Musicals On Streaming - Tick...Tick...Boom!

Netflix, 2021

Starring Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesus, and Vanessa Hudgens

Directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Music and Lyrics by Johnathan Larson

We head across the country and skip back three decades for our next show business tale. Johnathan Larson was a struggling songwriter and composer in New York who dreamed of writing the next big musical. He had such a hard time getting his ambitious sci-fi show Superbia off the ground, he ultimately went smaller and wrote a one-man rock musical about his struggle to create that show and maintain his relationships. 

After his death in 1996, playwright David Auden restructured it into a slightly larger three-person musical that debuted off-Broadway in 2001. Producer Julie Oh saw it as part of the Encores! Off-Center concert series in New York that featured Miranda and thought he was the only director who could do it justice. It debuted on Netflix in November 2021 and was a hit, doing far better on streaming than most of the other musicals released in theaters that year did. How well does it do with Larson's tumultuous life? Let's begin with footage from 1992 of Larson (Garfield) performing his three-person musical as his girlfriend Susan (Shipp) explains how they got to that point, and see...

The Story: Larson is a starving artist in New York's Greenwich Village in 1990. He's working as a waiter in a local diner and is barely able to pay the rent, let alone find the money to back his elaborate sci-fi musical Superbia that he was working on for the last eight years. He's about to turn 30 in a few weeks and is desperate to succeed before that happens. His girlfriend Susan wants to get a job teaching dance at a prestigious dance school in western Massachusetts and asks him to come with her. His best friend Michael (de Jesus) is currently working as an advertising executive and wants him to join a focus group. 

Johnathan is too obsessed with his show to pay either of them much mind. His producer Ira (Johnathan Marc Sherman) asks him to come up with a new song to fill in a gap in Superbia's story, and he only has a week to do it. He feels even worse when one of his fellow waiters at the diner is hospitalized with HIV. His decision to put the workshop over his relationships leads to Susan breaking up with him and Michael reminding him that theater isn't the most stable career path. Even after his agent Rosa (Judith Light) does manage to get a few producers to see that workshop, everyone says its brilliant but too big to produce. Johnathan's ready to give up, but it takes encouragement from Michael and a very unlikely source to remind him how much he truly loves the theater and performing.

The Song and Dance: Garfield is amazing in this searing exploration of how real life expectations often collide with dreams, and how we can keep dreaming even when things are at their worst. You'd never know this was his first musical. He sounds great, raw and strong and real. De Jesus more than matches him as his best friend who gave up the theater for security and never looked back. 

Considering all the trouble they had with Covid restrictions, they still managed some nice cinematography in the real New York, including the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, Larson's actual apartment, and the New York Theater Workshop building. Manuela manages to keep everything moving at a brisk pace for such a long film and throws in some really nifty touches, especially during the "Sunday" number at the diner.

Favorite Number: We open with Garfield and the cast singing "30/90," the original title of Tick...Tick...Boom!, on shaky footage from an actual camcorder. "Boho Days" is the big party number for Johnathan and his friends at his apartment. "Green Green Dress" is heard briefly on the radio before Susan and Johnathan make love after their chat on the roof during the party. "Johnny Can't Decide" whether to focus on his relationships or his career. His friends onstage Karessa (Vanessa Hudgens) and Roger (Joshua Henry) represent his actual friends pushing him to figure it out.

"Sunday" starts in the diner, but it becomes a monumental chorus routine in Johnathan's mind as he imagines half the stars on Broadway joining in to his tribute to his mentor Stephan Sondheim (Bradley Whitford). Rapper Tariq Trotter gives us the gritty Times Square of hustlers, hookers, bland "corporate" shows and huge English rock operas in the rap "Play Game." Karessa and Johnathan's goofy onstage "Therapy" is a lot less cute in real-life as Susan reminds Johnathan that she exists and he's been brushing her off. He also reveals why "Swimming" centers him and inspired him to finally write that new song. 

Karessa initially sings "Come To Your Senses" at the workshop...but it's Susan Johnathan hears as he realizes what a jerk he's been. Michael also admonishes him to come to his senses, remind him that "Real Life" isn't like the theater. Johnathan wonders "Why" he's behaved like he did when he finally sits down at the Delacorte to play piano, and remembers how he fell in love with theater in the first place. We end with Johnathan, Karessa, and Roger back onstage, singing about how his music speaks "Louder Than Words." 

Trivia: Among the Broadway stars who have cameos during the "Sunday" number are Brian Stokes Mitchell, Bernadette Peters, Phylicia Rashad, Joel Gray, Howard McGillin, Andre De Shields, Bebe Neuwirth, Renee Elise Goldsberry, and Phillipa Soo. Songwriters Jason Robert Brown, Jeanine Tesori, Marc Shaiman, Stephen Schwartz, Stephen Trask, and Tom Kitt are among those who can be seen as "aspiring songwriters" during the musical workshop scene.

Ironically, Larson's real-life friend who inspired the character of Michael survived contracting the HIV virus and is still alive at press time. Oh, and he was never his roommate, nor involved in the performing arts, even when they were kids. His girlfriend Janet inspired Susan, and though they were apparently off-again, on-again, they never flat-out broke up as depicted here. 

The workshops for Superbia took place in 1988, not 1990. Larson was even more disappointed in its production than what's seen here. The musical theater cast couldn't muster up enough energy for the rock score, and all he managed to get was piano accompaniment. Even Sondheim left after the first act. Larson continued to have faith in it and work on it through 1992, after which he finally dropped it to focus on Rent.

What I Don't Like: This might be a little too dark for those of you looking for something lighter or more uplifting. The adult themes and some mild language makes this not for young musical lovers. I also sort of wish they cut out the wrap-arounds with Larson at the actual show, or only ran them in the beginning and end. The movie is at its strongest when it focuses on Johnathan and lets him tell his own story. And while it's apparently a little more realistic about the AIDS crisis and what men like Michael and Freddy were going through in the early 90's than the show, it's still portraying it largely through the lens of a heterosexual white youth. 

The Big Finale: This might be a little too gritty to be for everyone, but if you're a fan of Rent or want to see a really good musical about creativity and making musicals, this one is worth checking out for the performances and music alone.

Home Media: This remains a Netflix exclusive at the moment.

Netflix

La La Land

Lionsgate/Summit, 2016

Starring Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, and J.K Simmons

Directed by Damien Chazelle

Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyrics by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, John Legend, and Marius de Vries

This week, we return to the here and now with two recent hit musicals about musicians, actors, the creative process, and how hard it can be to make it in show business. Director Chazelle based this on his years as a jazz drummer when he originally wrote it in 2010. He had a hard time getting backing for it until the success of his music drama Whiplash in 2014 gave him more clout. 

On its debut during Christmas 2016, it was hailed as a breathtaking masterpiece and one of the best films of the year. Does it remain so almost a decade after its debut? Let's begin with the Cinemascope banner that hadn't been used since 1967 and people stuck in LA freeway traffic and find out...

The Story: Among those stuck on the freeway are jazz musician Sebastian "Seb" Wilder (Gosling) and Mia Dolan (Stone). Seb plays piano in local restaurants, but what he really wants is to open his own jazz club. Mia is an actress, but she keeps getting disregarded or ignored at auditions. They initially meet when she tries to compliment him on his playing, but he brushes her off after being fired by the manager of his latest gig (Simmons). 

They connect again at a party where Seb's playing 80's rock with a cover band. Though Mia teases Seb, they do end up spending the evening together. One date turns into many, and they fall in love with each other as they explore Los Angeles She writes a one-woman show, while he gets a job in a jazz club, and then a jazz-rock fusion band with a friend (Legend). Her play isn't a success, but it does snare her one last audition. Even as he tells her about it, they realize that, no matter what happens, they'll always love each other...but in truth, they love their dreams more. 

The Song and Dance: No doubt about it, this is a gorgeous film to look at. The searing color almost literally bursts from the screen, especially in the epic opening number "Another Day In the Sun" and in the closing fantasy sequence. LA probably hasn't looked this good on film since the 50's. It really does look like a "city of stars," with its long, romantic cliffs, smoky blue jazz bars, and wild neon parties. 

Stone deserved her Oscar win as Mia, the adorable movie-lover whose determination to be an actress teaches her that sometimes, you need to step out of the box a little to find what you want in life and relationships. Terrific music, too. "City of Stars" won an Oscar and "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" was nominated, but my favorite is the iconic "A Lovely Night" dance at twilight, on the cliff overlooking a dreamy LA.

Favorite Number: We open with a typical Los Angeles traffic jam that becomes "Another Day In the Sun" as those trapped in it sing about their dreams, hopes, and desires in a rolliking chorus routine. Mia's friends convince her to come out clubbing with them and find "Someone In the Crowd" who catches her eye. "Take On Me" and "I Ran" are performed by the 80's cover band at the party. The lead singer especially throws himself into "Take On Me." "A Lovely Night" isn't so lovely at first for Mia and Sebastian as they complain about wasting a nice night with each other before going into their rousing tap dance. "Planetarium" is an instrumental number that turns into a dance in the stars when Mia and Sebastian waltz around the Griffith Observatory's theater. 

"City of Stars" turns up twice, as a solo for Sebastian on Hermosa Beach Pier following "Lovely Night" and a duet for him and Mia later showing him going on tour with his friend Keith's jazz fusion band and her renting the theater for her one-woman play. "Start a Fire" is the number with Keith's band, a strong pop-jazz melange with Sebastian playing a neon piano while ladies sing around Keith. "The Audition (The Fools Who Dream)" is Mia's heart rendering solo as she explains in tears to the producers why this dream is so important to her. "Epilogue" becomes a fantasy for Mia when she and her husband turns up at Sebastian's jazz club and she sees him play their love theme and wonders "what might have been" in an epic imagine spot.

Trivia: Mostly filmed on location in the real Los Angeles, including the Colorado Street Bridge, the Griffith Observatory, the Grand Central Market, the Watts Towers, and the Warner Bros Studio Lot. 

The historic Angels Flight funicular mountain train had been shut down for four years when it was reopened to film the Summer Montage sequence. It would resume service in 2017. 

It was shot on film, rather than digital, to give it the look of 50's and early 60's Technicolor movies like An American In Paris and the French Umbrellas of Cherbourg. 

A stage version was announced last year. 

Along with the Oscars for Best Song and Best Actress, it also picked up awards for Best Director, Cinematography, Production Design, and Score. 

What I Don't Like: Like Moulin Rouge, another director's bold vision of musical romance, this isn't for everyone. Sebastian can come off like a major jerk, obsessing over the past while not giving the present much of a chance. Neither Gosling nor Stone are the strongest singers and dancers in the universe, though that sort of works with their struggling characters. His friend Keith is painted as wrong for wanting to push jazz into the 21st century, but he does have a point. Music has to evolve to survive. 

"Another Day In the Sun" doesn't have much to do with the film, other than foreshadowing it being about young hopefuls in LA, and it's such a strong opening that the rest of the movie often has a hard time matching it. I understand the bittersweet finale a little bit better this time around than I did the first time I watched this in 2017, but it still feels a little off with the rest of the movie.

The Big Finale: If you love jazz, bittersweet romances, or the movies this is referring to, you'll want to head down to that "city of stars" and experience the Technicolor, Cinemascope magic for yourself.

Home Media: As a very popular and relatively recent movie, this is easily found in all formats, often for under $10. 

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Amazon Prime

Happy Mother's Day! - Gypsy (1993)

CBS, 1993

Starring Bette Midler, Cynthia Gibb, Peter Riegert, and Jennifer Rae Beck

Directed by Emilie Ardolino 

Music by Jules Styne; Lyrics by Stephan Sondheim

We celebrate Mother's Day this year with the second filmed version of this beloved show. Midler had wanted to play Mama Rose, the ultimate pushy stage mother, for years. The original theatrical film had been a hit with audiences in 1962, but it hadn't gone over well with many critics, who lamented the loss of the song "Together Wherever We Go" and believed Rosalind Russell to be miscast as Rose. Ardolino had mainly directed PBS documentaries on dance and performance before he had major hits with Dirty Dancing in 1987 and Sister Act in 1992. How does Midler's turn as Mama Rose look now? Let's begin at a theater in Seattle, where little Louise (Elisabeth Moss) and June Hovick (Lacey Chabert) are performing for Uncle Jocko's (Tony Shalhoub) kids show and find out...

The Story: Rose Hovick (Midler) is determined that pretty blonde June (Beck) will be a vaudeville star no matter what it takes, including neglecting the less-talented Louise (Gibb). She rounds up a group of boys to back June for a newsboys act and convinces candy salesman Herbie Sommers (Riegert) to become her agent. The act goes over well enough for a time, but June rebels when she grows out of it and gets tired of her mother's smothering. After she runs off with one of the chorus boys, Rose turns her attention to making Louise a star.

Not only does Louise lack her sister's talent and charisma, but the one-two punch of sound movies and the Great Depression is killing vaudeville. Herbie can only manage to get them booked in a third-rate burlesque house in Wichita, Kansas. The low-down strippers and slapstick comics horrify Rose at first, until one of the strippers is arrested for soliciting. If Rose can't get Louise into vaudeville, she'll turn her into the greatest stripper who ever lived, the elegant Gypsy Rose Lee! 

The Song and Dance: No wonder Midler wanted to play this so badly. She's a force of nature, barreling through everything and everyone in her path. This is a woman you can believe would use her kids, Herbie, and everyone else to be noticed. The supporting cast is equally good, with Riegert more than matching her as the salesman who only wants to marry her and Gibb a strong and lovely budding Louise. The strippers are a riot too, especially long-time Broadway favorite Christine Ebersole as Tessie Tura. Though the sets are as stagey as the 1962 version, Ardolino manages to avoid the cramped feeling that marred the original film. The costumes by Bob Mackie are especially gorgeous - check out the stripper's outfits and Louise's gowns in the end as Gypsy Rose Lee. 

Favorite Number: We open with June and Louise singing "Let Me Entertain You" in their adorable Dutch children's costumes at Uncle Jocko's kid show. It shows up again later in a very different context as the number Louise sings at the burlesque theater in Wichita. She's hesitant at first, but with her mother's prompting and the encouragement of the crowd, eventually gets into it. It continues as we progress through different cities and burlesque houses, until it turns into a huge Adam and Eve chorus routine at Minsky's in New York.

Rose complains at home in Seattle with her father (Ed Asner) about how "Some People" are expected to live little lives, and she doesn't want that for her daughters. "Small World" is Rose's first number with Herbie as she convinces him to become their agent. "Baby June and Her Newsboys" and "Dainty June and her Farmboys" are Rose's idea of a big vaudeville number for June, with the boys and Louise literally singing her praises in the first and Louise as the back half of a cow in the second. Rose, June, and the boys convince "Mr. Goldstone" (Michael Jeter) to take their act. Louise sings "Little Lamb" with a real lamb as she wonders what her actual age is. Louise wonders what would happen "If Momma Was Married," while June just hopes it would get her mother off her back. Rose reminds Herbie that "You'll Never Get Away From Me" in a Chinese restaurant after almost leaving him to care for the girls and he threatens to walk out. 

Tulsa, one of the boys (Jeffery Broadhurst), shows Louise what he hopes will be his own classy dance act, "All I Need Is the Girl." Louise and Herbie watch in shock as Rose insists "Everything's Coming Up Roses," even though June and the boys have abandoned them at Omaha. Louise and Herbie are feeling a lot better when Rose upgrades the new act in "Together Wherever We Go," which makes its filmed debut here. Former ballerina Tessie Tura and fellow strippers Miss Mazeppa (Linda Hart) and Miss Electra (Anna McNeely) insist to Louise that "You Gotta Get a Gimmick" to make it in burlesque, showing how different from and similar to each other they are. Tired of supporting everyone and being thrown away afterwards, Rose finally steps out on the runway for the dynamic finale "Rose's  Turn."

Trivia: Sadly, Ardolino didn't live to see this film's success. He died of AIDS three weeks before it debuted. It's dedicated to him. 

What I Don't Like: This isn't the place for people who don't like Midler or the big, brassy musicals of the 1950's and 60's. One thing it does have in common with the original film is the length. It's over 2 1/2 hours without commercials. It's still too long, and it still shows its stage origins too plainly. I don't think there's a way to make this more cinematic. It was just made to be a stage show. 

The Big Finale: While I do like the 1962 film, this one has many charms, including an excellent performance by Midler, a decent supporting cast, and gorgeous costumes. Check out both with your mom this Mother's Day and see which one you prefer.

Home Media: The DVD is in print but pricey. Streaming is your best bet here. You can find it for free just about anywhere right now, including Pluto TV and Amazon Prime.

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Amazon Prime

Pluto TV

Musical Documentaries - Let It Be

United Artists, 1970

Starring The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr), Yoko Ono, Billy Preston, and Mal Evans

Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg

Music and Lyrics by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and others

By the time they made this look into the recording of the Abbey Road and Let It Be albums, the four Beatles had splintered far beyond their disinterest in movie-making. The sessions for The White Album had featured more squabbling than anything and were largely done separately. This is their attempt to "get back" to the camaraderie they had in the early 60's. Critics at the time were harsh, judging this a dark, depressing look at a band on the verge of breaking apart. Were they right, or as Peter Jackson discovered last year when he directed the Disney Plus documentary Get Back: The Beatles Sessions, is there more to this than just four fractured friends arguing over making music? Let's begin with the four Beatles and John's girlfriend Yoko Ono recording at Twickenham Studios in London and find out...

The Story: The Beatles, joined by Yoko, their road manager Mal Evans, and musician Billy Preston record songs for their Abbey Road and Let It Be albums. Sometimes, as when John and Paul gleefully perform "The Two of Us," they enjoy being together, but it doesn't always flow smoothly. There's bobbles with the music and between each other, notably a heated argument between Paul and George over Paul criticizing George's work. It all ends with the four Beatles in what would their final live performance on the roof of the then-Apple Ltd studios in London, reminding people why they were so beloved in the first place.

The Song and Dance: This is a break-up? If this is breaking apart, I don't know what you'd call staying together. There's a few mildly tense flare-ups (including the aforementioned George-Paul spat), but most of this movie is an unmitigated delight. The sequence in the second half at Apple is especially enjoyable. The Beatles got so into their classic rock medley, I couldn't help moving along with them. Neither Ono nor Preston are nearly as intrusive as people claimed in 1970. Preston adds a lot to the second half, and other than her dance with John, Yoko doesn't really do much besides listsen. There's the concert, too. Boy, do I envy the people in the street and on the roof who got to watch that, even if it did disrupt their lunch hour. 

I have no idea what critics saw in 1970, but what I saw on Disney Plus was absolutely gorgeous. Someone did an incredible restoration on this film. The colors pop, especially in the Rooftop Concert sequence, where Ringo's scarlet jacket and the colorful clothes on the street gawkers stand out against the gray sky and black and brown buildings. It's so clear and intimate, it looks like it could have been filmed yesterday. 

Favorite Number: We open with work on "Don't Let Me Down," which would be passed over for Let It Be in the original LP, but would be included on later CD versions. Mal Evans joins in for the comic horror novelty "Maxwell's Silver Hammer," banging that infamous hammer. Frankly at this point, he and Paul are the only ones who seem really interested. Things pick up as John and Paul clown and giggle over "The Two of Us." This is also the point where Paul scolds George over his guitar playing, and George says he's just doing what he's told. Paul introduces an early form of the bluesy "Oh! Darling" that would eventually turn up on Abbey Road as the Twickenham equipment is being dismantled. We even get an adorable - and rather well-done - little ballroom dance routine between John and Yoko. 

Our first song at Apple is the rollicking "One After 909." Paul  and John originally wrote this one during their early days under the Quarryman name. This was their second attempt at recording it. Their first, aborted try was in 1963. "Dig a Pony" is John's song for his then-girlfriend Yoko Ono. Ringo and Paul improvise a lovely little jazz tune on the piano before Paul goes into one of the signature numbers from Let It Be, the ballad "Across the Universe." 

"Suzy Parker" is the only song written by all four Beatles. George finally gets in his numbers "I Me Mine" and "For You Blue." They get in a version of "You've Really Got a Hold On Me," then George helps Ringo with "Octopus' Garden." Their two classic rock medleys, especially the first of "Rip It Up" and "Shake, Rattle, and Roll" are a blast, with all four Beatles and Billy Preston really getting into the swinging numbers. This leads into John's goofy improvised "Dig It" right on the spot. 

The movie ends with the famous Rooftop Concert. The Beatles perform for the delighted or shocked passers-by on the ground before the cops arrive to break up the show. Whatever their personal animosities were at this point, they proved they could still play together as well as ever with their definitive "Get Back" and "Let It Be." 

Trivia: The reception on this film was so harsh - and the Beatles had such terrible memories of making it - that Star and McCartney insisted it not be re-released in their lifetimes. Huge Beatles fan Peter Jackson finally convinced them to let him make a movie out of the unreleased footage and re-release the original movie on DVD and Blu-Ray. Thanks to the pandemic, this was altered to the three-part miniseries Get Back: The Beatles Sessions being released on Disney Plus in 2023, with the original film following a year later. 

What I Don't Like: First of all, despite the original G rating, this is not for young Beatles fans. There's a bit of swearing bandied around, including a clear f-bomb from George. Second, yes, some of the problems are more obvious than others. Things do get tense occasionally, especially early-on at Twickenham. There's also the stark look. While the restoration is certainly a lot more attractive than the grainy original was said to be, until they go outside for the Rooftop Concert, this is pretty studio-bound. It's not for those looking for something with an actual (or much happier) plot or big elaborate sets and costumes.

The Big Finale: Yes, John, you guys passed the audition with flying colors. I'm not sure I'd recommend this or Get Back for casual fans, but for those who are already into the Beatles like Peter Jackson and me, it's a worthy look at the last days of a band who rediscovered their joy before dropping away. 

Home Media: As mentioned, this and Get Back can currently be found at Disney Plus with a subscription. 

Disney Plus

Help!

United Artists, 1965

Starring The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr), Eleanor Bron, Leo McKern, and Victor Spinetti

Directed by Richard Lester

Music and Lyrics by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison

With Let It Be being released for the first time since the 80's this week, I thought it was time to revisit the swinging 60's world of the Fab Four. After A Hard Day's Night and its soundtrack were huge hits in 1964, United Artists increased the budget for the Beatles' next film, allowing it to be filmed in color and at locations around the world. The Beatles were growing increasingly detached from their immense fame and movie-making in general. They weren't happy that they had less input in this one, but they still went along for the ride. How nutty is this movie today? Let's begin in India as a cult is about to sacrifice one of their own and find out...

The Story: The cult can't make that sacrifice because the ring that indicates who is to be killed has gone missing. The victim sent it to Ringo Starr (Himself), who currently lives with his bandmates in their unique London flat. Ringo would love to give it to them, but it's jammed on his finger and won't come off. 

After he, sarcastic John Lennon (himself), flirty Paul McCartney (himself), and slightly spacey George Harrison (himself) are attacked by the cult, they realize they need aid in getting this off. The scientist Foot  (Spinetti) and his hapless assistant Algernon (Roy Kinnear) would rather take the ring to rule the world. Female cultist Ahme (Bron) falls for Paul and does everything she can to help the quartet as the cult chases them from Austria to the Salisbury Plain, and then to the Bahamas. They do manage to tell a Superintendent (Patrick Cargill) what's going on, but his aid is dubious at best.

The Song and Dance: In its own loony way, this movie is just as influential as Hard Day's Night. You can see the embryonic form of everything from The Monkees to Monty Python's Flying Circus to music videos of the 80's and 90's in the wild antics here. Spinetti and Kinnear have the most fun as the fairly useless not-so-mad scientists who spend the movie complaining about how much better the rest of the world's electronics are than theirs. The color cinematography is some of the most gorgeous from English movies in this era, from the crisp, brilliant red against the snow white of Austria to the tropical blues, greens, and soft golds of the Bahamas. The hilarious James Bond-esque score got a deserved Oscar nomination. 

Favorite Number: We hear the title song twice, over the opening credits as the Beatles play it on the cult's television, and over the big fight scene in the finale as the Bahamas police take on the cult and the quartet are reunited. "You're Going to Lose That Girl" makes the most of its studio setting with John filmed performing in soft, dim light as smoke curls around him. "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" is another John song, this one done as a deadpan ballad with Ahme banging on the tambourine at their flat. 

"Ticket to Ride" is their romp in the Austrian Alps, with the snowy blankets of white making a fabulous contrast to the boys in their black jackets. "I Need You" and "The Night Before" are their numbers on the Salisbury Plain in southern England. We get shots of the army protecting them as they play...but the cultists have their own plans. They perform "Another Girl" on the shores of the Bahamas while goofing off and dodging the cultists there. Beethoven's Symphony #9, aka Ode to Joy, is the only thing that will calm a none-too-happy tiger...and Ringo and everyone in the film is more than happy to sing it for him!

Trivia: The swimmer who pops up in the Alps and the Bahamas is the Beatles' road manager Mal Evans.

What I Don't Like: First of all, the Beatles were right that the movie focuses so much on the supporting cast, they do sometimes feel like extras in their own vehicle. None of them really have much to do besides Ringo but sing (though George does get to help save Ringo in the Bahamas). I also have to agree with them about the Indian stereotypes being horribly offensive then and now. None of the cultists look remotely Indian. This movie went in the opposite extreme from Hard Day's Night, from having no real plot to way too much! With all the bouncing from location to location, the Beatles aren't the only ones who are confused about who's chasing whom and why. 

The Big Finale: In some ways, I enjoy this one more than Hard Day's Night. I like the wacky humor, the great music, and truly unique direction. In other ways, it hasn't dated well, and the Beatles' disinterest shows in their lackluster performances. It's a must for Beatles fans like me, but those wanting to know more about the Fab Four would be advised to start with Hard Day's Night first.

Home Media: I have the 2007 restoration on DVD. It's also on Blu-Ray and streaming, the latter on Apple TV.

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Apple TV

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Sword In the Stone

Disney, 1963

Voices of Sebastian Cabot, Karl Swenson, Rickie Sorensen, and Junius Matthews

Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman

Music and Lyrics by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman

Let's travel to merry old England for something a little less hectic. T.H White's novel about Arthur before he became king was optioned by Disney way back in 1939, but Disney didn't really get to working on it until the 1950's. Walt finally approved of it after the success of the stage musical Camelot in 1960. It took so long, the boy they originally had playing Arthur went into puberty and was replaced by Reitherman's sons. How well do they all do with the story of how Arthur goes from a kitchen boy to king of England? We begin with a lovely book and a narrator (Cabot) explaining about the legend of the Sword In the Stone and why the kingdom is at war as we find out...

The Story: Arthur, or "Wart," (Sorensen and Reitherman) literally falls into the home of Merlin the Wizard (Swenson) while searching for his adopted brother Kay's (Norman Alden) lost arrow. Merlin and his highly educated owl Archimedes (Matthews) go home with him, to the annoyance of Arthur's guardian Sir Ector (Cabot), who doesn't trust magic of any kind. Merlin wants to teach Arthur everything he'll need to know as an adult, and turns him into a fish and a squirrel to do it. Turning him into a bird leads to an encounter with the devious Madam Mim (Martha Wentworth), a genuine black sorceress.  

Ector approves of neither the lessons, nor Arthur being taken away from his chores to do them. He gives another boy the role of Kay's squire. Arthur ends up being his squire and going with him to London anyway when the child takes sick. This time, it's Merlin who doesn't approve, but that New Year's Day trip will have more important consequences for Arthur and England than the result of a mere tournament.

The Animation: This is firmly in the rough Xerox "thick line" style that was popular at Disney from the 60's through the late 80's. It's not the best Disney ever did, but it does have some charms. The backgrounds are meticulously detailed, especially during Arthur and Merlin's adventures under the moat and in the woods, and the characters move well enough.

The Song and Dance: Cabot and Swenson's decent performances anchor Disney's only foray into the Arthurian legends to date. The Sherman Brothers really have fun with their trademark made-up words here with a memorable song revolving around Merlin's spells, and another for Madam Mim. Speaking of Mim, she really steals the show. Her "Wizard's Duel" with Merlin has long been my favorite part of the film. The back and forth between the two magicians - and the hilarious ending - are a riot. Wentworth has such a ball being bad and plays beautifully off Swenson. 

Favorite Number: We open with Fred Darian singing the title song as we learn about how the Sword In the Stone came to be, and why no one has pulled it out yet. "Higitus Figitus" is Merlin's tongue-twisting spell song as he uses his magic to pack his entire household in a single carpetbag...including Archimedes' birdhouse! Merlin uses "That's What Makes the World Go 'Round" under the moat to explain physics and animal instinct to Arthur. The song is ended prematurely when a large, toothy pike decides Arthur would be a great dinner. He also tries to explain that love is "A Most Befuddling Thing" when the pretty girl squirrel chases Arthur all around the tree. "Mad Madam Mim" explains everything her magic can do, make her beautiful or uglier or into any animal she wants. 

Trivia: This was originally supposed to be a bit darker, and more of a musical. Three songs were cut; one, "Blue Oak Tree," has a tiny bit left that's performed by Cabot and Alan Napier as they celebrate Kay's knighthood. 

I'm not the only one who loves Madam Mim. She eventually became a popular villain in the Disney comics. She's especially big in parts of Italy and Denmark, where she's apparently played as more naughty or mischievous than genuinely evil. And this would be Martha Wentworth's last film; she retired shortly after its completion. 

The last animated film Disney personally produced. 

Supposedly, there's a live-action remake and a spin-off focusing on Merlin in development. 

What I Don't Like: First of all, there's a lot more to Arthur and Merlin's adventures in the book this is based on. They originally turned into three more animals and met Robin Hood and Maid Marian. Sir Ector and Kay were a little kinder to Arthur as well; here, Kay in particular comes off as a jerk to his adopted brother. Honestly, the story isn't the strongest in the book, either. This is supposed to be a coming-of-age tale, but it meanders and wanders into sequences (like the Wizard's Duel) that have nothing to do with anything. 

Second, I wish they could have found one kid to play Arthur! Yes, I understand about puberty, but the three boys' voices sound totally different, which means Arthur's voice fluctuates in tone and deepness from scene to scene, or even from minute to minute. He's also the only actor who doesn't attempt an English accent, likely due to being played by a real kid. It's really distracting. 

The Big Finale: While not Disney's absolute best, it is a nice introduction to Arthur's life before becoming king for kids and a good starter Disney movie for elementary-school-age boys who might be put off by the girlier aspects of some of their other animated movies. 

Home Media: This was taken out of the "Vault" for good back in the early 2000's. It's now easy to find on streaming (including on Disney Plus with a subscription) and on disc, often for under $10.

DVD

Blu-Ray

Disney Plus

Rio Rita (1942)

MGM, 1942

Starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Kathryn Grayson, and John Carroll

Directed by S. Sylvan Simon

Music and Lyrics by various

Our second Abbott and Costello vehicle takes us south of the border and across Culver City to a very different studio. Apparently, MGM originally wanted to hire them, but Universal snapped them up first. They placated their rivals by allowing them to make three movies with the duo, of which this was the first. MGM opted to drop them in this lavish remake of the 1929 RKO operetta hit with Wheeler and Woosley and Bebe Daniels as the title character; it was also Grayson's first leading role. How does the story of two guys who find themselves dodging Nazis in a Mexican resort look today? Let's begin with those two guys, Doc (Abbott) and Wishy (Costello) and find out...

The Story: The two pet-store workers are stranded on the border of Mexico and Texas and are trying to get out. They stow away in the trunk of a car that belongs to popular singer Ricardo Montera (Carroll), who is on his way to the Hotel Vista del Rio for a major radio show. Wishy snags a basket of apples that turn out to be miniature radios. They belong to spies who infiltrated the hotel and intend to use the radio show to send coded messages. 

Rita Winslow (Grayson), the hotel's owner, is concerned about recent incidents and hires the duo as house detectives. She'd love for them to throw Ricardo out if the show wasn't a big deal. He was a childhood sweetheart, but left to start his career. The spies do finally get their hands on Wishy, Doc, and the codebook, but it's Wishy who finally has the last laugh.

The Song and Dance: Abbott and Costello are given the chance to see what they can do with a larger budget. While not one of MGM's blockbuster extravaganzas, this is still far above what Universal was doing with them at the time, with some genuinely funny set pieces like the knock-down, drag-out finale. The costumes are especially nice, with Grayson sporting gorgeous gowns and everyone in nifty modern Mexico-meets-Hollywood Latin fantasy costumes. Carroll, at the least, understood the turf - he played Zorro in a serial five years before - and partners Grayson well in "Long Before You Came Along." 

Favorite Number: We hear the title song over the credits and at the hotel, when Ricardo performs it. "The Rangers' Song" is mainly heard over the radio. The other major chorus number is the nifty "Brazilian Dance," with ladies in swirling ruffled Carmen Miranda-style dresses doing high kicks and big twirls for the crowds. "Long Before You Came Along" is the big duet for Rita and Ricardo after he finally gets a chance to really talk to her. "Ombres Legeres," aka "The Shadow Song," is Rita's big number at the party before the radio broadcast. Ricardo tries flirting with her, but she thinks he's chasing another woman and spreads among the other men.

What I Don't Like: First of all, as anyone who has seen the 1929 RKO Rita knows, this has nothing to do with the original Broadway show or the early sound movie besides the title song, "The Rangers' Song," two comedians and two operetta lovers south of the border, and more action than usual for a musical. I am going to admit that I actually prefer Abbott and Costello's stowaway side story over Wheeler and Woosley's slightly distasteful divorce plot, but the entire thing with the spies taking over the hotel is just too ridiculous, even for the early 40's. I think Abbott and Costello work better without MGM's frippery. Their largess and random songs get in the way more often than not, including a goofy spinning car in the beginning that doesn't pay off. 

The Big Finale: Once again, not this team's absolute best, but worth a look if you're a fan of them or Grayson.

Home Media: On streaming and DVD, the latter in a remastered edition from the Warner Archives.

DVD

Amazon Prime