Sony/Columbia, 2005
Starring Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Jesse L. Martin, and Rosario Dawson
Directed by Chris Columbus
Music and Lyrics by Johnathan Larson
Rent was a phenomenon in New York in the mid-late 90's. One of its creators, Johnathan Larson, had helped create it around 1989 and continued working on it for the next six years, hoping that his rock opera would bring Broadway to a generation raised on rock and MTV. It was a smash when it debuted off-Broadway in January 1996...but Larson wasn't there to witness its success. He died of a rare disease shortly before its opening. Larson's death and the raw, open sound did indeed draw many young people to the stage and proved that musicals could be more than family fare. The show's popularity may have worked against itself when it was adapted to film almost nine years later. What happened? Well, let's head to a stage in New York's East Village and find out...
The Story: It's a year in the life of a group of performers, artists, and academics in the East Village from December 1989 to 1990. Roger (Pascal), a rock musician who hasn't been able to sell his work, and Mark (Rapp), an aspiring documentary filmmaker, have their electricity cut off when their former friend Benny (Taye Diggs) demands rent he promised they wouldn't have to pay. He wants to knock down the tenement and build a state of the art "cyber studio." Mark's ex-girlfriend Maureen (Idina Menzel) is a performance artist holding a protest against these plans. Meanwhile, their AIDS-positive friend Tom (Martin) falls for a kind-hearted drag queen street drummer named Angel (Wilson Germaine Heredia), and Roger finds himself head-over-heels for Mimi (Dawson), a HIV-positive dancer in a strip joint.
Mark is thrilled when he's able to sell footage from a raid on Maureen's protest. Maureen celebrates by finally getting together with her girlfriend, uptight lawyer Joanne (Tracie Toms), but they break it off after she catches Maureen flirting with another woman at their engagement party. Tired of her heroin addiction, Roger also eventually breaks off with Mimi, and the group goes their separate ways after Angel dies of complications from AIDS. Roger takes off to move to Santa Fe, but he can't forget Mimi and ends up back in New York. In the end, as Mark debuts his documentary on those living with the AIDS/HIV virus, the others remember how wonderful life can be...and that there really is "no day like today."
The Song and Dance: At least you can't fault most of the performances. There's some excellent singers here pouring their heart into Larson's soaring music. I didn't know about half of these people had such gorgeous voices, especially Dawson and Martin. Martin and Heredia are the stand-outs as the anarchist philosophy professor and his devoted lover, the much-loved and aptly-named transvestite. Menzel also has a great time as the fickle performer who can't commit to one lover, no matter what she tells her girlfriend.
Favorite Number: Both versions of "Viva La Boheme!" revel in some nice choreography and lively performances, as does the second version of this musical's signature tune, "Seasons of Love." Rapp and Toms discuss why Maureen drives them crazy - and shows off a sensational tropical pas de deux - in "Tango: Maureen." Angel and Tom get two great duets, the upbeat "Tonight 4 U" after Angel earns enough money for a decent Christmas dinner, and the touching "I'll Cover You." Heredia is obviously enjoying himself in the former, delightedly kicking through in his cute red and white feather-trimmed outfit. Menzel and Toms reveal why their differences are pushing each other apart in the delightful duet "Take Me or Leave Me."
Trivia: After Larson's death and a sensational opening, this proved to be so popular, it was moved to the Nederlander Theater on Broadway. It went on to win four Tonys and the Pulitzer Prize and ran there for over a decade, finally closing in 2008. Menzel, Rapp, Pascal, Martin, Heredia, and Diggs were all in the original cast. The final performance was filmed and released as Rent: Live on Broadway. A London production with a lot of the same cast didn't do quite as well, only running a year. There was a brief off-Broadway revival in 2011.
This is based after the opera La Boheme, by Giacomo Pucinni, and and actually uses a lot of the original plot.
What I Don't Like: This is another Broadway show that probably should have stayed on the stage. Much of it feels stagey and static, despite frequently being filmed outside. There's too much talk and not nearly enough action. Pascal comes off as dull outside of his stunning voice, and Dawson isn't terribly believable as a heroin junkie stripper. Columbus, best known for family-friendly action films like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, wasn't the right director for this. He just doesn't have the punch or the grit to make us care about most of these characters.
Also, the obvious general warning that this is a rock opera. It's not for people who are looking for lighter, less overtly musical fare or who aren't fans of that genre of music.
The Big Finale: Broadway fans and many New York critics were especially hard on this when it came out, complaining about the direction and the stagy feel. I say, if you can get around the inappropriate choice of director and the stage-bound numbers, you might find a few hidden gems in this gritty urban tale.
Home Media: On DVD and streaming; the two-disc DVD can often be found or under five dollars.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Reviews of musical films, from 1930s black and white to widescreen 21st century extravaganzas.
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Animation Celebration Saturday - Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas In July
Rankin-Bass, 1979
Voices of Billie Mae Richards, Mickey Rooney, Jackie Vernon, and Shelly Winters
Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass
Music by Maury Laws; Lyrics by Johnny Marks
Hoping to expand their holiday empire, Rankin-Bass combined their three most popular characters to create this movie, which debuted on ABC in November 1979. They even threw popular comic Red Buttons and beloved Broadway star Ethel Merman into the mix. Did they manage to pull off this complex Christmas crossover? Let's head to the North Pole for an epic battle and find out...
The Story: Centuries ago, the evil ice wizard Winterbolt (Paul Frees) ruled the North Pole with a heavy and frigid hand, until the Lady Boreal (Nellie Bellflower) puts him into a deep sleep. When he awakens years later, he discovers that Santa Claus (Rooney) has moved in and started his toy-making factory. He sends a blizzard to get rid of him, but Lady Boreal uses the last of her magic to make the baby reindeer Rudolph's nose glow bright red. Rudolph ends up pulling Santa's sleigh, to Winterbolt's frustration. Lady Boreal tells Rudolph that his nose will stop glowing if he ever uses his power for evil ends.
Meanwhile, Frosty (Vernon) and Crystal (Winters) have returned to the North Pole and started a family, with two children of their own. They all get an offer to star in the circus by Milton the Ice Cream Man (Buttons), who has come to pick up ice cream for the beach-side 4th of July parade. He wants to marry his sweetheart, tightrope walker Lanie Lorraine (Shelby Flint), but her mother Lily (Merman) is in danger of losing the circus to the unscrupulous Sam Spangles (Don Messick). Milton offers to set Frosty and Rudolph up in an act, but Frosty can't go where it's hot. Winterbolt appears, giving him and his family amulets that will allow them to remain in one piece until the fireworks end on the 4th of July.
Santa and Mrs. Claus (Darlene Conley) are supposed to pick them all up and take them back to the North Pole, but Winterbolt traps them in another huge blizzard. He encourages a jealous reindeer named Scratcher (Alan Sues) to trick Rudolph into stealing the money from the show and giving it to Sam. Winterbolt forces him to lie and say he did it on purpose. It takes another appearance by Lady Boreal and one from Rudolph's whale friend Big Ben (Hal Peary) to remind him that he's no liar...but he is a good friend.
The Animation: One of the last of the stop-motion Rankin-Bass programs. The streamlined designs of Rudolph and Santa from Rudolph's Shiny New Year carry over here; Rudy's a little thinner and less babyish than he was in the original special. There's some surprisingly complicated special effects for Rankin-Bass. The North Pole battles between Boreal and Winterbolt look pretty darn good, as do those all-important fireworks at the circus.
The Song and Dance: Kudos to Rankin-Bass for rounding up as many of the voices from the original specials as they could get away with at the time. In fact, this would be the last time Richards and Vernon voiced Rudolph and Frosty respectively. Winterbolt is definitely one of their more interesting villains, and one of the very few to not be redeemed. He's truly a nasty and (pardon the pun) ice-cold piece of work, willing to use blackmail on snowmen and a baby reindeer to further his ends.
Favorite Number: The big number here is "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," which becomes a circus spectacular with Laine dancing on a revolving tree and animals and clowns representing elves and toys. It's rather charming, and is probably the best thing about this. Crystal's first version of the ballad "Everything I Always Wanted," sung to Frosty in the North Pole as she tells him how important he is to her, is really lovely, as is Santa's "I See Rainbows" sun to reassure his wife when they're lost in the blizzard. Rudolph and Frosty celebrate their restoring Rudolph's nose and good name with a cute reprise of "We're a Couple of Misfits" from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
What I Don't Like: Good grief. The story is far too complicated and melodramatic for its simple characters. None of this makes a lick of sense. It's so bizarre, it makes Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band look almost normal by comparison. At least Merman gets to sing four songs and takes down Winterbolt in the end; Buttons barely has anything to do, besides pine over the girl. (And why did they dub Rooney? He's perfectly capable of doing his own singing.)
What happened to Scratcher after he returned to the North Pole? We never do find out if he rejoined Santa's sleigh or what happened to him after Winterbolt's demise, nor do we see him punished for his part in tricking Rudolph.
The Big Finale: I can handle some of the stranger Rankin-Bass specials...but this one is a little too odd, even for me. Only truly devoted fans of Rankin-Bass need apply. Everyone else should be fine with the originals.
Home Media: Easy to find on DVD and streaming.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Voices of Billie Mae Richards, Mickey Rooney, Jackie Vernon, and Shelly Winters
Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass
Music by Maury Laws; Lyrics by Johnny Marks
Hoping to expand their holiday empire, Rankin-Bass combined their three most popular characters to create this movie, which debuted on ABC in November 1979. They even threw popular comic Red Buttons and beloved Broadway star Ethel Merman into the mix. Did they manage to pull off this complex Christmas crossover? Let's head to the North Pole for an epic battle and find out...
The Story: Centuries ago, the evil ice wizard Winterbolt (Paul Frees) ruled the North Pole with a heavy and frigid hand, until the Lady Boreal (Nellie Bellflower) puts him into a deep sleep. When he awakens years later, he discovers that Santa Claus (Rooney) has moved in and started his toy-making factory. He sends a blizzard to get rid of him, but Lady Boreal uses the last of her magic to make the baby reindeer Rudolph's nose glow bright red. Rudolph ends up pulling Santa's sleigh, to Winterbolt's frustration. Lady Boreal tells Rudolph that his nose will stop glowing if he ever uses his power for evil ends.
Meanwhile, Frosty (Vernon) and Crystal (Winters) have returned to the North Pole and started a family, with two children of their own. They all get an offer to star in the circus by Milton the Ice Cream Man (Buttons), who has come to pick up ice cream for the beach-side 4th of July parade. He wants to marry his sweetheart, tightrope walker Lanie Lorraine (Shelby Flint), but her mother Lily (Merman) is in danger of losing the circus to the unscrupulous Sam Spangles (Don Messick). Milton offers to set Frosty and Rudolph up in an act, but Frosty can't go where it's hot. Winterbolt appears, giving him and his family amulets that will allow them to remain in one piece until the fireworks end on the 4th of July.
Santa and Mrs. Claus (Darlene Conley) are supposed to pick them all up and take them back to the North Pole, but Winterbolt traps them in another huge blizzard. He encourages a jealous reindeer named Scratcher (Alan Sues) to trick Rudolph into stealing the money from the show and giving it to Sam. Winterbolt forces him to lie and say he did it on purpose. It takes another appearance by Lady Boreal and one from Rudolph's whale friend Big Ben (Hal Peary) to remind him that he's no liar...but he is a good friend.
The Animation: One of the last of the stop-motion Rankin-Bass programs. The streamlined designs of Rudolph and Santa from Rudolph's Shiny New Year carry over here; Rudy's a little thinner and less babyish than he was in the original special. There's some surprisingly complicated special effects for Rankin-Bass. The North Pole battles between Boreal and Winterbolt look pretty darn good, as do those all-important fireworks at the circus.
The Song and Dance: Kudos to Rankin-Bass for rounding up as many of the voices from the original specials as they could get away with at the time. In fact, this would be the last time Richards and Vernon voiced Rudolph and Frosty respectively. Winterbolt is definitely one of their more interesting villains, and one of the very few to not be redeemed. He's truly a nasty and (pardon the pun) ice-cold piece of work, willing to use blackmail on snowmen and a baby reindeer to further his ends.
Favorite Number: The big number here is "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," which becomes a circus spectacular with Laine dancing on a revolving tree and animals and clowns representing elves and toys. It's rather charming, and is probably the best thing about this. Crystal's first version of the ballad "Everything I Always Wanted," sung to Frosty in the North Pole as she tells him how important he is to her, is really lovely, as is Santa's "I See Rainbows" sun to reassure his wife when they're lost in the blizzard. Rudolph and Frosty celebrate their restoring Rudolph's nose and good name with a cute reprise of "We're a Couple of Misfits" from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
What I Don't Like: Good grief. The story is far too complicated and melodramatic for its simple characters. None of this makes a lick of sense. It's so bizarre, it makes Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band look almost normal by comparison. At least Merman gets to sing four songs and takes down Winterbolt in the end; Buttons barely has anything to do, besides pine over the girl. (And why did they dub Rooney? He's perfectly capable of doing his own singing.)
What happened to Scratcher after he returned to the North Pole? We never do find out if he rejoined Santa's sleigh or what happened to him after Winterbolt's demise, nor do we see him punished for his part in tricking Rudolph.
The Big Finale: I can handle some of the stranger Rankin-Bass specials...but this one is a little too odd, even for me. Only truly devoted fans of Rankin-Bass need apply. Everyone else should be fine with the originals.
Home Media: Easy to find on DVD and streaming.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Musicals On TV - Babes In Toyland (1955)
NBC, 1955
Starring Dennis Day, Barbara Cook, Dave Garroway, and Jack E. Leonard
Directed by Max Liebman
Music by Victor Herbert; Lyrics by Glenn MacDonough
In 1954, NBC was faltering in ratings. Their big variety shows were no match for the dramas and those newfangled sitcoms on CBS. Hoping to bump up their numbers, new head of programming Pat Weaver commissioned three "musical spectaculars" a month on Saturday, Sundays, and Mondays. Though the first of these, Satins and Spurs with Betty Hutton, didn't do well, the concept did eventually catch on. A version of Babes In Toyland put on in 1954 on Max Lieberman Presents was one of the more popular ones. It proved to be such a hit, it was rebroadcast on Christmas Eve the next year with a slightly different cast. How does this retelling of the beloved holiday fantasy look today? Let's head to Macy's to meet with its book-reading Santa Claus and find out...
The Story: Santa (Garroway) is very surprised to encounter a lost little girl named Joan (Ellen Barrie) wandering around the toy department. While waiting for her mother to pick her up, Santa reads her the story of Babes In Toyland. Tommy Tucker (Day) loves Jane Piper (Barbara Cook), but the evil Barnaby (Leonard) also covets her. In revenge, he fires Tommy from his job and tries to distract Jane's siblings with clowns and musicians. The distraction backfires; Jane and the kids remain devoted to Tommy. Barnaby finally lures Jane's siblings Ann (Karin Wolfe) and Peter (Dickie Belton) into the woods, bringing Tommy and Jane after them. It'll take the help of shy toymaker Grumio (Cox) and his walking puppets and life-sized toy soldiers to reunite the lovers and save Toyland.
The Song and Dance: For the most part, this remains quite charming. Day and Cook make a cute couple, Garroway is very funny as one of the more sarcastic Santas in TV history, and Barrie's an appropriately pert and modern young miss on his knee. Leonard chews every bit of the considerable and elaborate-for-the-time scenery as the old-fashioned grumpy villain. The Bill Baird Marionettes fit in far better here than they did in The Sound of Music a decade later and come off as charming and sweet.
I'll admit, I like this version better than the original 1954 broadcast with Jo Sullivan as Jane Piper and pretty much the same cast. Sullivan comes off as a little too sophisticated and "New York"-ish. Cook looks and sounds more appropriate for a fairy tale lass. The production is a little slicker here, too, and the clowns are slightly more tolerable.
Favorite Number: We open with a fun "Toyland Ballet" as Garroway and Barrie introduce each famous nursery rhyme character. Day and Cook get a soaring "Castle In Spain" as Day describes what they'll have after he finds another job. Bambi Lynn and Rod Alexander dance a lovely Spanish-tinged pas-de-deux to an instrumental version of the song as a fantasy sequence. Cox joins the Marionettes for a bouncy and adorable "Never Mind, Bo Peep" and a series of solos to the tune of the Victor Herbert song "Chansonette" from Naughty Marietta. Day sings the sweet Irish ballad "Barney O'Flynn" with local lass Karin Wolfe.
What I Don't Like: While this works better than A Christmas Carol, it's still hampered by the limits of early television. One clown in the 1955 version does manage an incredible drum solo, but the others in both broadcasts are dull and serve no real function. A ballet with the kids and the animals of the forest towards the end of the show also comes off as filler. Cox is ill-used in both specials; I wish he had more to do than just interact with the Marionettes and do a few lines with Day and the ingenue.
The Big Finale: Even after more than 60 years, this remains enjoyable holiday fare for fans of the cast, TV history, 50's musicals, or families with young children who will enjoy seeing favorite nursery rhyme characters recreated on-screen.
Home Media: Only on DVD from VAI Entertainment; alas, the DVD is pricey on Amazon. You may be better off looking for this one used.
DVD
Starring Dennis Day, Barbara Cook, Dave Garroway, and Jack E. Leonard
Directed by Max Liebman
Music by Victor Herbert; Lyrics by Glenn MacDonough
In 1954, NBC was faltering in ratings. Their big variety shows were no match for the dramas and those newfangled sitcoms on CBS. Hoping to bump up their numbers, new head of programming Pat Weaver commissioned three "musical spectaculars" a month on Saturday, Sundays, and Mondays. Though the first of these, Satins and Spurs with Betty Hutton, didn't do well, the concept did eventually catch on. A version of Babes In Toyland put on in 1954 on Max Lieberman Presents was one of the more popular ones. It proved to be such a hit, it was rebroadcast on Christmas Eve the next year with a slightly different cast. How does this retelling of the beloved holiday fantasy look today? Let's head to Macy's to meet with its book-reading Santa Claus and find out...
The Story: Santa (Garroway) is very surprised to encounter a lost little girl named Joan (Ellen Barrie) wandering around the toy department. While waiting for her mother to pick her up, Santa reads her the story of Babes In Toyland. Tommy Tucker (Day) loves Jane Piper (Barbara Cook), but the evil Barnaby (Leonard) also covets her. In revenge, he fires Tommy from his job and tries to distract Jane's siblings with clowns and musicians. The distraction backfires; Jane and the kids remain devoted to Tommy. Barnaby finally lures Jane's siblings Ann (Karin Wolfe) and Peter (Dickie Belton) into the woods, bringing Tommy and Jane after them. It'll take the help of shy toymaker Grumio (Cox) and his walking puppets and life-sized toy soldiers to reunite the lovers and save Toyland.
The Song and Dance: For the most part, this remains quite charming. Day and Cook make a cute couple, Garroway is very funny as one of the more sarcastic Santas in TV history, and Barrie's an appropriately pert and modern young miss on his knee. Leonard chews every bit of the considerable and elaborate-for-the-time scenery as the old-fashioned grumpy villain. The Bill Baird Marionettes fit in far better here than they did in The Sound of Music a decade later and come off as charming and sweet.
I'll admit, I like this version better than the original 1954 broadcast with Jo Sullivan as Jane Piper and pretty much the same cast. Sullivan comes off as a little too sophisticated and "New York"-ish. Cook looks and sounds more appropriate for a fairy tale lass. The production is a little slicker here, too, and the clowns are slightly more tolerable.
Favorite Number: We open with a fun "Toyland Ballet" as Garroway and Barrie introduce each famous nursery rhyme character. Day and Cook get a soaring "Castle In Spain" as Day describes what they'll have after he finds another job. Bambi Lynn and Rod Alexander dance a lovely Spanish-tinged pas-de-deux to an instrumental version of the song as a fantasy sequence. Cox joins the Marionettes for a bouncy and adorable "Never Mind, Bo Peep" and a series of solos to the tune of the Victor Herbert song "Chansonette" from Naughty Marietta. Day sings the sweet Irish ballad "Barney O'Flynn" with local lass Karin Wolfe.
What I Don't Like: While this works better than A Christmas Carol, it's still hampered by the limits of early television. One clown in the 1955 version does manage an incredible drum solo, but the others in both broadcasts are dull and serve no real function. A ballet with the kids and the animals of the forest towards the end of the show also comes off as filler. Cox is ill-used in both specials; I wish he had more to do than just interact with the Marionettes and do a few lines with Day and the ingenue.
The Big Finale: Even after more than 60 years, this remains enjoyable holiday fare for fans of the cast, TV history, 50's musicals, or families with young children who will enjoy seeing favorite nursery rhyme characters recreated on-screen.
Home Media: Only on DVD from VAI Entertainment; alas, the DVD is pricey on Amazon. You may be better off looking for this one used.
DVD
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Musicals On TV - A Christmas Carol (1954)
CBS, 1954
Starring Fredric March, Ray Middleton, Basil Rathbone, and Sally Fraiser
Directed by Ralph Levy
Music by Bernard Herrmann; Lyrics by Maxwell Anderson
This was the very first musical Christmas Carol made for television. Originally part of an anthology series called Shower of Stars, it proved to be such a hit, it was repeated at Christmas for the next two years and had a popular soundtrack album. How does this piece of holiday TV history stack up to other versions of this beloved tale? Let's join Scrooge (March) in his counting house to find out...
The Story: Ebeneezer Scrooge is the miserly owner of a loan company who hates Christmas and everything it stands for. He refuses to go to Christmas dinner with his nephew Fred (Middleton) or let his clerk Bob Cratchit (Bob Sweeney) have even a little bit of coal for stove. That night, the ghost of his former partner Marley (Rathbone) appears, insisting that two more ghosts will come to change his ways. The Ghost of Christmas Past (Fraiser) and Present (Middleton) takes him into his youth and to current London to visit Bob and his family, including his sickly son Tim (Christopher Cook). It's not until he realizes that the sweet boy may not live to see another holiday that he considers changing his views on charity and the holidays.
The Song and Dance: The most interesting thing about this one is the sheer history on display. The copy I have comes complete with the original commercials for Chrysler cars and the intros by William Lundigan and Mary Costa. Considering how many programs from the early years of television are gone for good, just having this in any shape is probably a treat, especially if you remember the original broadcasts or have any interest in the history of the mid-20th century. March isn't bad as Scrooge; Sweeney and Queenie Leonard are even better as the Cratchit parents.
This is also the only version of this story I've seen go the unique route of having Nephew Fred do a double turn as the Ghost of Christmas Present - and Scrooge does comment that the ghost resembles him.
Favorite Number: The chorus song "The Spirit of Christmas" is performed several times, including in the opening sequence and before the commercials. Belle (Fraiser, dubbed by Marilyn Horne) and Young Scrooge (Craig Hill) get a decent duet at Fezziwig's ball, "What am I Giving My Love For Christmas?"
Trivia: That's a young Bonnie Franklin as Martha Cratchit in the present segment.
This was originally broadcast in color, but the kinetoscopes currently available are only in black and white. It proved to be so popular, it would be rebroadcast in 1955 and 1956.
Basil Rathbone would play Scrooge in another TV musical two years later, The Stingiest Man In Town.
What I Don't Like: The story has been compressed to fit in an hour slot. The segment with the Ghost of Christmas Future has been eliminated all together - a bird leads Scrooge not to his own gravestone, but Tiny Tim's. The past is just Fezziwig's party, and Belle rejects him almost directly after their duet - frankly contradicting most of the song. Ironically, considering Fred's importance to the opening segment, his party is missing from the Present sequence. Despite that hit soundtrack, the music is really very boring (and March sings none of it).
The Big Finale: Only of interest to fans of March, A Christmas Carol, or early broadcast history. There are frankly much better versions of this story - including musical versions - out there.
Home Media: As a public domain film, it's easy found on DVD (the 1955 broadcast is also available).
DVD
Starring Fredric March, Ray Middleton, Basil Rathbone, and Sally Fraiser
Directed by Ralph Levy
Music by Bernard Herrmann; Lyrics by Maxwell Anderson
This was the very first musical Christmas Carol made for television. Originally part of an anthology series called Shower of Stars, it proved to be such a hit, it was repeated at Christmas for the next two years and had a popular soundtrack album. How does this piece of holiday TV history stack up to other versions of this beloved tale? Let's join Scrooge (March) in his counting house to find out...
The Story: Ebeneezer Scrooge is the miserly owner of a loan company who hates Christmas and everything it stands for. He refuses to go to Christmas dinner with his nephew Fred (Middleton) or let his clerk Bob Cratchit (Bob Sweeney) have even a little bit of coal for stove. That night, the ghost of his former partner Marley (Rathbone) appears, insisting that two more ghosts will come to change his ways. The Ghost of Christmas Past (Fraiser) and Present (Middleton) takes him into his youth and to current London to visit Bob and his family, including his sickly son Tim (Christopher Cook). It's not until he realizes that the sweet boy may not live to see another holiday that he considers changing his views on charity and the holidays.
The Song and Dance: The most interesting thing about this one is the sheer history on display. The copy I have comes complete with the original commercials for Chrysler cars and the intros by William Lundigan and Mary Costa. Considering how many programs from the early years of television are gone for good, just having this in any shape is probably a treat, especially if you remember the original broadcasts or have any interest in the history of the mid-20th century. March isn't bad as Scrooge; Sweeney and Queenie Leonard are even better as the Cratchit parents.
This is also the only version of this story I've seen go the unique route of having Nephew Fred do a double turn as the Ghost of Christmas Present - and Scrooge does comment that the ghost resembles him.
Favorite Number: The chorus song "The Spirit of Christmas" is performed several times, including in the opening sequence and before the commercials. Belle (Fraiser, dubbed by Marilyn Horne) and Young Scrooge (Craig Hill) get a decent duet at Fezziwig's ball, "What am I Giving My Love For Christmas?"
Trivia: That's a young Bonnie Franklin as Martha Cratchit in the present segment.
This was originally broadcast in color, but the kinetoscopes currently available are only in black and white. It proved to be so popular, it would be rebroadcast in 1955 and 1956.
Basil Rathbone would play Scrooge in another TV musical two years later, The Stingiest Man In Town.
What I Don't Like: The story has been compressed to fit in an hour slot. The segment with the Ghost of Christmas Future has been eliminated all together - a bird leads Scrooge not to his own gravestone, but Tiny Tim's. The past is just Fezziwig's party, and Belle rejects him almost directly after their duet - frankly contradicting most of the song. Ironically, considering Fred's importance to the opening segment, his party is missing from the Present sequence. Despite that hit soundtrack, the music is really very boring (and March sings none of it).
The Big Finale: Only of interest to fans of March, A Christmas Carol, or early broadcast history. There are frankly much better versions of this story - including musical versions - out there.
Home Media: As a public domain film, it's easy found on DVD (the 1955 broadcast is also available).
DVD
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Animation Celebration Saturday - Smallfoot
Warner Bros, 2018
Voices of Channing Tatum, Zendaya, James Corden, and Common
Directed by Karey Kirpatrick
Music and Lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirpatrick
This is another animated film that sort of passed me by. I'd vaguely heard of it when it came out in theaters last year, but I didn't really know much about it until the DVD showed up at a local library, and I had no idea it was a musical. Honestly, the idea of a curious yeti and a human making contact and trying to teach others about their respective kinds is already kind of strange. How does the music fit in? Let's head to a mountain surrounded by mists in the Himalayas and find out...
The Story: Migo (Tatum) lives in a village of yetis that's isolated by mists and clouds. The village is governed by strict rules written on rocks that tell how they should live and what truths they should abide by. Migo wants nothing more than to succeed his father Dorgle (Danny DiVito) as the one who shoots himself into a gong that they believe will make the sun rise.
One day, while admiring the chief stonekeeper's daughter Meechee (Zendaya), he misses the gong and lands way over the mountain and past the clouds. He discovers a "smallfoot" (human), Percy Patterson (Corden), who was trying to find footage for a nature show to make him a big shot again. Migo tries to tell the other yeti, but no one believes him, and he's exiled. One small group of yeti do think he's telling the truth - the SES (Smallfoot Existence Society), lead by Meechee and a group of outcasts. They encourage him to find Percy again, and then bring him to the village. The stonekeeper (Common) believes Percy to be dangerous and, revealing the truth about why they hide to Migo, tells him to lie to the other yeti. Percy, however, is growing deathly ill in the bitter cold. When Meechee goes into the valley to return him to safety, Migo and the others go after her.
The Animation: While the shivery, icy blue backdrops of the frozen Himalayas are pretty well-rendered, to the point where you feel like you could jump in a pile of snow yourself, the characters look a bit strange. The small, oval eyes are a little goofy on the Yetis, but they don't really look right on the humans, making them look a tad creepy.
The Song and Dance: This was better than I thought it would be. The moral about the importance of curiosity and questioning societal norms is quite timely at the moment. I also appreciate that they're handled at least a little more subtly than, say, Uglydolls handled its "everyone is different" message. I also like that there's no real villains. The conflict is more a tragic misunderstanding between groups than a conflict between a hero and a bad guy.
Favorite Number: "Wonderful Life" was the hit here, and it gets a number worthy of it as Meechee introduces Migo to the delights of the outside world. There's some gorgeous animation here, especially when she's showing him butterflies in a cave. Corden gets a hilarious version of Queen's "Under Pressure" as he explains breathlessly why he's desperate to get back into the spotlight.
What I Don't Like: While well-meaning and a bit better than the similar Uglydolls, the plot is still cliched as all get-out. Migo, and to a lesser degree Meechee, are bland hero characters, and we don't really see enough of Percy to get an impression of him, beyond his desire to grasp the spotlight. The new songs other than "Wonderful Life" are also fairly forgettable.
The Big Finale: If you have younger kids who may appreciate the music and characters, they'll likely get a kick out of this snowy tale of an unusual friendship.
Home Media: As a recent movie, this is easily available in all formats.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime (Buy Only)
Voices of Channing Tatum, Zendaya, James Corden, and Common
Directed by Karey Kirpatrick
Music and Lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirpatrick
This is another animated film that sort of passed me by. I'd vaguely heard of it when it came out in theaters last year, but I didn't really know much about it until the DVD showed up at a local library, and I had no idea it was a musical. Honestly, the idea of a curious yeti and a human making contact and trying to teach others about their respective kinds is already kind of strange. How does the music fit in? Let's head to a mountain surrounded by mists in the Himalayas and find out...
The Story: Migo (Tatum) lives in a village of yetis that's isolated by mists and clouds. The village is governed by strict rules written on rocks that tell how they should live and what truths they should abide by. Migo wants nothing more than to succeed his father Dorgle (Danny DiVito) as the one who shoots himself into a gong that they believe will make the sun rise.
One day, while admiring the chief stonekeeper's daughter Meechee (Zendaya), he misses the gong and lands way over the mountain and past the clouds. He discovers a "smallfoot" (human), Percy Patterson (Corden), who was trying to find footage for a nature show to make him a big shot again. Migo tries to tell the other yeti, but no one believes him, and he's exiled. One small group of yeti do think he's telling the truth - the SES (Smallfoot Existence Society), lead by Meechee and a group of outcasts. They encourage him to find Percy again, and then bring him to the village. The stonekeeper (Common) believes Percy to be dangerous and, revealing the truth about why they hide to Migo, tells him to lie to the other yeti. Percy, however, is growing deathly ill in the bitter cold. When Meechee goes into the valley to return him to safety, Migo and the others go after her.
The Animation: While the shivery, icy blue backdrops of the frozen Himalayas are pretty well-rendered, to the point where you feel like you could jump in a pile of snow yourself, the characters look a bit strange. The small, oval eyes are a little goofy on the Yetis, but they don't really look right on the humans, making them look a tad creepy.
The Song and Dance: This was better than I thought it would be. The moral about the importance of curiosity and questioning societal norms is quite timely at the moment. I also appreciate that they're handled at least a little more subtly than, say, Uglydolls handled its "everyone is different" message. I also like that there's no real villains. The conflict is more a tragic misunderstanding between groups than a conflict between a hero and a bad guy.
Favorite Number: "Wonderful Life" was the hit here, and it gets a number worthy of it as Meechee introduces Migo to the delights of the outside world. There's some gorgeous animation here, especially when she's showing him butterflies in a cave. Corden gets a hilarious version of Queen's "Under Pressure" as he explains breathlessly why he's desperate to get back into the spotlight.
What I Don't Like: While well-meaning and a bit better than the similar Uglydolls, the plot is still cliched as all get-out. Migo, and to a lesser degree Meechee, are bland hero characters, and we don't really see enough of Percy to get an impression of him, beyond his desire to grasp the spotlight. The new songs other than "Wonderful Life" are also fairly forgettable.
The Big Finale: If you have younger kids who may appreciate the music and characters, they'll likely get a kick out of this snowy tale of an unusual friendship.
Home Media: As a recent movie, this is easily available in all formats.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime (Buy Only)
Thursday, December 5, 2019
The Girl of the Golden West (1938)
MGM, 1938
Starring Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, Buddy Ebsen, and Walter Pidgeon
Directed by Robert Z. Leonard
Music by Sigmund Romberg and others; Lyrics by Gus Kahn and others
MacDonald and Eddy were two of MGM's biggest stars after the success of their 1937 vehicle Maytime, but a musical western based after an opera is probably the last thing anyone expected them to do as their next big film. How does the tale of a bandit who falls in love with a saloon-owning tomboy come off nowadays? Let's head to Cloudy, a rough-and-ready California boom town, and find out...
The Story: Mary, better known as "the Girl" (MacDonald), is the owner of the Polka Saloon in Cloudy. She keeps the gold the men bring in from the mountains at her place and turns it over to the stagecoaches when they arrive. All of the men in town adore her and think of her as one of their own, and she has two suitors in Sheriff Jack Rance (Pidgeon) and shy blacksmith Alabama (Ebsen). On a trip to Monterrey, Mary's stagecoach is robbed by Ramerez (Eddy), a notorious local bandit. He's so enamored by her spunk and beauty, he follows her to town, where he poses as a lieutenant at a big festival in town just to get to know her better.
He eventually turns up in Cloudy, intending to rob the gold at the Polka...but can't go through with it when he discovers Mary's the owner. His men aren't terribly happy about that, and his half-breed girlfriend Nina (Priscilla Lawson) is even less thrilled. She tells the Sheriff the truth, and he tells Mary when she just invited Ramerez to her cabin. The bandit is hurt while trying to escape and winds up back at her place. Determined to keep him from the sheriff's grasp, she ends up playing a hand of poker with Rance, with the bandit and her hand in marriage on the line.
The Song and Dance: Unusually action-packed for the MacDonald/Eddy movies, with shootouts, bandits, and a genuinely tense confrontation between MacDonald and Pidgeon during that poker game. Ebsen as sweet Alabama and H.B Warner as Mary's padre friend in Monterrey add much-needed authenticity to this romantic adventure melodrama.
Favorite Number: MacDonald gets to sing a lovely version of "Lieberstraum" with town drunk The Professor (Brandon Tynan) on the newly-purchased piano at the saloon that's one of her better solo numbers. Eddy joins her for two big chorus numbers in the fiesta segment, "Senorita" and "Mariachi." The latter turns into the film's sole large-scale dance routine, with swirling dancers and some huge sets. Ebsen comments on how "civilization" has changed California in the brief but funny "The West Ain't Wild Anymore."
Trivia: This started out as a hit play by David Belasco in 1905. The play became an opera, La fanciulla del west, in 1910. It was filmed three times before, twice as a silent.
What I Don't Like: Philadelphia natives MacDonald and Eddy are too urban to be believable in a western setting. Eddy did better in his later solo western Let Freedom Ring; his idea of a Mexican accent is ridiculous. Womanly MacDonald is no tomboy, either. I have no idea why they couldn't have retained at least a little of the original opera score, as most of Romberg and Kahn's music is rather dull.
The Big Finale: Ok if you're a fan of MacDonald, Eddy, or the opera; otherwise, nothing you need to go out of your way to see.
Home Media: Easy to find on streaming and on DVD from the Warner Archives.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Starring Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, Buddy Ebsen, and Walter Pidgeon
Directed by Robert Z. Leonard
Music by Sigmund Romberg and others; Lyrics by Gus Kahn and others
MacDonald and Eddy were two of MGM's biggest stars after the success of their 1937 vehicle Maytime, but a musical western based after an opera is probably the last thing anyone expected them to do as their next big film. How does the tale of a bandit who falls in love with a saloon-owning tomboy come off nowadays? Let's head to Cloudy, a rough-and-ready California boom town, and find out...
The Story: Mary, better known as "the Girl" (MacDonald), is the owner of the Polka Saloon in Cloudy. She keeps the gold the men bring in from the mountains at her place and turns it over to the stagecoaches when they arrive. All of the men in town adore her and think of her as one of their own, and she has two suitors in Sheriff Jack Rance (Pidgeon) and shy blacksmith Alabama (Ebsen). On a trip to Monterrey, Mary's stagecoach is robbed by Ramerez (Eddy), a notorious local bandit. He's so enamored by her spunk and beauty, he follows her to town, where he poses as a lieutenant at a big festival in town just to get to know her better.
He eventually turns up in Cloudy, intending to rob the gold at the Polka...but can't go through with it when he discovers Mary's the owner. His men aren't terribly happy about that, and his half-breed girlfriend Nina (Priscilla Lawson) is even less thrilled. She tells the Sheriff the truth, and he tells Mary when she just invited Ramerez to her cabin. The bandit is hurt while trying to escape and winds up back at her place. Determined to keep him from the sheriff's grasp, she ends up playing a hand of poker with Rance, with the bandit and her hand in marriage on the line.
The Song and Dance: Unusually action-packed for the MacDonald/Eddy movies, with shootouts, bandits, and a genuinely tense confrontation between MacDonald and Pidgeon during that poker game. Ebsen as sweet Alabama and H.B Warner as Mary's padre friend in Monterrey add much-needed authenticity to this romantic adventure melodrama.
Favorite Number: MacDonald gets to sing a lovely version of "Lieberstraum" with town drunk The Professor (Brandon Tynan) on the newly-purchased piano at the saloon that's one of her better solo numbers. Eddy joins her for two big chorus numbers in the fiesta segment, "Senorita" and "Mariachi." The latter turns into the film's sole large-scale dance routine, with swirling dancers and some huge sets. Ebsen comments on how "civilization" has changed California in the brief but funny "The West Ain't Wild Anymore."
Trivia: This started out as a hit play by David Belasco in 1905. The play became an opera, La fanciulla del west, in 1910. It was filmed three times before, twice as a silent.
What I Don't Like: Philadelphia natives MacDonald and Eddy are too urban to be believable in a western setting. Eddy did better in his later solo western Let Freedom Ring; his idea of a Mexican accent is ridiculous. Womanly MacDonald is no tomboy, either. I have no idea why they couldn't have retained at least a little of the original opera score, as most of Romberg and Kahn's music is rather dull.
The Big Finale: Ok if you're a fan of MacDonald, Eddy, or the opera; otherwise, nothing you need to go out of your way to see.
Home Media: Easy to find on streaming and on DVD from the Warner Archives.
DVD
Amazon Prime
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Slightly French
Columbia, 1949
Starring Dorothy Lamour, Don Ameche, Janis Carter, and Willard Parker
Directed by Douglas Sirk
Music and Lyrics by Allan Roberts, Lester Lee, and others
Douglas Sirk is now considered to be one of the underrated directors of German and American cinema...but in 1949, he was merely a journeyman director for Columbia and Universal. This would be one of only two musicals he did during his American career. How does this My Fair Lady-esque tale of a Hollywood director who trains a dancer to be a French chanteuse for his new movie come off in the 21st century? Let's head to what appears to be a very movieland version of Paris to find out...
The Story: Director John Gayle (Ameche) is notorious in Hollywood for obsessing over his films and working his cast and crew to the bone. The French actress on his most recent movie (Adele Jergens) just walked off the set, and they need someone to replace her. Gayle and his best friend and producer Doug Hyde (Parker) are told that they'll have to shut the production down, until they encounter dancer Mary O'Leary (Lamour) at a carnival. She can imitate most accents, including French. Gayle and his skeptical sister Louisa (Carter) hire a French voice coach (Jeanne Manet) to turn her into a genuine chanteuse named Rochelle Olivia. She falls for him in the process, but he's more interested in his film. She shows off her new European persona with Doug, hoping to make him jealous. It works too well...and now it looks like both her new career and the film may be in jeopardy unless John can figure out how much his new discovery means to him.
The Song and Dance: Better than I thought it would be from the "B" pedigree. Sirk managed some wonderful directorial touches, especially with the shadowy black and white "Love Masquerade" number in the finale. Ameche and especially Lamour do quite well as the battling lovers. Several sequences show off Sirk's fondness for melodrama; I loved a scene towards the end where Mary finally tells off John for treating her like an object and acting like a jerk. You don't often see the women telling off the jerks in a rage in a frothy musical, and it was rather refreshing.
Favorite Number: That "Love Masquerade" in the opening sequence and near the finale is actually a little dark for a musical of this time, all silhouettes, dimly lit Paris sets, and slinky dance moves. Lamour gives the standard "Let's Fall In Love" a relaxed workout in a party sequence when Mary is still trying to make John jealous.
Trivia: This is a remake of the 1933 musical Let's Fall In Love.
According to the Internet Movie Database, it was filmed in 1948, but not released until a year later.
What I Don't Like: The story is not the most interesting or original; it's a standard Pygmalion/Cinderella variant. Parker is so dull as Doug, you wonder why Mary would ever be interested in him. He has no chemistry with Carter, and I have no idea why they get paired off, other than that's the usual thing to do.
The Big Finale: Surprisingly enjoyable small-scale musical romance. Not a bad time-waster if you're a fan of Lamour, Ameche, or Sirk's later romantic melodramas.
Home Media: The solo DVD from Sony/Columbia's made-to-order line is out of print, but it can be found as part of that Musical 20 Movies set from Mill Creek.
DVD
DVD - Musicals 20 Movies Collection
Starring Dorothy Lamour, Don Ameche, Janis Carter, and Willard Parker
Directed by Douglas Sirk
Music and Lyrics by Allan Roberts, Lester Lee, and others
Douglas Sirk is now considered to be one of the underrated directors of German and American cinema...but in 1949, he was merely a journeyman director for Columbia and Universal. This would be one of only two musicals he did during his American career. How does this My Fair Lady-esque tale of a Hollywood director who trains a dancer to be a French chanteuse for his new movie come off in the 21st century? Let's head to what appears to be a very movieland version of Paris to find out...
The Story: Director John Gayle (Ameche) is notorious in Hollywood for obsessing over his films and working his cast and crew to the bone. The French actress on his most recent movie (Adele Jergens) just walked off the set, and they need someone to replace her. Gayle and his best friend and producer Doug Hyde (Parker) are told that they'll have to shut the production down, until they encounter dancer Mary O'Leary (Lamour) at a carnival. She can imitate most accents, including French. Gayle and his skeptical sister Louisa (Carter) hire a French voice coach (Jeanne Manet) to turn her into a genuine chanteuse named Rochelle Olivia. She falls for him in the process, but he's more interested in his film. She shows off her new European persona with Doug, hoping to make him jealous. It works too well...and now it looks like both her new career and the film may be in jeopardy unless John can figure out how much his new discovery means to him.
The Song and Dance: Better than I thought it would be from the "B" pedigree. Sirk managed some wonderful directorial touches, especially with the shadowy black and white "Love Masquerade" number in the finale. Ameche and especially Lamour do quite well as the battling lovers. Several sequences show off Sirk's fondness for melodrama; I loved a scene towards the end where Mary finally tells off John for treating her like an object and acting like a jerk. You don't often see the women telling off the jerks in a rage in a frothy musical, and it was rather refreshing.
Favorite Number: That "Love Masquerade" in the opening sequence and near the finale is actually a little dark for a musical of this time, all silhouettes, dimly lit Paris sets, and slinky dance moves. Lamour gives the standard "Let's Fall In Love" a relaxed workout in a party sequence when Mary is still trying to make John jealous.
Trivia: This is a remake of the 1933 musical Let's Fall In Love.
According to the Internet Movie Database, it was filmed in 1948, but not released until a year later.
What I Don't Like: The story is not the most interesting or original; it's a standard Pygmalion/Cinderella variant. Parker is so dull as Doug, you wonder why Mary would ever be interested in him. He has no chemistry with Carter, and I have no idea why they get paired off, other than that's the usual thing to do.
The Big Finale: Surprisingly enjoyable small-scale musical romance. Not a bad time-waster if you're a fan of Lamour, Ameche, or Sirk's later romantic melodramas.
Home Media: The solo DVD from Sony/Columbia's made-to-order line is out of print, but it can be found as part of that Musical 20 Movies set from Mill Creek.
DVD
DVD - Musicals 20 Movies Collection
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