered for Chipping included Albert Finney, Peter Sellars, Christopher Plummer, Richard Harris, and Paul Scofield. 

Bricusse wrote "London Is London" for a Sherlock Holmes stage musical. The show finally debuted in 1989 with the song intact. 

An English stage version in 1982 restored the original plot and several songs cut from the film.

What I Don't Like: Note that "restored the original plot." This makes a lot of changes from the 1933 James Hilton novella and 1939 MGM non-musical film. For one thing, the book and the film begin in the 1870's, with Chipping's first day at school, not when he's already an established faculty member. Katherine is in barely a half-hour of the film. She's a suffragette, not a singer. She and Chipping are only married five years before she dies in childbirth, not twenty. The book also has a lot more focus on Chipping and how he winds the boys over.

In fact, this is one of the few times I wish one of these epic road show musicals could have been even longer! They skip over so much. I would have liked to have seen how that meeting with the governor about Lord Sutterwick's withdrawn donations went and at least a montage of how Arthur and Katherine weathered the Depression. (Maybe that's why two later versions made for the BBC in 1984 and 2002 were mini-series.)

The Big Finale: It may not be equal to the 1939 movie, but it still has many of its own charms, including two intense leading performances and stunning cinematography. I'm glad this underrated romance is finally getting its due. Highly recommended for fans of the two stars or the extra-long musicals of the 60's and 70's. 

Home Media: Both 1939 and 1969 versions of Chips are easily found on DVD and streaming.

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Amazon Prime

Victor/Victoria

MGM, 1982
Starring Julie Andrews, Robert Preston, James Gardner, and Leslie Ann Warren
Directed by Blake Edwards
Music by Henry Mancini; Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

Julie Andrews fell off the radar somewhat in the 70's, after her major successes in the 1960's. She made a comeback in her husband Blake Edwards' 1981 comedy S.O.B, which while not a huge success at the time, did garner praise for her performance as a star looking to change her image. She continued that streak in Edwards' next film, which did somewhat better at the box office. How does the story of a woman who dresses as a man who impersonates a woman look now? Let's head to the nightclubs of Paris in the 1930's to find out...

The Story: Victoria Grant (Andrews) is in Paris in 1934, trying to get a job as a soprano. She fails her audition and can't even afford food, much less her squalid apartment. Gay singer Toddy (Preston) sees her at the audition and, after starting a brawl when he sees his lover Richard (Malcom Jamieson) as part of a straight couple, joins her in trying to get a free meal out of a restaurant. He takes her to his house in the rain, but she ends up staying when it has shrunk her clothes. She manages to get rid of Richard...and when Toddy sees her in his clothes, he gets the idea of cutting her hair and passing her off as a female impersonator. He even gets her an audition with agent Andre Cassell (John Rhys-Davies).

Andre launches her in a big nightclub debut. Among the club owners who are invited to see her performance are King Marchand (Gardner), his bimbo girlfriend Norma (Warren), and his bodyguard Squash Bernstein (Alex Karras). King's sure that "Victor" is a man, but "he" insists otherwise. "Victor's" act is a huge hit and is the toast of Paris, but Victoria's beginning to have feelings for King, too. He seems to be understanding when she reveals the deception, but living in two worlds is beginning to wear her out, not to mention there's how homosexuals are treated in the macho gangster circles that King runs in. When a private investigator finally blows Victoria's cover, she has to figure out how to reveal herself as a woman and end the persona of "Victor" for good.

The Song and Dance: No wonders Andrews got an Oscar nod for Best Actress, and Preston and Warren landed supporting nominations. Everyone's having a great time with this sassy, wacky farce that explores gender by showing a woman getting away with a double impersonation, and how it wears her down in the end. The flashy costumes and set direction were also Oscar-nominated.

It's interesting to see how homosexuality is depicted here, at a time when it still wasn't widely accepted in the US. Toddy makes jokes about it, but Squash admits that he played football because he looked more like a football player than a homosexual, and there's quite a few people, especially in Chicago, who call Victoria and King derogatory names and likely do worse.

Favorite Number: I'm a bit surprised that at least one of the excellent Mancini/Bricusse songs didn't get an Oscar nod along with the score as a whole. Andrews' touching ballad "Crazy World," performed at a piano in the nightclub, has become a minor standard, and the big ensemble numbers "Le Jazz Hot!" and "Shady Lady From Seville" are fun romps. The movie's best number, however, is probably "You and Me." No chorus or spangled costumes, just two performers at the top of their game dancing and joking together.

Trivia: Edwards had originally intended the role of Toddy for Peter Sellars, but he passed away before filming began.

The costume worn during "The Shady Dame from Seville" number was made to fit Preston, but fitted with snaps and hooks so it could fit Andrews as well.

This was based after the 1933 German movie Viktor und Viktoria. It was remade in England for British musical star Jessie Matthews in 1935 as First a Girl, and then under it's original title in Germany in 1957.

What I Don't Like: I actually wish this was more of a flat-out musical, with numbers outside of the nightclub as well as onstage. I'm not the only one. It was later turned into a Broadway musical in 1995. The final third, when Victoria and King move in together, is slightly less interesting than the rest of the movie as they try to figure out how to make their unusual relationship work.

The Big Finale: Witty, hilarious, and thought-provoking. If you're a fan of Andrews, Preston, Edwards' other work, or sexy farces with unique premises, you'll have a lot of fun with this one.

Home Media: While it was released on regular DVD in the early 2000's, the current version is now part of the Warner Archives (including the Blu-Ray). It can be found on most streaming platforms as well.

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Amazon Prime

Scrooge (1970)

Paramount, 1970
Starring Albert Finney, Sir Alec Guinness, David Collings, and Dame Edith Evans
Directed by Ronald Neame
Music and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

We're returning to the Christmas Carol well one more time for this retelling from the early 70's. I remember seeing this one frequently on cable and independent stations throughout the holiday season during my childhood. Does it live up to those fond memories? Let's once again return to London and Scrooge's counting house to find out...

The Story: Ebeneezer Scrooge (Finney) is the meanest, stingiest man in all London. He's so mean, every street kid in the area either avoids him or mocks him. He won't give one cent to the poor, refuses to go to his nephew Fred's (Michael Medwin) Christmas dinner, and has to be coerced into giving his clerk Bob Cratchit (Collings) the holiday off. He thinks he's the smartest, quietest guy around, and it's everyone else who is a problem. His late partner Jacob Marley (Guinness) would disagree. He shows up in chains and insists that Scrooge has to change, or his chains will be even heavier. Scrooge follows the Ghost of Christmas Past (Evans), Present (Kenneth More), and Future (Paddy Stone) as they show him how he came to be the way he is, what he's missing by being so miserly...and what will happen to him if he doesn't reform in the years to come.

The Song and Dance: You'd think Finney would be out-of-place as Scrooge. He was only in his 30's when he made this movie, at the tail end of his swinging Tom Jones popularity. He's actually not bad, especially in the beginning when he's being a grouchy old jerk. More makes a particularly robust Ghost of Christmas Present, and Collings is charming Cratchit. The period-accurate costumes and sets add a lot to the story's authenticity - they were Oscar-nominated. There's some surprisingly decent special effects for the time period as well, especially when they show the older and younger Finney together during the past sequence.

Favorite Number: The catchy "Thank You Very Much," performed by the street kids in the Future segment to celebrate Scrooge's demise, also got an Oscar nomination and is probably the film's best song. I also like "Christmas Children" for Bob and his kids as they shop for their goose, "December the 25th" for the Fezziwigs at their party, and The Ghost of Christmas Present's philosophy "I Like Life."

Trivia: This is another holiday movie musical with a stage version, though it seems to have mainly played in England. Tommy Steele starred in the most recent revival in 2012.

What I Don't Like: While Dame Edith Evans was a decent Ghost of Christmas Past, why was she dressed like a normal old woman in a Victorian gown? They couldn't pull off the effects to make her look more like the ethereal light ghost in the book?

Was it really necessary to have Scrooge end up in literal hell in the end? The sequence down below seems more like filler and them trying to give Guinness more to do than any real necessity to the plot. It was strange when Disney did it in Mickey's Christmas Carol, and it's even weirder here.

The Big Finale: The nitpicks with the weird finale and Evans aside, this may be my favorite musical version of A Christmas Carol. Finney and a delightful cast have a lot of fun with one of Leslie Bricusse's best solo scores.

Home Media: For some reason, Paramount's current Blu-Ray version doesn't come with the film's overture that can be found on my DVD, and it's not seen on most streaming platforms, either. Otherwise, this is fairly easy to find, usually for under ten dollars.

DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime

Musicals on TV - Babes In Toyland (1986)

Orion Television/NBC, 1986
Starring Drew Barrymore, Keanu Reeves, Jill Schoelen, and Richard Mulligan
Directed by Clive Donner
Music and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

And now, we go back a bit to give you NBC's big holiday offering for 1986. It made decent enough ratings then, but wasn't well-received, despite getting a theatrical release in Europe. Is this worth the sled trip to Toyland? Let's head to a snowy Cincinatti, Ohio to find out...

The Story: Lisa Piper (Barrymore) is an 11-year-old girl living in Cincinatti with her older sister Mary (Schoelen), her younger brother, and her harried single mother (Eileen Brennan). Lisa is used to being her mother's helper, which makes her feel quite adult. She takes it on herself to warn Mary and her guy friends Jack (Reeves) and George (Googy Gress) about a snowstorm on Christmas Eve, dashing to the toy store where they work. The store's sleazy owner Barney (Mulligan) wishes she'd go away, but she does manage to help her sister and the guys evacuate the building. They're on their way home in the thick of the blizzard when Lisa slides out on the new sled Mary gave her and hits a tree.

She awakens in Toyland, a magical world where teddy bears are cops and everyone rides around in cute, colorful little cars like something out of an amusement park. What she finds isn't as amusing. The evil Barnaby (Mulligan) is about to wed pretty young Mary Quite Contrary (Schoelen), who is trying to save her family from being evicted. Mary really loves Jack Be Nimble (Reeves). Lisa immediately stops the wedding, earning Barnaby's ire and that of Mary's dithery mother Mrs. Hubbard (Brennan).

Barnaby first accuses Jack of stealing cookies from his cookie factory and has him arrested. Lisa and Georgie Porgie (Gress) break Jack out, but Barnaby has another plot. He wants a Jar of Evil that the kindly Toymaker (Pat Moriata) has been collecting. He thinks that jar will give him enough power to take over Toyland and eliminate toys from the world! Lisa and her friends do their best to stop him...but in the end, it's up to Lisa to remember that one of the greatest weapons we can have is the ability to see the world through the eyes of a child.

The Song and Dance: There's some really cute ideas here. I love details like Barnaby's vulture-things with an eye that helps him keep track of his enemies and Mrs. Hubbard carrying around a list to remember every single thing she says or does. Lisa's attempts to play matchmaker to the two mid-way through are pretty funny, as is how they manage to break Jack out of jail. Barrymore does fairly well as the child who refuses to believe that she's still young; Mulligan's having a fine time chewing the scenery to atoms, both as the scuzzball toy store owner and the old-fashioned silent movie-style villain.

Favorite Number: The children's chorus song "May We Wish You the Happiest Christmas," performed as Lisa is making her way to the toy store in the opening, is reworked later in Toyland as a wedding song for Barnaby and Mary with almost the exact same lyrics. Not only is that a nice touch, but it perfectly emphasizes the Wizard of Oz-like feel the story is going for. Mulligan can't sing, but he throws himself into his big number "A World Without Toys" anyway.

Trivia: The version of this that I own (and that was released on video in 1991) is the shortened European theatrical version. The original TV broadcast included longer versions of some scenes and more numbers, including a duet for Mary and Jack when the latter is in jail.

What I Don't Like: Mulligan and Brennan are the only ones who seem to have any real grasp of the material. Keanu Reeves in particular does not belong here, and Schoelen is only slightly better. They both work better in the opening sequence at the toy store than in Toyland and have no chemistry whatsoever. Other than the joke with the "Happiest Christmas/Wedding" song, most of the music is bland and very far from Bricusse's best work. The only person in the cast who can actually sing - Brennan - doesn't. The dialogue is corny and forced, and the bored readings of many lines doesn't help.

The production looks incredibly cheap. The amusement park cars are more silly than whimsical, and the full-body costumes for the animal characters and toy soldiers were probably pulled off the rack from the nearest party store. The villainous characters are a little better. The designs of the trollogs (Barnaby's vulture-like minions), the trolls, and his mooks Mack and Zack are actually pretty scary. I just wish you could actually see them. Barnaby is supposed to live in a dark bowling ball in an evil forest, but the lighting is so dim, you can't really tell what's going on in those scenes.

The Big Finale: This is kind of a guilty pleasure of mine, and has been since it ran occasionally on the 25 Days of Christmas marathon on Fox Family Channel (now Freeform) in the early 2000's. I can't in all good faith recommend it to those who haven't built up an immunity to cheese or didn't grow up watching those Fox Family broadcasts. Unless you're a really huge fan of the cast or love campy or so-bad-they're (slightly) good movies, you'll want to give this one a pass.

Home Media: That 1991 video was sold at McDonald's as part of a big holiday VHS promotion in 1992. It's out of print, but still fairly easy to find. (I dubbed my copy off one of them.) To my knowledge, this has never been released on DVD or Blu-Ray in the US. It is free for downloading on Amazon Prime, and the original full TV version can be found on YouTube.

VHS
Amazon Prime
Babes In Toyland - The Director's Cut (YouTube)

Cult Flops - Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Paramount/Warner Bros, 1971
Starring Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum, and Julie Dawn Cole
Directed by Mel Stuart
Music and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley

It'll probably be a surprise to many people to find this review under the "Cult Flops" banner. It wasn't a big hit with critics or audiences when it came out, who dismissed it as a bland children's film. It took constant showings on TV and cable and being a hit on video to turn it into one of the most beloved family musicals of all time. Does it deserve its popularity, or should it be sent down the garbage chute? Let's take a trip to Willy Wonka's famous factory to find out...

The Story: Charlie Bucket (Ostrum) is a poor boy who often passes by the massive chocolate factory owned by the mysterious Willy Wonka (Wilder) on his paper route. A tinker (Peter Capell) tells him ominously that "no one ever goes in, and no one ever goes out." His beloved old Grandpa Joe (Albertson) explains that Wonka closed the factory to visitors after spies stole his secrets. No one knows who is making the candy. The mystery creates an absolute riot when it's announced that five people who find a golden ticket in a Wonka bar will have a tour of the factory and win a lifetime supply of chocolate. Four of the tickets go to spoiled, selfish children who care more about the chocolate than the wonders in the factory. Charlie's shocked when he finally finds the fifth.

Not only does the trip turn out to be as wild as the factory's unpredictable owner, but one of Wonka's rivals, Slugworth (Gunter Meisner) goes to the kids with a scheme of his own. Charlie has to resist the temptations of both Slugworth and the factory...and in doing so, learns that the most important thing isn't having a sweet tooth, but a sweet and honest heart.

The Song and Dance: Gene Wilder gave one of his best and most iconic performances as the oddball title character. He's mostly pretty subdued, even when the kids are going down garbage chutes and falling into his chocolate river...at least until he gets angry at Charlie in the finale over his messing around with one of his concoctions in the factory. Albertson is equally good as cantankerous and energetic Grandpa Joe, who is quite thoroughly enjoying his first time out of bed in twenty years. Ostrum and the other children are all excellent as the main five who get involved with all the lunacy in the factory. I always thought Roy Kinnear and Leonard Stone were hilarious as Veruca and Violet's very different businessman fathers, and David Battely has fun with the small role of Charlie's goofy teacher.

Along with the performances and wonderful music, the movie has some of the most intricate sets and cinematography of the early 70's. No wonder everyone is amazed when they enter the Chocolate Room. The details there and in the Inventing Room later, as well as during the infamous "freak out" boat ride, are a delight to behold.

Favorite Number: Wilder's "Pure Imagination," performed in the Chocolate Room as the rest of the tour goers are enjoying the candy, is probably the most famous number from this movie today. (It's so associated with the film and the story, both stage musical versions pretty much had to include it.) The opening number "The Candy Man" had a hit cover by Sammy Davis Jr, who was a big fan of the song. My personal favorite number is "I've Got a Golden Ticket." Albertson and Ostrum are just having so much fun with their rollicking routine for that song, you can't help but sing along.

Trivia: One of the reasons for the film's initial failure was it was originally conceived partially by Quaker Oats to kick off a line of real-life Wonka bars. The candy didn't go over any better than the movie did. Rumor has it they actually melted on shelves. (Nestle would do far better with the Wonka brand over a decade later. It was a Christmas tradition in my family in the 90's and early 2000's to get a Wonka bar in our stockings in the hope of finding the golden ticket. We never found one, but at least the candy was pretty good.)

Road Dahl wrote an early draft of the film, but it was ultimately deemed to be too dark and reworked by others. He eventually disowned the movie, complaining about the additional songs, bumping up Wonka's role, and several of the scenes that hadn't been in the book.

If Violet and Veruca seem to be a bit nasty to each other, even for bratty kids, there was a reason for that. Julie Dawn Cole and Denise Nickerson, who played Violet, had major crushes on Peter Ostrum and spent most of the shoot trying to show off for him.

What I Don't Like: Dahl has a point about some of those additional scenes. The out-of-nowhere ending kind of ruins the interesting mystery they had going with Slugworth. The random scenes of people trying desperately by any means necessary to get those golden tickets are funny, but they also do nothing to advance the plot and are really kind of bizarre. (Especially the soap opera spoof with the woman whose husband was kidnapped and exchanged for Wonka bars.) There's a few sequences from the book that are missing, notably the entire segment about the Indian prince who wanted a chocolate factory.

As nifty as the sets are, some of the effects do show their age nowadays. Violet's face in the factory is really just a blue spotlight, everyone in the Chocolate Room is obviously eating candy out of plastic props, not mushrooms and giant fruit, and the parents are right that the Chocolate River looks more like the dirty water it was than anything edible. Not to mention, some of the kids come off as so likable, it's hard to hate them the way you should when they're finally taken out.

The Big Finale: While I do like the non-musical Tim Burton remake as well, this one still has plenty of it's own charms. Delightful performances (especially from Wilder and Albertson), a great script, amazing sets, and one of Bricusse and Newley's best scores makes this one confection that remains very sweet indeed.

Home Media: Alas, both the 40th and 45th anniversary editions seem to be out of print  on DVD and Blu-Ray at press time. Your best bet may be streaming services like Amazon Prime or if you're really into this movie, the Blu-Ray/DVD Collector's Edition combo.

40th Anniversary Blu-Ray/DVD Collector's Edition
Amazon Prime