Movies that lost their...

[wickedfan]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 8:42pm

What with SO many popular movies getting adapted left and right I went through all of my books to rememeber which shows (based on movies) were either worse than their source or better.
Worse:
Beauty and the Beast- Brilliant movie that was transferred into a crummy stage show
Applause- Based on 'All About Eve', the only thing worth while is Lauren Bacall (who even on a recording has such a presence)and the title song
Sugar- BAsed on "Some LIke it Hot", a classic comedy that had a mediocre at best score and a book that was an exact replica of the screenplay, so everyone already knew the jokes.

Better:
Carnival- Based on "Lili", wonderful score and the book is stronger than that of the movie
Promises, Promises- Based on "The Apartment", it just worked. Everything "clicked" and the result was a fantastic score and a witty book

Any additions?

Updated On: 5/5/05 at 08:42 PM

[wickedfan]

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

Anyone?

[liotte]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 10:29pm

Harry Potter 1, 2, and 3. Books were much better than the movies.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 10:49pm

Sweet Charity (1966 -- Nights of Cabiria film)
Zorba (1969 -- Zorba The Greek novel then film)
Shenandoah (1975 -- Shenandoah film)
On The Twentieth Century (1978 -- Twentieth Century; play and movie)
42nd Street (1981 -- 42nd Street movie)
Woman of the Year (1981 -- Woman of the Year film)
Nine (1982 -- Fellini's 8 1/2)
La Cage Aux Folles (1984 -- play and movie of the same name)
Big Deal (1986 -- Big Deal on Madonna Street film)
Grand Hotel (1990 -- Grand Hotel film)
Meet Me In St. Louis (1990 -- Meet Me In St. Louis film)
Kiss of the Spiderwoman (1993 -- film and novel of the same name)
The Goodbye Girl (1993 -- The Goodbye Girl film)
Tommy (1993 -- film and concept album of the same name)
Passion (1994 -- Passione d'Amore film)
Sunset Boulevard (1995 -- Sunset Boulevard film)

Updated On: 5/5/05 at 10:49 PM

[Thenardier]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 10:51pm

Oh, I thought 42nd Street looked fne on stage...

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 10:55pm

I simply made a list of stage musicals adapted from movies. I leave it to someone else to opine the merits of those stage adaptations.

[Jon]

Posted: 5/5/05 at 11:48pm

FULL MONTY - good book adaptation/Americanization by Terrence McNally -enjoyable show, except for the ugliest set in years.

VICTOR/VICTORIA - Good idea to put it on stage, but ten years too late for Julie Andrews.

SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS - just plain wrong - a bitter, gritty movie turned into a wishy-washy musical.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 3:50am

SUNSET BLVD - a wonderful, dark, cynical film turned into another ALW overblown pop opera with terrible lyrics and no theatre spirit to call its own.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 4:08am

I did love the 42nd Street revival, but nothing beats the original film.

[phantom_tenor]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 6:04am

You think sunset blvd is bad? I've always thought it was one of ALW's better shows, and did better justice to the movie than any other movie to musical transition i've ever seen.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 2:03pm

The movie of SUNSET BLVD is a wonderfully dark and should have made a sensational musical. Lloyd Webber was the wrong composer for this. He also didn't put a great deal of effort into it, retrieving a half dozen tunes from unproduced or failed musicals and having the lyricists fit them with new words. As a result the score locks cohesion: some bits perfectly match the mood of the show others seem wildly out of place. Compounding this there is no natural tie-in with the use of music. (Imagine if they re-set the story in the 1970s and Norma was a 1940s movie musical star whose career faded because the vogue for Hollywood musicals dried up. This also could have been a casting coup: cast all the long-past-it but still remembered stars of the old M-g-M musicals: Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds, Marge Champion..etc.)

Even so, the most compelling parts of the musical were when it lifted dialogue from Billy Wilder's screenplay but set it to needless recitative. Then the action stops dead so Lloyd Webber can plug in one of his big arias with Don Black and Christopher Hampton's lyrics simply re-stating the same idea over and over again.

I just feel it could have been a much much better show than what emerged.

[wickedfan]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 3:46pm

Very true.
From Margo's list that I would also like to add an opinion are:

Nine- wonderful score and a charming, though somtimes dull book with a new feel towards its source that, in my opinion, worked wonders.

Grand Hotel- wonderful and seamless score and book that provides chances for wonderful performances and a breakout star turn for yoru director and choreographer.

[DestinyBeckoned]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 4:17pm

I've never seen the stage version of the movie Big, with Tom Hanks, but I haven't heard too many good things about it.

[riv]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 4:19pm

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was another picture ruined in the Broadway stage version.

[NYFINCH2]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 4:56pm

I have never actaully seen Sugar but I have read the book and love the cast album. While the score is not as good as Styne's Gypsy, Funny Girl or maybe even Gentleman Prefer Blondes I always enjoy the music and Merrill's lyrics are fine and sometimes very witty. The book, I think, works very well; Peter Stone knew what he was doing. With a script as good as Billy Wilder's there is not much need for change. Plus I can tell from the album alone that Bobby Morse and Cyril Richard's performances were priceless; what I wouldn't give to see them tango! In fact I am dying for a revival...I always like to dream cast the two leads. I am sure any problems with the book could be solved and new gags added. It'll probably never happen but, maybe in my dreams I can hope.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 5:01pm

Hairspray
The Producers
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Peggy Sue Got Married
The Witches of Eastwick

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 5/6/05 at 6:41pm

I like Thoroughly Modern Millie the show muchbetter than Thoroughly Modern Millie the movie. Sutton Foster just seemed for hick-ish than Julie Andrews, who's just so....British. I love Julei Andrews, but I really didn't like her Millie.