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#1

FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 6:46pm

What do you think were the best transfers to film of musicals, and which do you think were the worst? Please elaborate on why(thanks).

Updated On: 5/4/05 at 06:46 PM

#2

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 6:52pm

best: bette middler gypsy
worst: the fantasticks ...

for the film version of THE FANTASTICKS if you watch all the deleted scenes and songs they filmed everything they needed to in order to make it one of the best movie musicals of all time, but then they chopped it up into a 1 hour 30 minute film and that killed it. probably the stupidest idea ever. it could have been great...

#3

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 6:53pm

i think cabaret worked well. I also loved funny face but never saw the stage version. And i hated the fantastiks. Oh i love the movie version of hewdwig as well.
edit adding more!-
love: little shop, hair, west side story, king and i, sound of music, chicago, rocky horror

hated: victor/victoria, oklahoma

"At the opening night party, they had clowns on stilts, jugglers, a chocolate fountain, popcorn, hot dogs. [My son] looked at me like I had been holding back. Like, 'This is what you do?' I had to tell him, 'No, no, darling. Opening nights don't usually look like this.' It's usually a dark bar with a bottle of vodka." ?Chitty Chitty Bang Bang's Jan Maxwell plus i proudly share the title of the shortest member over the age of 10 with wickedrentq!

Updated On: 5/4/05 at 06:53 PM

#4

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:00pm

CHICAGO! I loved the movie so much. It was almost as good as the stage show! Cabaret was a good movie. So is Little Shop of Horrors. One of my favorites

. Ellen Green rock!

#5

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:10pm

OOPS, I forgot to post mine when I asked the question.

Definately, THE SOUND OF MUSIC. I also think MOLLY BROWN was great, even though they cut some of the songs. SILK STOCKINGS is a good transfer to film, as is OLIVER, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF and THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE and of course CHICAGO. I also love all of the Rogers and Hammerstein films, though Carousel isn't that great of a movie being that they added storyline.

I think the worst transfer of a great musical was MAME (what were they thinking). It's sad to know that historically what was put down on film for most people to see was Lucy singing this wonderful score. Let's hope they really intend on making a new tv version, although I have read that Cher is being considered. Wasn't that the mistake they made before? Someone with a low voice, and someone who doesn't have the "eleagance" of Auntie Mame?

Updated On: 5/4/05 at 07:10 PM

#6

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:16pm

Well THE FANTASTICKS is definitely worse then MAME. I mean yes, MAME is a total wasted opportunity, and Lucy is horrifying in it, but at least the adaptation is faithful, and the supporting cast is terrific.

THE FANTASTICKS is jaw droppingly horrible. They cut "Try To Remember" for heaven's sakes. Truly don't know what they were thinking.

I think most of the "best" have already been mentioned. Obviously the Oscar winners: WEST SIDE STORY, OLIVER!, SOUND OF MUSIC are hard to top, though my favorite is probably OKLAHOMA! which I think opens up the action and actually improves upon the play.

Updated On: 5/4/05 at 07:16 PM

#7

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:18pm

best: The Music Man, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Cabaret, Chicago

worst: Hair, The Wiz

#8

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:20pm

Chicago, The Music Man (Cheno version), West Side Story...
well cause they rule!

Worst - South Paciffic..oh so boring!

"If There's One Thing to Learn it's You Just Can't Go Wrong If You Follow Your Heart, and End With A Song"

#9

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:22pm

Ditto on THE MUSIC MAN. I forgot that one. Also, ditto on FANTASTICKS, what a horrible movie. I read that it was all filmed and sitting on the shelves at MGM for several years because they figured it was useless.

#10

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:38pm

Now I disagree about the film of HAIR. The film actually got very positive reviews when it opened, and they did a credible job of creating a workable script for a film of what is basically a loose series of songs on stage.

#11

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:43pm

Best: Oklahoma!, Chicago, The Music Man (with Robert Preston), The Sound of Music, Oliver!, The King and I, My Fair Lady (say what you will about it, I adored it)

Worst: West Side Story (don't kill me... I really didn't enjoy this, and I LOVE the stage version), A Chorus Line (goes without saying), and The Music Man (with Matthew Broderick- that show doesn't work without the proper leading man)

Haven't formed an opinion yet: Hello, Dolly!, Cabaret, South Pacific (looking past the color filters and the fact that they dubbed Juanita Hall, it's actually pretty good)

#12

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:44pm

Best: Chicago, The Music Man, West Side Story, Little Shop of Horrors, My Fair Lady, Cabaret

Worst: The Fantasticks

I wanted to get something that an "ex"-junkie like him would really appreciate and cherish....it's a brick of heroin shaped like a heart. -Scrubs

#13

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:48pm

BEST
West Side Story - actually one of my favorite movies

The Music Man (Robert Preston version)
Fiddler on the Roof- one of the first ive ever seen..just in love with it
Phantom of the Opera- saw it in theaters, it was amazing, cant wait til my dvd comes tuesday
Chicago- perfection

WORST
The Music Man (new version)
Oklahoma- probably just because i dont like the play in general
South Pacific- all they do is sing the songs..once in awhile the screen changes colors..reeally boring
The Fantastiks- shouldnt even have been considered to be made into a movie

"No two shows are alike in the making. Each show is a living piece of your life in a small unreal world with its own character and integrity; its own new set of memorable experiences and incredible happenings. You begin to love and adapt to its strangeness. Dreams harden into substance. Values come into focus. You wish it would never end. The dream world vanishes like mist before a rising sun; part of you vanishes with it. And back you land in the real world with a thud- fogged, uneasy, jittery, difficult to get along with. There is only one cure. A new show. A new, small unreal world; new visions, experiences, incredible happenings. Again you love it, adapt to it, wish it would never end. But end it does. Another part of you vanishes. That's show business."-Anonymous

#14

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:51pm

I think the Sweet Charity movie is fantastic.

Chicago is very good - but not nearly as good as the stage version. Lacking most of the magic the show produced on stage. And the movie cut some great songs from the score!

#15

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:54pm

Whups, I forgot- add Fiddler on the Roof to my "best" list.

#16

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:56pm

BEST: Oklahoma! revival - love it so much. Every single cast member is just perfectly fit into the role... it is a stage DVD though, but it's still my favorite.
The Sound of Music - Julie Andrews is amazing! I love this movie and it was so wonderfully done... Julie Andrews deserved an Oscar.
Mary Poppins - such a fun movie to watch, and has a bunch of catchy tunes... so it's just great to watch with kids too
RENT [soon to be, I know... but it will be my favorite soon!] - Adam Pascal, Idina Menzel, Anthony Rapp, Taye Diggs... ect, almost all the OBC cast is back!

WORST: and the reasons why:
My Fair Lady - It should have been Julie Andrews
South Pacific - It was really boring, honestly
Flower Drum Song - I like the stage version a lot better than the movie version... it didn't keep my attention. Also... Lea Salonga in the Flower Drum Song is great!

OTHER:
I don't like West Side Story as much, becuase the actors in the movie aren't really singing... that really bothers me.
And I don't like Chicago becuase I don't like Richard Gere, and the only one I really liked in the movie was Catherine Zeta-Jones, and she's great.
Music Man was pretty good... but I dont' really consider it my favorite movie musical, but I loved Cheno in it

~kangaroo

NIL MAGNUM NISI BONUM "No greatness without goodness."

RENThead, enLIGHist, Ozalot, Grobanite, Ringer, Pickwick LW, Wicked, Lost, American Dreams, West Wing
Lea S. Hugh J. Adam P. Idina M. Matt M. Taye D.

#17

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 8:05pm

I'd like to say again that if you've ever watched the deleted scenes for THE FANTASTICS you will see that it had the potential of being one of the best movie musicals ever made. "Try To Remember" was filmed and then cut. extended versions of numbers were filmed and cut and a lot of very charming and funny scenes were also dropped. it had a lot of potential, but was ruined when whoever it was decided to butcher it. I hope someday it is re-released as an extended directors cut or something...

#18

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 8:16pm

Best: Cabaret, Gypsy (Bette Midler version)
Worst: Mame, even though I love it because I grew up watching it, I know that Lucille Ball doesn't do the score justice, and it just doesn't work without a full-functioning Mame...but Bea Arthur is terrific.

Not today, Geraldine.

#19

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 8:56pm

The Sound of Music is hands down the best movie musical. Julie Andrews is perfection and the scenery makes it so much better than the stage show.
I also love West Side Story. Yes its annoying how no one actually sings, but Natalie Wood is pretty damn good otherwise. And I love watching Jerome Robbins's choreography.

The worst would have to be A Chorus Line. I still can't understand why you could possibly take one of the most well written shows in Broadway history, and make it into the piece of crap.

#20

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 9:02pm

wait for the revival...

#21

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 9:10pm

Thought on EVITA, anyone? I just watched it for the first time yesterday and I didn't quite 'get' the format at first, but I really liked it once I adjusted. I'm not sure if I love the presentation- it's almost like snapshots of Eva's life and how people saw her instead of the usual this-is-how-she-feels way of doing things. I thought the crowd scenes were very powerful, also, and I didn't love Madonna but I didn't hate her either.

And the point of that little ramble (sorry, I have nowhere else to say these things) was that I think I liked it, but I really suck at forming opinions... in most cases. I definetly hated CABARET with a firey passion. Liza ruined Sally Bowles.

#22

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 9:12pm

I'm sorry guys
there is no worse adaptation than that cartoon version of The King and I
I don't even want to know what they were smoking
And my favourite movie adaptation is West Side Story followed by Little Shop of Horrors

Updated On: 5/4/05 at 09:12 PM

#23

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 9:48pm

I enjoyed Evita - it was very "period" and a pretty good vehicle for Madonna...

Favorites:
Little Shop
Music Man (Robert Preston)
How to Succeed
Chicago
Sound of Music
West Side Story
Oliver
Fiddler

Worst:
Camelot
South Pacific (all those super-saturated color scenes!)
Forum
Mame
Annie (dumb, dumb, dumb)
Man of La Mancha
Flower Drum Song

"Not a day goes by..."

#24

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 9:57pm

My thoughts on Evita are it was a very under-rated movie. I think the orchestrations beat any stage version by miles, and loved Antonio too. I saw this on a tour and didn't care for it live.

#25

re: FAVORITE FILM MUSICALS

Posted: 5/4/05 at 10:31pm

Chorus Line. that was bad. very bad.

"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."

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