MGM, 1942
Starring Eleanor Powell, Red Skelton, Bert Lahr, and Virginia O'Brien
Directed by Edward Buzzell
Music by Burton Lane and others; Lyrics by E.Y Harburg and others
I had so much fun with the travel films last week, I'm going to continue the theme for my weekday entries. This is best-known today as the second movie to feature Frank Sinatra (as a singer with Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra), but it has other things to recommend it as well, including several nifty dances by Powell and comedy bits from O'Brian, Skelton, and Lahr. How does an unusual spy story tie in with this cast of comics and the ship-board setting? Let's head to the docks in New York to find out...
The Story: Tallulah Winters (Powell) is a dancer with Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra (themselves). She's convinced to transport a top secret magnetic mine to Puerto Rico by government officials. Turns out that the "officials" are really Nazi spies who stole the mine and are trying to get it out of the US under the nose of the real government agent Art Higgins (Stuart Crawford). They got the idea from the adventure novels written by Merton Kibble (Skelton). He and his buddy Skip Owens (Lahr) are also on-board. Merton's looking for a way to reinvigorate his writing...but he never expected inspiration to come from being caught up in Tallulah's wild plot.
The Song and Dance: Well, it's definitely one of the more original musicals I've seen. There just aren't that many musical spy stories out there. Energetic Powell and sarcastic O'Brian have a lot of fun with the loopy plot. Skelton and Lahr also have some nice bits, especially towards the end, when they're dodging the Nazis. You don't often see a dancer tapping out Morse code, either. I give MGM credit for trying for something at least somewhat unique, even when the story gets more than a little strange.
Favorite Number: Sinatra gets to lay into "The Last Call for Love" in the beginning, joined by the Pied Pipers and Dorsey and his orchestra. Legendary drummer Buddy Rich provides the beat for Powell's "Hawaiian War Chant" tropical-themed routine. Rich also gets in on "I'll Take Tallulah" as Powell is swung across the screen. She also does a nice Spanish-tinged "Cape Dance." The most famous number from this is the glittery "On Moonlight Bay," where yes, Tallulah does tap the location of the Nazis on the ship in More Code for Art, Skip, and Merton.
Trivia: This was Sinatra's second movie. He'd make movies mostly with MGM through the 40's.
What I Don't Like: The plot may be original, but it's also convoluted and kind of thin. It's hard to believe that the otherwise-sensible Tallulah would be naive enough to believe the spies' rather flimsy story. Those who are here for Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey will be disappointed; they have a few numbers in the beginning and the end, but otherwise have very little to do. Lahr's mugging is a little more annoying here, especially given he spends a lot of the film's running time chasing women half his age (including O'Brian).
The Big Finale: If you love Skelton, Powell, tap dancing, or big band music, this is worth checking out at least once if you can find it.
Home Media: Currently only available via the Warner Archives in a remastered edition. (My copy was dubbed off TCM by a friend.)
DVD
Reviews of musical films, from 1930s black and white to widescreen 21st century extravaganzas.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Saturday, July 13, 2019
Musicals On TV - Anything Goes (1954)
NBC, 1954
Starring Ethel Merman, Frank Sinatra, Bert Lahr, and Sheree North
Directed by Sid Smith
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
We debark from the romantic Grecian isles to take a cruise to London in the 1920's. This is an early live TV version of the Cole Porter show, which had been a big hit with Merman in 1934 on Broadway. The Colgate Comedy Hour did this as a "special" in 1954, the only pairing of Merman and Sinatra. How does this tale of mistaken identity on the high seas look today? Let's head to the docks, where the ship is about to set sail, and find out...
The Story: In the 1920's, stage star Reno Sweeney (Merman) takes a cruise to London to marry her stuffy aristocratic fiancee, Sir Evelyn Oakleigh (Arthur Gould Porter). She's followed by her ex-boyfriend Harry Dane (Sinatra), who badly wants her back. Meanwhile, Moonface Martin (Lahr), the fifth most wanted hood in America, and his bubbly blond girlfriend Bonnie (North) are also on the boat, avoiding the police and trying to move up to the fourth most wanted. Moonface is disguised as a missionary after he got the real one (Nestor Palva) arrested. Harry ends up with the ID of the number one most wanted gangster in America and seeks help from Moonface to avoid the cops, while trying to make his case with a reluctant Reno.
The Song and Dance: I suspect this is the closest most people would get to see a live version of this onstage until the rise of YouTube. Despite being streamlined, the story is still closer to the Broadway show than either of the film versions. Lahr revels in the intimacy of the small screen, mugging and joking and having a ball. The glittery costumes for the most part nicely reflect the glamour of sea travel during the Roaring 20's, with North and most of the women wriggling in beads and sequins and Merman resplendent in several furs.
Not to mention, there's the simple history involved in seeing a big TV musical from the 1950's, since many live productions from the time recorded on kinetoscopes have been lost.
Favorite Number: The show kicks off nicely with Merman performing the title song to explain the lunacy of the era. She and Bert Lahr have a lot of fun with "Friendship," and her "You're the Top" with Sinatra isn't bad, either. Sinatra's best solo is "All Through the Night" when he's in the brig; Merman's best solo moment is the rousing "Blow, Gabriel Blow" (which becomes a plot point when she uses it to point out Sinatra hiding among the guests).
Trivia: Merman was Reno Sweeney in the original Broadway production in 1934, with stage comedians William Gaxton and Victor Moore as her co-stars. The show would be revived off-Broadway in 1962, and successfully on Broadway twice, in 1987 with Patti LuPone as Reno, and in 2011 with Sutton Foster in the role.
Every version of Anything Goes since the original has added songs from his lesser-known shows of the 20's and 30's. This one includes "You Do Something to Me" from Fifty Million Frenchmen, "Just One of Those Things" from Jubilee, and "Friendship" from DuBarry Was a Lady.
Speaking of DuBarry, Merman and Lahr first performed together in the original 1939 Broadway cast of that show.
What I Don't Like: There's a reason this would be the only time Merman and Sinatra appeared together. They have no chemistry whatsoever, making Billy and Reno's constantly being pulled apart and thrown together even less believable. Their singing and performance styles are totally different; it's not as obvious in the comic "You're the Top," but their attempts at ballads in a reprise of "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "You Do Something To Me" have all the heat of two dead fish. The condensed show combines Reno with the ingenue role...which doesn't really work with Reno's character or Merman's tough personality. Lahr's attempts to bump up his notoriety are more interesting than Reno and Harry's romance.
And why was this set in the 20's? Every version of this since then has been set in the 30's, when the show and songs were written and first debuted.
The Big Finale: An interesting curiosity if you love Merman, Sinatra, Porter, or 50's musicals. Everyone else is better off listening to Merman and Sinatra's solo recordings of these songs.
Home Media: Out of print but not that hard to find on DVD; it can also be found on streaming.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Starring Ethel Merman, Frank Sinatra, Bert Lahr, and Sheree North
Directed by Sid Smith
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
We debark from the romantic Grecian isles to take a cruise to London in the 1920's. This is an early live TV version of the Cole Porter show, which had been a big hit with Merman in 1934 on Broadway. The Colgate Comedy Hour did this as a "special" in 1954, the only pairing of Merman and Sinatra. How does this tale of mistaken identity on the high seas look today? Let's head to the docks, where the ship is about to set sail, and find out...
The Story: In the 1920's, stage star Reno Sweeney (Merman) takes a cruise to London to marry her stuffy aristocratic fiancee, Sir Evelyn Oakleigh (Arthur Gould Porter). She's followed by her ex-boyfriend Harry Dane (Sinatra), who badly wants her back. Meanwhile, Moonface Martin (Lahr), the fifth most wanted hood in America, and his bubbly blond girlfriend Bonnie (North) are also on the boat, avoiding the police and trying to move up to the fourth most wanted. Moonface is disguised as a missionary after he got the real one (Nestor Palva) arrested. Harry ends up with the ID of the number one most wanted gangster in America and seeks help from Moonface to avoid the cops, while trying to make his case with a reluctant Reno.
The Song and Dance: I suspect this is the closest most people would get to see a live version of this onstage until the rise of YouTube. Despite being streamlined, the story is still closer to the Broadway show than either of the film versions. Lahr revels in the intimacy of the small screen, mugging and joking and having a ball. The glittery costumes for the most part nicely reflect the glamour of sea travel during the Roaring 20's, with North and most of the women wriggling in beads and sequins and Merman resplendent in several furs.
Not to mention, there's the simple history involved in seeing a big TV musical from the 1950's, since many live productions from the time recorded on kinetoscopes have been lost.
Favorite Number: The show kicks off nicely with Merman performing the title song to explain the lunacy of the era. She and Bert Lahr have a lot of fun with "Friendship," and her "You're the Top" with Sinatra isn't bad, either. Sinatra's best solo is "All Through the Night" when he's in the brig; Merman's best solo moment is the rousing "Blow, Gabriel Blow" (which becomes a plot point when she uses it to point out Sinatra hiding among the guests).
Trivia: Merman was Reno Sweeney in the original Broadway production in 1934, with stage comedians William Gaxton and Victor Moore as her co-stars. The show would be revived off-Broadway in 1962, and successfully on Broadway twice, in 1987 with Patti LuPone as Reno, and in 2011 with Sutton Foster in the role.
Every version of Anything Goes since the original has added songs from his lesser-known shows of the 20's and 30's. This one includes "You Do Something to Me" from Fifty Million Frenchmen, "Just One of Those Things" from Jubilee, and "Friendship" from DuBarry Was a Lady.
Speaking of DuBarry, Merman and Lahr first performed together in the original 1939 Broadway cast of that show.
What I Don't Like: There's a reason this would be the only time Merman and Sinatra appeared together. They have no chemistry whatsoever, making Billy and Reno's constantly being pulled apart and thrown together even less believable. Their singing and performance styles are totally different; it's not as obvious in the comic "You're the Top," but their attempts at ballads in a reprise of "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "You Do Something To Me" have all the heat of two dead fish. The condensed show combines Reno with the ingenue role...which doesn't really work with Reno's character or Merman's tough personality. Lahr's attempts to bump up his notoriety are more interesting than Reno and Harry's romance.
And why was this set in the 20's? Every version of this since then has been set in the 30's, when the show and songs were written and first debuted.
The Big Finale: An interesting curiosity if you love Merman, Sinatra, Porter, or 50's musicals. Everyone else is better off listening to Merman and Sinatra's solo recordings of these songs.
Home Media: Out of print but not that hard to find on DVD; it can also be found on streaming.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Thursday, July 11, 2019
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Universal, 2018
Starring Amanda Seyfried, Lily James, Pierce Brosonan, and James Irvine
Directed by Ol Parker
Music and Lyrics by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus
Universal had been trying to get a sequel to Mamma Mia! off the ground ever since the first movie was a huge hit in 2008. When they did finally got a sequel off the ground, it was mostly without a busy Meryl Streep, who for many people was the first film. How does this second round of ABBA tunes and mother-daughter bonding work without her? For an answer, we return to the Greek island of Kalakori and Donna's villa, where her daughter Sophie (Seyfried), is working on achieving her mother's dream...
The Story: Sophie has been restoring her mother's villa as a hotel ever since she'd passed away the year before. She's in a panic over the grand opening party, especially because the only one of her fathers who can come is Sam (Brosonan). Her mother's two best friends, Tanya (Christine Baranski), and Rosie (Julie Walters), do make it. Rose's still upset that she broke up with Bill; Tanya's more than happy to flirt with Fernando (Andy Garcia), the hotel manager. Sophie's also having problems with her husband Skye (Dominic Cooper), who stayed in New York for his job and because he's tired of her obsession with her mother.
From Sam, Tanya, Rosie, and the citizens of the island, she learned how her mother had originally come to have her. Having just graduated Oxford in 1979, Donna (James), Tanya (Jessica Keenan Wynn), and Rosie (Alexa Davies) are looking forward to a summer traveling around Europe. Donna meets Harry (Hugh Skinner) in Paris and sleeps with him, but leaves soon after. She catches a ride to Greece with Bill (Josh Dylan). Soon after arriving in Greece, she discovers the farmhouse and is delighted by its unfinished charms. She discovers a horse in the basement that's spooked by a storm. Sam (Irvine) comes in to help. She's as much in love with him as the island, but her love fizzles quickly when she discovers that he has a fiancee back home. She finally opts to stay when the mother of the owner of the bar where she and the girls sang (Maria Vacratsis) agrees to let her live at the farmhouse for free for saving her horse.
Meanwhile, another storm has destroyed Sophie's outdoor grand opening party and delayed the arrival of the press. She and Sam are devastated...until the ferries arrive, and Sophie begins to understand how important her mother's dream and her kindness were to many people, not just her.
The Song and Dance: I was impressed by the story this time around. It's touching and thoughtful and maybe even a tad bit darker than the first film, while not sacrificing that fizzy fun that made the original such a huge favorite. James was excellent as the young Donna, bubbling with life and love (and possessing a lovely singing voice, to boot). In fact, the casting of the young actors, men and women, was absolutely spot-on. They really did look like they could have been the actors 20 years ago. The filming in Croatia was equally gorgeous, with some wonderful vistas of the Adriatic Sea.
Favorite Number: The past sequence starts strong with "When I Kissed the Teacher," Donna and her friends' big song that turns their Oxford graduation into a wacky disco concert. Seyfried and Cooper have a nice split-screen "One of Us" about their broken relationship. Donna goes off with Bill in "Why Did It Have to Be Me?"...but Harry's wondering how he got left behind. "I Have a Dream" reveals Donna's desire to restore the farmhouse and how much she now loves the island life, even during a storm. "Knowing Me, Knowing You" packs a wallop as she and Sam break up; "Mamma Mia!" is Tanya and Rosie's attempt to cheer her up, but it's so infectious, turns into a number for half the island. "Dancing Queen" is almost as epic as the previous film as the elder Bill and Harry finally arrive at the island. Cher and Andy Garcia get in on the action with a fun "Fernando" towards the end.
Trivia: Look for cameos by songwriters and original ABBA members Bjorn Ulvaeus as a professor in "When I Kissed the Teacher" and Benny Andersson as the pianist in the Parisian restaurant in "Waterloo."
What I Don't Like: They couldn't have brought Cher and Streep in a tad earlier? Like, before the last ten minutes of the film? Streep's energy and enthusiasm from the original film is definitely missed, and not just by the characters. Actually, the obsession with her and how wonderful she was can get a little annoying in the present sequences. Though the story isn't as fluffy as the first movie, it's still fairly light-hearted, especially for something that heavily discusses birth and death. And yes, this still isn't for people who don't love ABBA or the pop music of the late 70's.
The Big Finale: To my surprise, I enjoyed this far more than the first one. Streep's missed, but the rest of the cast is game, the numbers are just as much fun, and the plot is touching, sweet, and makes a lot more sense (and actually has a resolution). If you loved the first film or are a fan of ABBA or the cast, by all means, check this one out, too.
Home Media: This was just as big of a hit as the original, and is just as easy to find in all formats, including streaming and 4K.
DVD
Blu Ray - Mamma Mia! 2 Movie Collection
Blu Ray
4K
Amazon Prime
Starring Amanda Seyfried, Lily James, Pierce Brosonan, and James Irvine
Directed by Ol Parker
Music and Lyrics by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus
Universal had been trying to get a sequel to Mamma Mia! off the ground ever since the first movie was a huge hit in 2008. When they did finally got a sequel off the ground, it was mostly without a busy Meryl Streep, who for many people was the first film. How does this second round of ABBA tunes and mother-daughter bonding work without her? For an answer, we return to the Greek island of Kalakori and Donna's villa, where her daughter Sophie (Seyfried), is working on achieving her mother's dream...
The Story: Sophie has been restoring her mother's villa as a hotel ever since she'd passed away the year before. She's in a panic over the grand opening party, especially because the only one of her fathers who can come is Sam (Brosonan). Her mother's two best friends, Tanya (Christine Baranski), and Rosie (Julie Walters), do make it. Rose's still upset that she broke up with Bill; Tanya's more than happy to flirt with Fernando (Andy Garcia), the hotel manager. Sophie's also having problems with her husband Skye (Dominic Cooper), who stayed in New York for his job and because he's tired of her obsession with her mother.
From Sam, Tanya, Rosie, and the citizens of the island, she learned how her mother had originally come to have her. Having just graduated Oxford in 1979, Donna (James), Tanya (Jessica Keenan Wynn), and Rosie (Alexa Davies) are looking forward to a summer traveling around Europe. Donna meets Harry (Hugh Skinner) in Paris and sleeps with him, but leaves soon after. She catches a ride to Greece with Bill (Josh Dylan). Soon after arriving in Greece, she discovers the farmhouse and is delighted by its unfinished charms. She discovers a horse in the basement that's spooked by a storm. Sam (Irvine) comes in to help. She's as much in love with him as the island, but her love fizzles quickly when she discovers that he has a fiancee back home. She finally opts to stay when the mother of the owner of the bar where she and the girls sang (Maria Vacratsis) agrees to let her live at the farmhouse for free for saving her horse.
Meanwhile, another storm has destroyed Sophie's outdoor grand opening party and delayed the arrival of the press. She and Sam are devastated...until the ferries arrive, and Sophie begins to understand how important her mother's dream and her kindness were to many people, not just her.
The Song and Dance: I was impressed by the story this time around. It's touching and thoughtful and maybe even a tad bit darker than the first film, while not sacrificing that fizzy fun that made the original such a huge favorite. James was excellent as the young Donna, bubbling with life and love (and possessing a lovely singing voice, to boot). In fact, the casting of the young actors, men and women, was absolutely spot-on. They really did look like they could have been the actors 20 years ago. The filming in Croatia was equally gorgeous, with some wonderful vistas of the Adriatic Sea.
Favorite Number: The past sequence starts strong with "When I Kissed the Teacher," Donna and her friends' big song that turns their Oxford graduation into a wacky disco concert. Seyfried and Cooper have a nice split-screen "One of Us" about their broken relationship. Donna goes off with Bill in "Why Did It Have to Be Me?"...but Harry's wondering how he got left behind. "I Have a Dream" reveals Donna's desire to restore the farmhouse and how much she now loves the island life, even during a storm. "Knowing Me, Knowing You" packs a wallop as she and Sam break up; "Mamma Mia!" is Tanya and Rosie's attempt to cheer her up, but it's so infectious, turns into a number for half the island. "Dancing Queen" is almost as epic as the previous film as the elder Bill and Harry finally arrive at the island. Cher and Andy Garcia get in on the action with a fun "Fernando" towards the end.
Trivia: Look for cameos by songwriters and original ABBA members Bjorn Ulvaeus as a professor in "When I Kissed the Teacher" and Benny Andersson as the pianist in the Parisian restaurant in "Waterloo."
What I Don't Like: They couldn't have brought Cher and Streep in a tad earlier? Like, before the last ten minutes of the film? Streep's energy and enthusiasm from the original film is definitely missed, and not just by the characters. Actually, the obsession with her and how wonderful she was can get a little annoying in the present sequences. Though the story isn't as fluffy as the first movie, it's still fairly light-hearted, especially for something that heavily discusses birth and death. And yes, this still isn't for people who don't love ABBA or the pop music of the late 70's.
The Big Finale: To my surprise, I enjoyed this far more than the first one. Streep's missed, but the rest of the cast is game, the numbers are just as much fun, and the plot is touching, sweet, and makes a lot more sense (and actually has a resolution). If you loved the first film or are a fan of ABBA or the cast, by all means, check this one out, too.
Home Media: This was just as big of a hit as the original, and is just as easy to find in all formats, including streaming and 4K.
DVD
Blu Ray - Mamma Mia! 2 Movie Collection
Blu Ray
4K
Amazon Prime
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Mamma Mia!: The Movie
Universal, 2008
Starring Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, and Christine Baranski
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd
Music and Lyrics by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus
With the summer season upon us here in the US, this is the perfect time to get away from it all, taking a romantic cruise or a trip to an exotic isle. We start with this major hit from June 2008. The frothy story of a young woman, her mother, and the three men she invited to her wedding is really just an excuse for a series of great musical numbers set to the music of 70's pop group ABBA. Is it as fizzy as the champagne at the wedding, or does it hit a few sour notes? Let's head to the Greek island of Kalokari and find out...
The Story: Sophie (Seyfried) is a 20-year-old woman who has just invited three men to her wedding at her mother Donna's (Streep) villa hotel. She's hoping one of these men will be her father and walk her down the aisle. They're about as different as they can get; Sam (Brosnan) is an architect who is looking to make changes in his life, Bill (Stellan Skarsgard), a travel writer and sailor, and Harry (Colin Firth), an uptight banker. Donna, a former rock singer, has invited her own best friends and backing singers, rich divorcee Tanya (Baranski) and live-for-the-moment author Rosie (Julie Walters). She wishes someone would take over running the villa from her, or at least help her pick up a few extra dollars to keep it going. The last thing she's expecting is to see three men whom she hadn't spoken to since the late 70's. Now, while the entire island gets hyped up for the wedding, Donna has to figure out which man she wants for her daughter's father...and which she truly loves.
The Song and Dance: This may be the ultimate party musical. Most folks aren't the greatest singers or dancers, but everyone's having such a great time, you just kind of get swept along. Streep gets to show off her comic side (and a nice voice, too) as the confused Donna; Seyfried so impressed people with her lovely voice, this movie lead to her getting the role of Cosette in Les Miserables. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, beautifully displaying the Mediterranean and Greek isles in all their glittering turquoise glory. There's a lot of fun choreography in the chorus numbers, notably "Dancing Queen," "Does Your Mother Know?" and "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)."
If nothing else, it's rare that you see a close mother-daughter relationship portrayed in a musical. Not only Donna, but her friends are supportive of and very loving to Sophie, standing by her decisions even when they're not thrilled with her bringing her fathers to the island.
Favorite Number: Seyfried kicks things off well with a sweet "I Have a Dream" and an adorable "Honey, Honey" with her bridesmaids as she reads off her mother's diaries and her relationship with the three men. "Money, Money, Money" and "Mamma Mia!" are great numbers for Streep (the latter ending hilariously with her literally falling right into her ex-lovers), and she gets a killer "The Winner Takes It All" late in the film. Baranski joins the younger guys to ask them "Does Your Mother Know?" on the beach. "Dancing Queen" starts with Rosie and Tanya trying to cheer up Donna. It works so well, every woman on the entire island ends up dancing and singing along with them. Their energy and enthusiasm is so infectious and joyful, you really can't blame them.
Trivia: Mamma Mia! started out on England's West End, where it was a smash, playing for 13 years. It was even more popular in the US, playing at the Winter Garden and Broadhurst Theaters in New York for 14 years. The movie version did go over well in the US, but it wound up being the biggest hit of 2008 in England and in much of Europe, where ABBA still has many long-time fans.
What I Don't Like: Did I mention the fluffy story? Yeah, it's barely of consequence. They don't even resolve the major plot point - Sophie's search for her father. While the ladies' singing ranges from gorgeous to passable, the men don't go over quite as well. Pierce Brosonan can barely carry a tune, and he has three major ballads and a duet. His "S.O.S" is painful. And obviously, this isn't for anyone who doesn't like ABBA, the rock/pop of the late 70's, or are looking for a meatier or more dramatic story. Not to mention, it goes on for at least 20 minutes too long. Some of those later numbers (including Brosonan's) could have been trimmed or eliminated.
The Big Finale: It's not a great musical, but it is a fun one, with energetic numbers performed by a cast who are thoroughly enjoying themselves. This would be a blast for girls' night in, sleepovers, or other all-female events.
Home Media: As one of the most popular musicals of the last decade or so, this is easily found in all formats, including packaged with its sequel.
DVD
DVD - Mamma Mia! 2-Movie Collection
Blu-Ray
4K
Amazon Prime
But wait, there's more! Check in on Thursday for the review of the sequel, Mamma Mia!: Here We Go Again!
Starring Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, and Christine Baranski
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd
Music and Lyrics by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus
With the summer season upon us here in the US, this is the perfect time to get away from it all, taking a romantic cruise or a trip to an exotic isle. We start with this major hit from June 2008. The frothy story of a young woman, her mother, and the three men she invited to her wedding is really just an excuse for a series of great musical numbers set to the music of 70's pop group ABBA. Is it as fizzy as the champagne at the wedding, or does it hit a few sour notes? Let's head to the Greek island of Kalokari and find out...
The Story: Sophie (Seyfried) is a 20-year-old woman who has just invited three men to her wedding at her mother Donna's (Streep) villa hotel. She's hoping one of these men will be her father and walk her down the aisle. They're about as different as they can get; Sam (Brosnan) is an architect who is looking to make changes in his life, Bill (Stellan Skarsgard), a travel writer and sailor, and Harry (Colin Firth), an uptight banker. Donna, a former rock singer, has invited her own best friends and backing singers, rich divorcee Tanya (Baranski) and live-for-the-moment author Rosie (Julie Walters). She wishes someone would take over running the villa from her, or at least help her pick up a few extra dollars to keep it going. The last thing she's expecting is to see three men whom she hadn't spoken to since the late 70's. Now, while the entire island gets hyped up for the wedding, Donna has to figure out which man she wants for her daughter's father...and which she truly loves.
The Song and Dance: This may be the ultimate party musical. Most folks aren't the greatest singers or dancers, but everyone's having such a great time, you just kind of get swept along. Streep gets to show off her comic side (and a nice voice, too) as the confused Donna; Seyfried so impressed people with her lovely voice, this movie lead to her getting the role of Cosette in Les Miserables. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, beautifully displaying the Mediterranean and Greek isles in all their glittering turquoise glory. There's a lot of fun choreography in the chorus numbers, notably "Dancing Queen," "Does Your Mother Know?" and "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)."
If nothing else, it's rare that you see a close mother-daughter relationship portrayed in a musical. Not only Donna, but her friends are supportive of and very loving to Sophie, standing by her decisions even when they're not thrilled with her bringing her fathers to the island.
Favorite Number: Seyfried kicks things off well with a sweet "I Have a Dream" and an adorable "Honey, Honey" with her bridesmaids as she reads off her mother's diaries and her relationship with the three men. "Money, Money, Money" and "Mamma Mia!" are great numbers for Streep (the latter ending hilariously with her literally falling right into her ex-lovers), and she gets a killer "The Winner Takes It All" late in the film. Baranski joins the younger guys to ask them "Does Your Mother Know?" on the beach. "Dancing Queen" starts with Rosie and Tanya trying to cheer up Donna. It works so well, every woman on the entire island ends up dancing and singing along with them. Their energy and enthusiasm is so infectious and joyful, you really can't blame them.
Trivia: Mamma Mia! started out on England's West End, where it was a smash, playing for 13 years. It was even more popular in the US, playing at the Winter Garden and Broadhurst Theaters in New York for 14 years. The movie version did go over well in the US, but it wound up being the biggest hit of 2008 in England and in much of Europe, where ABBA still has many long-time fans.
What I Don't Like: Did I mention the fluffy story? Yeah, it's barely of consequence. They don't even resolve the major plot point - Sophie's search for her father. While the ladies' singing ranges from gorgeous to passable, the men don't go over quite as well. Pierce Brosonan can barely carry a tune, and he has three major ballads and a duet. His "S.O.S" is painful. And obviously, this isn't for anyone who doesn't like ABBA, the rock/pop of the late 70's, or are looking for a meatier or more dramatic story. Not to mention, it goes on for at least 20 minutes too long. Some of those later numbers (including Brosonan's) could have been trimmed or eliminated.
The Big Finale: It's not a great musical, but it is a fun one, with energetic numbers performed by a cast who are thoroughly enjoying themselves. This would be a blast for girls' night in, sleepovers, or other all-female events.
Home Media: As one of the most popular musicals of the last decade or so, this is easily found in all formats, including packaged with its sequel.
DVD
DVD - Mamma Mia! 2-Movie Collection
Blu-Ray
4K
Amazon Prime
But wait, there's more! Check in on Thursday for the review of the sequel, Mamma Mia!: Here We Go Again!
Saturday, July 6, 2019
Musicals on TV - Jack and the Beanstalk
Hanna-Barbera, 1967
Starring Gene Kelly, Bobby Riha, Janet Waldo, and Ted Cassidy
Directed by Gene Kelly
Music by Jimmy Van Heusen; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
This charming live action-animated hybrid used to show up a lot of cable when I was barely older than Jack. It was possibly my first exposure to Gene Kelly, long before I saw Singin' In the Rain or On the Town. How does this musical retelling of the famous English fairy tale look nowadays? Let's join Jack (Riha) and his cow on a dusty yellow road to town and find out...
The Story: Young Jack is ordered by his mother (Marion McKnight) to sell his beloved cow. Jeremy Keen (Kelly), a peddler on the road, can tell how reluctant he is to part with her and offers to trade her for some magic beans. It turns out that the beans are more magical than Jeremy thought. When the little boy accidentally plants them, they grow into a beanstalk that reaches the sky!
Climbing the beanstalk brings them to a beautiful land of huge plants and a towering castle. It's the home of a giant ogre who eats little boys and peddlers and has a cat who terrorizes the local mice. Among the treasures the giant has stolen from the local kingdoms is a goose who lays golden eggs and a beautiful princess (Waldo) who was turned into a harp. While Jeremy tries to break the spell and rescue the princess, Jack befriends the mice and encourages them to fight the cat.
The Animation: Only slightly removed from Hey There, It's Yogi Bear. It's the same sketchy style used in most Hanna-Barbera productions of this time period, with super-cute mice and a slightly more realistic-looking cat than usual for them. The effects on Kelly and Marni Nixon's duet reprise of "One Starry Evening" do look pretty good, though, especially as Kelly dances with a cartoon princess.
The Song and Dance: I've always loved fairy tales, and this one is a lot of fun. Kelly and Riha work and dance quite nicely together; Riha has a great scene where he's trying to remind the mice that the cat may be big, but they have safety in numbers. Waldo makes a sweet princess, and Ted Cassidy is an appropriately booming giant.
Favorite Number: "A Tiny Bit of Faith," the song Jeremy sings to Jack several times, is very catch and is probably the best song in the movie. Jack's chorus number with the mice, "Stiffen That Upper Lip," is also a lot of fun. The lone ballad "One Starry Night" turns up twice, first as a song of longing for the Princess trapped in the harp, then as a duet for her and Jeremy after she's freed.
What I Don't Like: The combination of animation and live-action may have looked good on the small screen in 1967, but it now occasionally looks fake or awkward. Several sequences seem to be there more as padding than anything, especially Kelly's number with a pair of "Woggle Birds" who do a routine explaining what they do and disappear, never to be mentioned again.
The Big Finale: A fun retelling if you can find it; great for younger kids or fans of Kelly or Hanna-Barbera.
Home Media: I really wish the Warner Archive release of this one that I have wasn't out of print! Check used venues like Goodwill and eBay.
DVD
Starring Gene Kelly, Bobby Riha, Janet Waldo, and Ted Cassidy
Directed by Gene Kelly
Music by Jimmy Van Heusen; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
This charming live action-animated hybrid used to show up a lot of cable when I was barely older than Jack. It was possibly my first exposure to Gene Kelly, long before I saw Singin' In the Rain or On the Town. How does this musical retelling of the famous English fairy tale look nowadays? Let's join Jack (Riha) and his cow on a dusty yellow road to town and find out...
The Story: Young Jack is ordered by his mother (Marion McKnight) to sell his beloved cow. Jeremy Keen (Kelly), a peddler on the road, can tell how reluctant he is to part with her and offers to trade her for some magic beans. It turns out that the beans are more magical than Jeremy thought. When the little boy accidentally plants them, they grow into a beanstalk that reaches the sky!
Climbing the beanstalk brings them to a beautiful land of huge plants and a towering castle. It's the home of a giant ogre who eats little boys and peddlers and has a cat who terrorizes the local mice. Among the treasures the giant has stolen from the local kingdoms is a goose who lays golden eggs and a beautiful princess (Waldo) who was turned into a harp. While Jeremy tries to break the spell and rescue the princess, Jack befriends the mice and encourages them to fight the cat.
The Animation: Only slightly removed from Hey There, It's Yogi Bear. It's the same sketchy style used in most Hanna-Barbera productions of this time period, with super-cute mice and a slightly more realistic-looking cat than usual for them. The effects on Kelly and Marni Nixon's duet reprise of "One Starry Evening" do look pretty good, though, especially as Kelly dances with a cartoon princess.
The Song and Dance: I've always loved fairy tales, and this one is a lot of fun. Kelly and Riha work and dance quite nicely together; Riha has a great scene where he's trying to remind the mice that the cat may be big, but they have safety in numbers. Waldo makes a sweet princess, and Ted Cassidy is an appropriately booming giant.
Favorite Number: "A Tiny Bit of Faith," the song Jeremy sings to Jack several times, is very catch and is probably the best song in the movie. Jack's chorus number with the mice, "Stiffen That Upper Lip," is also a lot of fun. The lone ballad "One Starry Night" turns up twice, first as a song of longing for the Princess trapped in the harp, then as a duet for her and Jeremy after she's freed.
What I Don't Like: The combination of animation and live-action may have looked good on the small screen in 1967, but it now occasionally looks fake or awkward. Several sequences seem to be there more as padding than anything, especially Kelly's number with a pair of "Woggle Birds" who do a routine explaining what they do and disappear, never to be mentioned again.
The Big Finale: A fun retelling if you can find it; great for younger kids or fans of Kelly or Hanna-Barbera.
Home Media: I really wish the Warner Archive release of this one that I have wasn't out of print! Check used venues like Goodwill and eBay.
DVD
Thursday, July 4, 2019
Happy 4th of July! - Yankee Doodle Dandy
Warner Bros, 1942
Starring James Cagney, Walter Huston, Joan Leslie, and Richard Whorf
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Music and Lyrics by George M. Cohan
I couldn't think of a better way to end our All-American Weekdays than with this salute to one America's most patriotic songwriters. The title song, "You're a Grand Old Flag," and "Give My Regards to Broadway" remain popular to this day. When I was in kindergarten, we started off the day by singing "You're a Grand Old Flag." My mother used to put this on every 4th of July either right before or after the fireworks. Is it worth being a part of your holiday barbecue? Let's head to the Music Box Theatre in New York, where Cohan (Cagney) is performing in one of his last shows, and find out...
The Story: Called to the President (Captain Jack Young) to receive a Congressional Gold Medal, Cohan ends up relating his life story. Born on the 4th of July to vaudevillians Jerry (Huston) and Nellie (Rosemary DeCamp) Cohan, he and later on his little sister Josie (Jeanne Cagney) join the act as soon as they're able. They travel from town to town, performing wherever there's a theater. George is eager to show his stuff, but his ego often gets them into trouble, whether it's playing "Peck's Bad Boy" as a child and getting too into his role, or pushing his girlfriend Mary (Leslie) and his music to an uninterested vaudeville producer as an adult.
He finally leaves the act, joining with producer Sam Harris (Whorf) to hawk their songs to producers. They do manage to find a taker in producer Schwab (SK Sakall). George's show Little Johnny Jones is a huge hit, enough to bring back his family to appear in his next show. He even manages to get huge star Faye Templeton (Irene Manning) to appear in one of his shows. She does get to sing the ballad he wrote for Mary, "Mary's a Grand Old Name," but Mary and George are the ones who wed.
George keeps writing hits, but things are changing. His parents and sister retire, then pass away. He writes a huge hit during World War I, "Over There," then finds himself falling out of favor with the public during the more cynical 20's. After a trip around the world, he settles down on the farm with Mary...but it takes a group of teens and their attitudes and lack of recognition to convince him to make one final show.
The Song and Dance: After Pearl Harbor happened during filming, the cast and crew set out to make the most patriotic musical they could...and they certainly succeeded. Cagney won an Oscar for his performance as the cocky, charming theatrical jack-of-all-trade. His perpetual energy fuels the entire film, especially in the first half, when he and his family are struggling and he's trying to prove to Broadway that some Irish kid can dominate the stage. Huston is warm and funny as his beloved father; Leslie's lovely as his sweet and sensible Mary. Jeanne Cagney, Cagney's real-life sister, is cute as a button as Josie.
Favorite Number: Even where the biography is pure fiction, the numbers are pretty close to the mark. The staging of Little Johnny Jones is pretty accurate to the time, including the flare going up over the boat during "Give My Regards to Broadway." Likewise, Cagney's "Off the Record" in the finale is said to be spot-on. Cagney and Leslie are charming together in their duet to impress a pair of producers, "Harrigan." "Grand Old Flag" may be the most patriotic musical number ever committed to film, with its marching everyday Americans, Civil War veterans, and Huston and DeCamp dressed as no less than Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty.
Trivia: James Cagney actually disliked Cohan because he sided with the producers during the 1919 Equity strike. He agreed to play him because he had been accused of being a communist and needed to make something really patriotic to improve his image. This did it. The movie was a smash, the second-biggest hit of 1942 after MGM's Mrs. Miniver, and Warner Bros' biggest money-maker of the year.
Along with Best Actor for Cagney, it won Best Score of Musical and Best Sound Recording.
That little dance Cagney does going down the stairs after getting his medal wasn't originally in the script. He devised it right before the scene started shooting.
That's Eddie Foy Jr. playing his father in a short sequence where he comments on Cohan's many abilities. Cagney would repay the favor by playing Cohan in the 1955 film biography of Foy and his family, The Seven Little Foys.
There would be a somewhat more accurate Broadway stage version of Cohan's life in 1968 with Joel Gray as George, George M!
What I Don't Like: Cohan himself was a consultant on this movie, and he saw to it that very little that was unflattering got in there. Mary is a condensed version of his two wives Ethel and Agnes. His mother died well before his father. Popularity was a flop...in 1906, not 1915, when the Lusitania was sunk. There's no reference to his dust-ups with Equity in 1919 that soured him on directing for the rest of his life.
The Big Finale: A perfect cast and terrific, period-accurate numbers make all the difference and keep this from feeling as bland as other musical biographies of this period. If you love Cagney or Cohan or just want a blast of Americana, this his highly recommended.
Home Media: The 2-disc Special Edition I have was just re-released this year as part of the Warner Archives, who also put out the Blu-Ray. It's also easily found on several streaming companies.
DVD
DVD - 5 Film Collection: Musicals
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring James Cagney, Walter Huston, Joan Leslie, and Richard Whorf
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Music and Lyrics by George M. Cohan
I couldn't think of a better way to end our All-American Weekdays than with this salute to one America's most patriotic songwriters. The title song, "You're a Grand Old Flag," and "Give My Regards to Broadway" remain popular to this day. When I was in kindergarten, we started off the day by singing "You're a Grand Old Flag." My mother used to put this on every 4th of July either right before or after the fireworks. Is it worth being a part of your holiday barbecue? Let's head to the Music Box Theatre in New York, where Cohan (Cagney) is performing in one of his last shows, and find out...
The Story: Called to the President (Captain Jack Young) to receive a Congressional Gold Medal, Cohan ends up relating his life story. Born on the 4th of July to vaudevillians Jerry (Huston) and Nellie (Rosemary DeCamp) Cohan, he and later on his little sister Josie (Jeanne Cagney) join the act as soon as they're able. They travel from town to town, performing wherever there's a theater. George is eager to show his stuff, but his ego often gets them into trouble, whether it's playing "Peck's Bad Boy" as a child and getting too into his role, or pushing his girlfriend Mary (Leslie) and his music to an uninterested vaudeville producer as an adult.
He finally leaves the act, joining with producer Sam Harris (Whorf) to hawk their songs to producers. They do manage to find a taker in producer Schwab (SK Sakall). George's show Little Johnny Jones is a huge hit, enough to bring back his family to appear in his next show. He even manages to get huge star Faye Templeton (Irene Manning) to appear in one of his shows. She does get to sing the ballad he wrote for Mary, "Mary's a Grand Old Name," but Mary and George are the ones who wed.
George keeps writing hits, but things are changing. His parents and sister retire, then pass away. He writes a huge hit during World War I, "Over There," then finds himself falling out of favor with the public during the more cynical 20's. After a trip around the world, he settles down on the farm with Mary...but it takes a group of teens and their attitudes and lack of recognition to convince him to make one final show.
The Song and Dance: After Pearl Harbor happened during filming, the cast and crew set out to make the most patriotic musical they could...and they certainly succeeded. Cagney won an Oscar for his performance as the cocky, charming theatrical jack-of-all-trade. His perpetual energy fuels the entire film, especially in the first half, when he and his family are struggling and he's trying to prove to Broadway that some Irish kid can dominate the stage. Huston is warm and funny as his beloved father; Leslie's lovely as his sweet and sensible Mary. Jeanne Cagney, Cagney's real-life sister, is cute as a button as Josie.
Favorite Number: Even where the biography is pure fiction, the numbers are pretty close to the mark. The staging of Little Johnny Jones is pretty accurate to the time, including the flare going up over the boat during "Give My Regards to Broadway." Likewise, Cagney's "Off the Record" in the finale is said to be spot-on. Cagney and Leslie are charming together in their duet to impress a pair of producers, "Harrigan." "Grand Old Flag" may be the most patriotic musical number ever committed to film, with its marching everyday Americans, Civil War veterans, and Huston and DeCamp dressed as no less than Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty.
Trivia: James Cagney actually disliked Cohan because he sided with the producers during the 1919 Equity strike. He agreed to play him because he had been accused of being a communist and needed to make something really patriotic to improve his image. This did it. The movie was a smash, the second-biggest hit of 1942 after MGM's Mrs. Miniver, and Warner Bros' biggest money-maker of the year.
Along with Best Actor for Cagney, it won Best Score of Musical and Best Sound Recording.
That little dance Cagney does going down the stairs after getting his medal wasn't originally in the script. He devised it right before the scene started shooting.
That's Eddie Foy Jr. playing his father in a short sequence where he comments on Cohan's many abilities. Cagney would repay the favor by playing Cohan in the 1955 film biography of Foy and his family, The Seven Little Foys.
There would be a somewhat more accurate Broadway stage version of Cohan's life in 1968 with Joel Gray as George, George M!
What I Don't Like: Cohan himself was a consultant on this movie, and he saw to it that very little that was unflattering got in there. Mary is a condensed version of his two wives Ethel and Agnes. His mother died well before his father. Popularity was a flop...in 1906, not 1915, when the Lusitania was sunk. There's no reference to his dust-ups with Equity in 1919 that soured him on directing for the rest of his life.
The Big Finale: A perfect cast and terrific, period-accurate numbers make all the difference and keep this from feeling as bland as other musical biographies of this period. If you love Cagney or Cohan or just want a blast of Americana, this his highly recommended.
Home Media: The 2-disc Special Edition I have was just re-released this year as part of the Warner Archives, who also put out the Blu-Ray. It's also easily found on several streaming companies.
DVD
DVD - 5 Film Collection: Musicals
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
1776
Columbia, 1972
Starring William Daniels, Howard DaSilva, Ken Howard, and Virginia Westoff
Directed by Peter H. Hunt
Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards
We continue All-American Weekdays with what could be called the most patriotic of all film musicals. An adaptation of Broadway show from 1969, this wasn't a huge hit when it came out in 1972 (with critics or politicians), but picked up a far larger audience when it was restored on DVD and Blu-Ray. Let's head to Philadelphia to join a frustrated John Adams (Daniels) and see just how close the United States was to never existing at all...
The Story: Adams is determined to see that the US is free from the tyranny of England and its taxes, but he can't get the Continental Congress to discuss the matter, let alone agree on anything. The New Jersey delegation is late, New York refuses vote, the southerners want to keep slavery going, and most of Pennsylvania except for snarky Benjamin Franklin (DaSilva) want to remain a colony. Adams and Franklin recruit a reluctant Thomas Jefferson (Howard) to write a Declaration of Independence putting down their intentions...and bring around his wife Martha (Blythe Danner) to make sure he does it. Even after it's written, they need a unanimous vote to pass it. It'll take all their skills and know-how - with a little help from Adams' sensible wife Abigail (Westoff) and the ladies of Massachusetts - to convince Congress that they're ready to make history.
The Song and Dance: Anyone who is only familiar with William Daniels' TV work will likely find this to be a revelation. He's a real firebrand, hilarious with the delightfully deadpan DaSilva, pushy and tough with Congress. DaSilva steals every scene he's in as America's first snark king and one of Philadelphia's most beloved icons. Others who do well here include Ron Holgate as hammy Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee, Donald Madden as resolute Pennsylvanian John Dickinson, and one-scene wonder John Cullum as South Carolinian Edward Rutledge.
For all they invented, a lot of the dialogue and lyrics are taken straight from letters and personal accounts written later. Much of this was quite accurate, including how hard it was for Adams to get that unanimous vote. I love that last scene with them all sitting and
Favorite Number: We learn why Adams is having problems getting the motion to revolt passed in the opening numbers "Sit Down, John," and "Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve," two rousing chorus routines for the Congress that reveal just how unpopular Adams is. Adams and Abigail have three lovely dream sequences where they reveal just how much in love they are (and were in real-life, apparently), "'Til Then," "Yours, Yours, Yours," and "Compliments." Ron Holgate has a blast with the puns and horse-back-riding of "The Lees of Old Virginia," while John Cullum vividly portrays how the slave trade worked (and how the south and the north profited off it) in "Molasses to Rum." A young courier (Stephan Nathan) sings the heartbreaking anti-war number of what happens to those young men who go off to war, "Momma Look Sharp."
What I Don't Like: As one of the last of the epic Broadway adaptations of the 1960's and early 70's, this is very talky and super sloooowwww. Despite a few exterior numbers filmed like "Til Then," it mostly looks like the filmed play it is. People move around enough to keep it just this side of static. It's also very long, over two and a half hours, and you definitely feel it.
The Big Finale: If you love Hamilton or American history, you'll want to take a look at this earlier exploration into the American Revolution. It makes one proud to be an American.
Home Media: All versions currently available use the restored Director's Cut, with the additional number "Cool, Considerate Men." The Blu-Ray has even more sequences restored. Amazon Prime is in 4K.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring William Daniels, Howard DaSilva, Ken Howard, and Virginia Westoff
Directed by Peter H. Hunt
Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards
We continue All-American Weekdays with what could be called the most patriotic of all film musicals. An adaptation of Broadway show from 1969, this wasn't a huge hit when it came out in 1972 (with critics or politicians), but picked up a far larger audience when it was restored on DVD and Blu-Ray. Let's head to Philadelphia to join a frustrated John Adams (Daniels) and see just how close the United States was to never existing at all...
The Story: Adams is determined to see that the US is free from the tyranny of England and its taxes, but he can't get the Continental Congress to discuss the matter, let alone agree on anything. The New Jersey delegation is late, New York refuses vote, the southerners want to keep slavery going, and most of Pennsylvania except for snarky Benjamin Franklin (DaSilva) want to remain a colony. Adams and Franklin recruit a reluctant Thomas Jefferson (Howard) to write a Declaration of Independence putting down their intentions...and bring around his wife Martha (Blythe Danner) to make sure he does it. Even after it's written, they need a unanimous vote to pass it. It'll take all their skills and know-how - with a little help from Adams' sensible wife Abigail (Westoff) and the ladies of Massachusetts - to convince Congress that they're ready to make history.
The Song and Dance: Anyone who is only familiar with William Daniels' TV work will likely find this to be a revelation. He's a real firebrand, hilarious with the delightfully deadpan DaSilva, pushy and tough with Congress. DaSilva steals every scene he's in as America's first snark king and one of Philadelphia's most beloved icons. Others who do well here include Ron Holgate as hammy Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee, Donald Madden as resolute Pennsylvanian John Dickinson, and one-scene wonder John Cullum as South Carolinian Edward Rutledge.
For all they invented, a lot of the dialogue and lyrics are taken straight from letters and personal accounts written later. Much of this was quite accurate, including how hard it was for Adams to get that unanimous vote. I love that last scene with them all sitting and
Favorite Number: We learn why Adams is having problems getting the motion to revolt passed in the opening numbers "Sit Down, John," and "Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve," two rousing chorus routines for the Congress that reveal just how unpopular Adams is. Adams and Abigail have three lovely dream sequences where they reveal just how much in love they are (and were in real-life, apparently), "'Til Then," "Yours, Yours, Yours," and "Compliments." Ron Holgate has a blast with the puns and horse-back-riding of "The Lees of Old Virginia," while John Cullum vividly portrays how the slave trade worked (and how the south and the north profited off it) in "Molasses to Rum." A young courier (Stephan Nathan) sings the heartbreaking anti-war number of what happens to those young men who go off to war, "Momma Look Sharp."
What I Don't Like: As one of the last of the epic Broadway adaptations of the 1960's and early 70's, this is very talky and super sloooowwww. Despite a few exterior numbers filmed like "Til Then," it mostly looks like the filmed play it is. People move around enough to keep it just this side of static. It's also very long, over two and a half hours, and you definitely feel it.
The Big Finale: If you love Hamilton or American history, you'll want to take a look at this earlier exploration into the American Revolution. It makes one proud to be an American.
Home Media: All versions currently available use the restored Director's Cut, with the additional number "Cool, Considerate Men." The Blu-Ray has even more sequences restored. Amazon Prime is in 4K.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
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