Best/Worst Musical Movies — Page 2

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#26

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 2:41pm

BEST:

Funny Girl (worked as well as the show if not better)
Lil Abner (by no means a good movie but a great stage to film transfer)
Little Shop of Horrors (same reason as Lil Abner)
Chicago
Music Man (thank God they used Preston)
West Side Story (unfortunately although it received a slew of awards it hasn't aged that well)
Oliver (should have used the "less is better" motto though...way overblown)
Carousel (great cast, superb score and wonderful technicolor)
King And I
Sound of Music (surpassed the stage version)
Annie Get Your Gun (underrated)
Show Boat ('36 version)
Cabaret (like "Chicago", I loved the way they integrated the musical numbers)

WORST:

Mame
Annie
Chorus Line
The Wiz
South Pacific (yea those color gels really sucked)
A Little Night Music (no thanks to an overweight Liz as "Desiree")
Finian's Rainbow
On A Clear Day (Minnelli needed to tone down Streisand's performance)
Bye Bye Byrdie (not as bad though as the TV version with Jason Alexander)

FAIR:

Gypsy (Natalie Wood was the best Louise ever)
Hello Dolly (have found it more enjoyable as time has passed)
Evita (pretty faithful to the stage version regardless of Madonna)
Phantom
Fiddler
Oklahoma
Call Me Madam (interesting only as a study of Merman's shows)
Half A Sixpence
Sweet Charity (only worthwhile for "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This")
Camelot
Hair
Bells Are Ringing (nice to see Judy Holliday recreate her role but kind of runs out of steam))

Worst movie musicals NOT based on a stage vehicle:

"A Matter of Time" (a horror!)
"Les Damoiselles De Rochefort"
"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"
"Doctor DoLittle"
"Funny Lady"
"Yentl" (did anyone like this movie anyway?)
"Star Is Born" '74 (even worse today)

#27

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 2:51pm

BEST
Cabaret
My Fair Lady
The King and I
West Side Story
Sound of Music
Chicago

WORST
Phantom
Anything Goes (Both versions)
A Chorus Line
South Pacific(both Versions)
Bye Bye Birdie (Both versions)
The Wiz

#28

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 2:56pm

BEST:

The King and I
The Sound of Music
Show Boat ('36)
The Pajama Game

WORST:

Mame
A Little Night Music
Camelot

#29

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 2:56pm

Best: Chicago

Worst: A Little Night Music, with Liz Taylor

It is ridiculous to set a detective story in New York City. New York City is itself a detective story... AGATHA CHRISTIE, Life magazine, May 14, 1956

#30

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 3:01pm

I can't even decribe my loathing for A Chorus Line..blah

"It's a great feeling of power to be naked in front of people. We're happy to watch actual incredible graphic violence and gore, but as soon as somebody's naked it seems like the public goes a bit bananas about the whole thing."

#31

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 3:14pm

frontrowcenter,

I know the point you are trying to make with me, and I, as a HUGE fan of movies from the 1930's ,understand why the number is in the movie. I understand how vaudeville worked, and know it made sense that there was a blackface number in the movie.

However, I still shudder, as Irene Dunne in blackface was not enjoyable to watch. Nor is Fred Astaire in blackface enjoyable to watch. I love the hell out of the Bill Bojangles Robinson tribute number, but blackface still makes me shudder. It has nothing to do with the movie itself, nor the actor/actress in blackface. I just don't enjoy seeing white actors hamming it up in blackface.

"My dreams, watching me said, one to the other...this life has let us down."

#32

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 3:24pm

Best
Sound of Music
Grease
West Side Story

Worst
A Chorus Line
Phantom of the Opera

#33

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 3:48pm

Best:
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
HIGH SOCIETY
EASTER PARADE
DAMN YANKEES
STATE FAIR (1945)
WEST SIDE STORY
CHICAGO
CABARET
HAIR
GYPSY ('62 & '93)
ANNIE ('99)
BYE BYE BIRDIE ('63)
ROCKY HORROR
PIRATES OF PENZANCE
42ND STREET
EVITA
SHOW BOAT ('36 & '51)
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
FLOWER DRUM SONG
BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS
THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE
SINGING IN THE RAIN
OKLAHOMA
BELLS ARE RINGING
KISS ME KATE
ON THE TOWN
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN
TOMMY
OLIVER
SWEET CHARITY
BRIGADOON
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
GOOD NEWS
THE PAJAMA GAME
HELLO DOLLY
GENTLEMAN PREFER BLONDES
MY FAIR LADY
FINIAN'S RAINBOW
CABIN IN THE SKY
FUNNY FACE

Worst (mostly because of bad casting or changes for the ones that were based on plays. I don't necessarily hate all of these, just wish they were a lot better):
MAME
MAN OF LA MANCHA
A CHORUS LINE
ANYTHING GOES ('36 & '56)
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
PORGY AND BESS
PAL JOEY
STATE FAIR (1962)
SOUTH PACIFIC
CAMELOT
PAINT YOUR WAGON

"The gods who nurse this universe think little of mortals' cares. They sit in crowds on exclusive clouds and laugh at our love affairs. I might have had a real romance if they'd given me a chance. I loved him, but he didn't love me. I wanted him, but he didn't want me. Then the gods had a spree and indulged in another whim. Now he loves me, but I don't love him." - Cole Porter

Updated On: 8/22/05 at 03:48 PM

#34

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 4:08pm

Best: Chicago

Worst: A Chorus Line

The towel waving reminded me of a Per?nist rally. I kept chanting "Evita!" whenever they'd pan to the crowds. - SM2

#35

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 4:11pm

Greatest of ALL TIME:
Sound of Music

Best:
Fiddler on the Roof
West Side Story
The King and I
My Fair Lady

Happy...Everything! Kaye Thompson

#36

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 4:24pm

I'm with Sally, I can't even put in to words how much Chorus Line makes me cringe.

Don't forget Forum for the Worst list, and the TV Gypsy for the Best list.

And btw, Thoroughly Modern Millie was BASED on that movie.

Eeeeeeyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaannnnnddddd aaaaaaaiiiiiiiiyyyyyyaaaaaammmmmmmm teeeeeeeelllllliiiiiinnngg yyyyooooooouuuuuuuwwwaaaahh...

#37

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 4:34pm

Who said that it wasn't?

#38

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 4:38pm

Grease 2 is the best AND the worst!

http://preppylife.tumblr.com/

#39

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 4:38pm

I wanted to put Grease 2 on my best list, but I was scurred. :-P

#40

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 4:41pm

What is the point of living if you can't enjoy some serious camp?

http://preppylife.tumblr.com/

#41

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 4:43pm

Whoops. How could I have forgotten the Wiz under Worst?

#42

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 4:54pm

I loved FUNNY LADY! There are some great numbers in that film even though it tries a bit too hard by using the FUNNY GIRL formula.

By the way are we talking about stage to screen or just movie musicals in general?

"For me, THEATRE is an anticipation, an artistic rush, an emotional banquet, a jubilant appreciation, and an exit hopeful of clearer thought and better worlds." ~ an anonymous traveler with Robert Burns

#43

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 5:04pm

Best for me:
Star Is Born (Judy Garland version)- probably my favorite movie of all time, and "Born In A Trunk" is one of the best numbers on film with Judy.

Funny Girl-Glad they got to use "My Man" at the end of the film. Made it more powerful I think. Plus love the addition of "I'd Rather Be Blue" and Streisand's version of "I'm the Greatest Star" is a better rendition then that on the OCR.

Cabaret-Although not following the stage version closely, the movie itself is fantastic. There is just SO much going on in that movie under the surface it's amazing.

#44

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 5:47pm

Best:
West Side Story
The Music Man(The 2003 one with Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth)
Chicago

Worst:
A Chorus Line
Oklahoma
Hair

"The opposite of war isn't peace, it's creation."

#45

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 5:54pm

Reefer Maddness needs to come out on video. I wish I had Showtime.
And I recently bought "Cannibal the Musical" I haven't watched it yet. Is it worth it?

Updated On: 8/22/05 at 05:54 PM

#46

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 5:58pm

Best:
The Music Man (1962 with the amazing Robert Preston)
West Side Story

Worst:
Bye Bye Birdie ( one of my favorites on stage; the script changes for the film are detestable.)
South Pacific (not just the gels but also for the acting: WORST I've ever seen in a musical. Gotta question Joshua Logan's directorial abilities.)

#47

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 6:11pm

oooh, I forgot about South Pacific. LOVE the music, hate the movie.

"My dreams, watching me said, one to the other...this life has let us down."

#48

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 6:49pm

Slight hijack here --
Someone mentioned they didn't like WSS because of the switch of Gee, Officer Krupke and Cool. I actually think this change makes SO much more sense. In the movie, Cool is a release after the rumble, Krupke acts as a pre-rumble release, also showing a much greater "innocence" almost in the fact that they are joking around. To me, this works so much better than it does in the play!

But anyway, favorites:
West Side Story
Sound of Music
Chicago
Fiddler on the Roof
1776 (I don't think anyone mentioned this one - it's one of my favorites!)
My Fair Lady

Worst:
Chorus Line!!!
Brigadoon (I love Gene Kelly, but this movie just did nothing for me)
Camelot - great score, movie is WAYYYYY too long!

Hi, Shirley Temple Pudding.

#49

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 9:16pm

Goodness, I would get stoned if I posted a list! I seem to like a lot of the ones many of you listed as worst (though it might just be a touch of nostalgia!)

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"

#50

re: Best/Worst Musical Movies

Posted: 8/22/05 at 11:31pm

I forgot CAROUSEL under worst.

ANNIE qualifies for both categories, imo.

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