Stage to Screen - What has been the best adaptation?

Musical:

Oliver!
West Side Story
The Sound of Music
Cabaret

Play:

Angels in America
On Golden Pond
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
A Streetcar Named Desire

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MUSICAL
Cabaret
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
West Side Story

PLAY
Long Day's Journey Into Night (Katharine Hepburn/Ralph Richardson)
A Streetcar Named Desire (Leigh/Brando)

Updated On: 11/5/05 at 04:24 PM

I love the movie adaptation of "Night of the Iguana"... one of my favorite movies.

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I must add STEEL MAGNOLIAS to my list.

A pitiful and boring play on it's own, it was VASTLY improved upon through it's film adaptation.

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Musical:
West Side Story or 1776 (except for cutting out "Cool Cool Considerate Men")

Play:
The Miracle Worker (original), though I'll admit I haven't seen many plays on film, so I'm not the best judge.

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Musicals:
Chicago
Cabaret
West Side Story
Sound of Music
Fiddler on the Roof

Plays:
Angels in America
A Streetcar Named Desire

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I'm going to second Little Shop of Horrors. It's amazing to me that people still remember the '60s version but not this one.

I thought that the phantom movie was really good!!!

Also CHICAGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I cant wait for rent!!!!!!!!!!

I might be shot for this, but compared to the original Hal Prince staging (which I think is a snoozer), Evita as a film has many elements that worked on its favor better than it does onstage.

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"I might be shot for this, but compared to the original Hal Prince staging (which I think is a snoozer), Evita as a film has many elements that worked on its favor better than it does onstage."

Hal Prince's EVITA a snoozer? Have you actually seen the production as directed by Prince (and not merely restaged by one of his underlings)? I saw the original cast on broadway as well as some replacemnet cast and the first national tour. Always found it crisp and fast moving. So I am not quite sure what your frame of reference is or what you were expecting.

Having said that, I think the film is about the best possible film that could have beeen made of the piece. Some of the changes (like giving "Another Suyitcase" to Eva herself and shifting it earlier) were brillianst. I find the film really beginsto drag near the end and "You must Love Me" is a needless addition.

As for some of the best stage-film transfers I would include FUNNY GIRL which is much improved over its stage edition. CALL ME MADAM is tighter and faster on film.

Mike Nichols film of VIRGINIA WOOLF is excellent. He took a 3 hour play and shortened it by an hour and yet nothing of import is lost. And the film has a cinematic feel. Often plays seem terribly stage bound when turned into films.

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Am I the only one who doesn't like the movie version of West Side Story? I don't think it does justice to the score. Richard Beymer? If you're going to dub the actor anyway dub it in the same key!
I do love Natalie Wood and Rita Moreno.

My favorite musical adaptations:
-Fiddler on the Roof
-Chicago
-Grease
-Sound of Music (better as a movie than a show, imo)
-The King and I
-Little Shop
-The Bette Midler version of Gypsy

Worst musical adaptations:
-Cabaret...Mostly because of the elimination of the story of Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz, which I think gives the musical so much of it's charm and depth.
-Carousel
-The Phantom of the Opera

Best play adaptations:
-Cuckoo's Nest!!!!
-Streetcar named Desire
-Virginia Woolf
-Steel Magnolias
-Driving Miss Daisy

Musicals:

CHICAGO
THE KING AND I
MY FAIR LADY


Plays:

A Streetcar Named Desire
Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?
A Cat On A Hot Tin Roof