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Friendly Star is not the opening number on the tractor. The number on the tractor is called Happy Harvest
Get me to watch your top musicals, but no promises
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An American in Paris (1951)
This felt overly long with it's big ballet style musical number running 18 minutes placed at the very end of the film, right after the film's emotionally gut wrenching peak...Gene Kelly's character is in love with a young Parisian woman (Leslie Caron) who's engaged to another man. That musical number which in and of itself is a spectacular triumph, needed to come at the emotional high point with the pair realize they both love each other. That all comes down to choices in the editing room and I think it was the wrong choice not to insert that big number in the midway point of the film.
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I've seen three Gene Kelly movies in the last three nights, Singin In The Rain, Summer Stock and tonight I watched An American in Paris. All were good but Summer Stock is my favorite of the three.
Have you seen For Me and My Gal (1942), which also stars Gene Kelly and Judy Garland?
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An American in Paris (1951)
This felt overly long with it's big ballet style musical number running 18 minutes placed at the very end of the film, right after the film's emotionally gut wrenching peak...Gene Kelly's character is in love with a young Parisian woman (Leslie Caron) who's engaged to another man. That musical number which in and of itself is a spectacular triumph, needed to come at the emotional high point with the pair realize they both love each other. That all comes down to choices in the editing room and I think it was the wrong choice not to insert that big number in the midway point of the film.
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I like An American in Paris because it has some of the best songs, but the movie itself has some flaws, including that Leslie Caron looks much too young for Gene Kelly.
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Have you seen For Me and My Gal (1942), which also stars Gene Kelly and Judy Garland?
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The big dance number was easily the best thing about An American in Paris, but you're right it's kind of separate from the main action.
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Favorite Movies
State Fair (1945)
Love this one! The wife and I went to our own state fair yesterday and watched this movie in the evening. I've seen all of the three State Fair movies before and this one is our favorite. Love the story of a rural family entering a prize pig and canned pickles and a 'special' brandy flavored mince meat. We've enter bakery goods in our state fair too and even won ribbons before, so this movie is a special treat for that reason and because it's so charming. Speaking of charming is there any other actress more sweet and charming than Jeanne Craine? And is that really Vivian Blaine who played the ditzy bleach blonde in Guys and Dolls, yes it was and I hardly recognized her. Great songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein and Dick Hymes, Dana Andrews, Fay Bainter and Charles Winninger were fun in this too...so was 'Pa Kettle' Percy Kilbride.
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Favorite Movies
State Fair (1945)
Love this one! The wife and I went to our own state fair yesterday and watched this movie in the evening. I've seen all of the three State Fair movies before and this one is our favorite. Love the story of a rural family entering a prize pig and canned pickles and a 'special' brandy flavored mince meat. We've enter bakery goods in our state fair too and even won ribbons before, so this movie is a special treat for that reason and because it's so charming. Speaking of charming is there any other actress more sweet and charming than Jeanne Craine? And is that really Vivian Blaine who played the ditzy bleach blonde in Guys and Dolls, yes it was and I hardly recognized her. Great songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein and Dick Hymes, Dana Andrews, Fay Bainter and Charles Winninger were fun in this too...so was 'Pa Kettle' Percy Kilbride.
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I have to agree with your review.
Sometimes you just want a simple movie... and this is perfect since there's not a whole lot of plot here: a family goes to a state fair to compete in cooking & pig-raising contests (while the young adults find love).
P.S. I recognized Fay Bainter from The Children's Hour (1961)
I had no idea there were multiple versions of State Fair (I'd like to see the one with Ann-Margret)!
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Coincidentally, I just watched this a couple weeks ago (TCM On-Demand of course)!
I have to agree with your review.
Sometimes you just want a simple movie... and this is perfect since there's not a whole lot of plot here: a family goes to a state fair to compete in cooking & pig-raising contests (while the young adults find love).
P.S. I recognized Fay Bainter from The Children's Hour (1961)
I had no idea there were multiple versions of State Fair (I'd like to see the one with Ann-Margret)!
I have to agree with your review.
Sometimes you just want a simple movie... and this is perfect since there's not a whole lot of plot here: a family goes to a state fair to compete in cooking & pig-raising contests (while the young adults find love).
P.S. I recognized Fay Bainter from The Children's Hour (1961)
I had no idea there were multiple versions of State Fair (I'd like to see the one with Ann-Margret)!
WARNING: spoilers below
Jeanne Craine would be crazy for marrying a wordily newspaper man like Dana Andrews, and only after three dates! That never would've worked out.
Ann-Margret is good in the latter made State Fair. Not only is she one skilled and lithe dancer but she's a good actress too.
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Favorite Movies
State Fair (1945)
Love this one! The wife and I went to our own state fair yesterday and watched this movie in the evening. I've seen all of the three State Fair movies before and this one is our favorite. Love the story of a rural family entering a prize pig and canned pickles and a 'special' brandy flavored mince meat. We've enter bakery goods in our state fair too and even won ribbons before, so this movie is a special treat for that reason and because it's so charming. Speaking of charming is there any other actress more sweet and charming than Jeanne Craine? And is that really Vivian Blaine who played the ditzy bleach blonde in Guys and Dolls, yes it was and I hardly recognized her. Great songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein and Dick Hymes, Dana Andrews, Fay Bainter and Charles Winninger were fun in this too...so was 'Pa Kettle' Percy Kilbride.
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I like the 1945 version of State Fair, but I don't love it. (I didn't care for the 1962 version, and I don't think I've seen the 1933 version.)
I think the reason that you liked so much than I did is because you've been to the state fair and participated in the contests, so you can relate to it. I've only been to a state fair once, and it just seemed like a big carnival to me.
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All undeniable classics. I've had to reclassify my favorite as "guilty pleasure" given the misogyny I now see so clearly after watching it many decades later. But "My Fair Lady" is hard to beat for sheer comedic delight. Just a few excerpts. (The dialog is unrelentingly funny too, though sadly once again frequently in a much less enlightened way.)
I'M AN ORDINARY MAN
Let a woman in your life, and you're up against a wall,
make a plan and you will find,
that she has something else in mind,
and so rather than do either you do something else
that neither likes at all
WHY CAN'T THE ENGLISH
An Englishman's way of speaking absolutely classifies him,
The moment he talks he makes some other
Englishman despise him.
One common language I'm afraid we'll never get.
Oh, why can't the English learn to set
A good example to people whose
English is painful to your ears?
The Scotch and the Irish leave you close to tears.
There even are places where English completely
disappears. In America, they haven't used it for years!
Why can't the English teach their children how to speak?
Norwegians learn Norwegian; the Greeks have taught their
Greek. In France every Frenchman knows
his language fro "A" to "Zed"
The French never care what they do, actually,
as long as they pronounce in properly.
Arabians learn Arabian with the speed of summer lightning.
And Hebrews learn it backwards,
which is absolutely frightening.
But use proper English you're regarded as a freak.
Why can't the English,
Why can't the English learn to speak?
I'M AN ORDINARY MAN
Let a woman in your life, and you're up against a wall,
make a plan and you will find,
that she has something else in mind,
and so rather than do either you do something else
that neither likes at all
WHY CAN'T THE ENGLISH
An Englishman's way of speaking absolutely classifies him,
The moment he talks he makes some other
Englishman despise him.
One common language I'm afraid we'll never get.
Oh, why can't the English learn to set
A good example to people whose
English is painful to your ears?
The Scotch and the Irish leave you close to tears.
There even are places where English completely
disappears. In America, they haven't used it for years!
Why can't the English teach their children how to speak?
Norwegians learn Norwegian; the Greeks have taught their
Greek. In France every Frenchman knows
his language fro "A" to "Zed"
The French never care what they do, actually,
as long as they pronounce in properly.
Arabians learn Arabian with the speed of summer lightning.
And Hebrews learn it backwards,
which is absolutely frightening.
But use proper English you're regarded as a freak.
Why can't the English,
Why can't the English learn to speak?
__________________
Scarecrow: I haven't got a brain ... only straw. Dorothy: How can you talk if you haven't got a brain? Scarecrow: I don't know. But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don't they? Dorothy: Yes, I guess you're right.
Scarecrow: I haven't got a brain ... only straw. Dorothy: How can you talk if you haven't got a brain? Scarecrow: I don't know. But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don't they? Dorothy: Yes, I guess you're right.
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The Greatest Showman (2017)
I liked this, Hugh Jackman was great as P.T. Barnum showman, promoter and famous for the the Ringling Brothers Circus. I was engaged and entertained. I liked some of the songs but like many newer musicals there were too many songs for me that went on too long. What I really wanted was more of the story of Barnum, still I did enjoy it for what it was.
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How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)
Last edited by Gideon58; 09-14-24 at 07:28 PM.
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What about Cabaret Citizen?
Gideon, I really hope you'll take 10 minutes to vote for your favorite top 25 musicals...Alot of people at MoFo haven't seen the classics like Cabaret or Sound of Music so your vote will count! Just click this link to vote:
https://www.movieforums.com/ballot.php
Pretty please!
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I liked this movie but didn’t find it to have a lot of rewatch appeal.
I disagree with this comment about The Greatest Showman (2017). I've watched it at least a dozen times, and I loved it every time.
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I have three more musicals to watch before I send in my ballot for the Top 100 Musical Countdown. I watched this last night, I still think highly of it but not quite as enthused as I was in my review from 2017:
West Side Story ( Robert Wise, 1961)
Wow, that was epic! No wonder West Side Story won a whopping ten Oscars and I agree, it deserved to win them all! What a lavish telling of a simple, yet effective tale. Boy meets girl from the wrong side of the tracks, the romance is doomed, with tragic results. Romeo and Juliet set to a street gang musical.
The movie has so many wonderful songs that I don't know where to start. The Jet Song, where we are first introduced to the Jets on the streets was a favorite. Both the song's melody and lyrics...as well as the choreography were perfect for that scene. Very cool!
Dance at the Gym...loved it! that entire number, the colors, the movement, the song, everything about it. That was one of my favorites.
Another favorite scene was the dressmaking scene when Tony visits Maria after hours and they use the clothing mannequins in the store to tell the story of how their parents would view their love. Very charming and personal too.
Gee, Officer Krupke! ...was hilarious, loved the way it was staged and loved the lyrics to the song, very clever.
So that was written seven years ago by me, last night I felt the movie was a bit overly long with too many songs and not enough character development. That happens with famous Broadway plays, the movie makers don't want to cut the popular songs so the story never gets fully fleshed out. Today I'd rate West Side Story (1961)
Wow, that was epic! No wonder West Side Story won a whopping ten Oscars and I agree, it deserved to win them all! What a lavish telling of a simple, yet effective tale. Boy meets girl from the wrong side of the tracks, the romance is doomed, with tragic results. Romeo and Juliet set to a street gang musical.
The movie has so many wonderful songs that I don't know where to start. The Jet Song, where we are first introduced to the Jets on the streets was a favorite. Both the song's melody and lyrics...as well as the choreography were perfect for that scene. Very cool!
Dance at the Gym...loved it! that entire number, the colors, the movement, the song, everything about it. That was one of my favorites.
Another favorite scene was the dressmaking scene when Tony visits Maria after hours and they use the clothing mannequins in the store to tell the story of how their parents would view their love. Very charming and personal too.
Gee, Officer Krupke! ...was hilarious, loved the way it was staged and loved the lyrics to the song, very clever.
.....Gee, Officer Krupke, Krup you!
I really liked Natalie Wood in this, and I'm not her biggest fan. But here she really fits the role and made a perfectly sweet Maria. Especially her impassioned speech at the very end of the film was moving!
I wasn't to keen on the way Tony was presented by Richard Beymer. I read he wasn't to happy playing Tony as the nicest, sappiest guy in the world, either. He wanted Tony to have a bit more roughness to him but the director thought otherwise. Oh well, it still works.
My favorite characters/actors was Russ Tamblyn who finally got to do a substantial role here. He was a noted dancer, strong on gymnastics which got him a part in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I thought he made a pretty good leader of the Jets too. Same for the Sharks head man, Bernado - George Chakiris, he was really intense, which fit the movie well. Also I liked Rita Moreno here and the old candy store owner too.
All right that's enough writing....West Side Story is close to perfection. The look, the song numbers, the choreography and the tragic love story. Sublime.
I really liked Natalie Wood in this, and I'm not her biggest fan. But here she really fits the role and made a perfectly sweet Maria. Especially her impassioned speech at the very end of the film was moving!
I wasn't to keen on the way Tony was presented by Richard Beymer. I read he wasn't to happy playing Tony as the nicest, sappiest guy in the world, either. He wanted Tony to have a bit more roughness to him but the director thought otherwise. Oh well, it still works.
My favorite characters/actors was Russ Tamblyn who finally got to do a substantial role here. He was a noted dancer, strong on gymnastics which got him a part in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I thought he made a pretty good leader of the Jets too. Same for the Sharks head man, Bernado - George Chakiris, he was really intense, which fit the movie well. Also I liked Rita Moreno here and the old candy store owner too.
All right that's enough writing....West Side Story is close to perfection. The look, the song numbers, the choreography and the tragic love story. Sublime.
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2nd to last musical I watch before sending in my ballot. Previously I wrote this about it:
I love that photo of Barbra Streisand. It says so much about her and the character she plays. It was her first movie and she scored an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role, not too shabby! Before the movie Babs was a Broadway sensation in the stage play Funny Girl. So when acclaimed director William Wyler decided to make a big budget, sweeping story of the life and times of Fanny Brice, Barbra was a natural. And of course she could sing!
Streisand does sing a few songs in the movie, but it's not a typical musical per say. I thought she was great in this. She looked great, she was funny, personable, kooky, she had style and the camera really likes her! She paired well with leading man Omar Sharif.
The amount of period piece sets and costumes that went into this 2 1/2 half hour movie is a thing of wonderment. It's really a top notch production, with great visual appeal and great attention to detail. Lavish is the best word for it. I enjoyed the personal story of how Fanny Brice through hard work and self determination became a huge stage star.
So I watched this again last night and my thoughts haven't changed on it.
Funny Girl (William Wyler1968)
I love that photo of Barbra Streisand. It says so much about her and the character she plays. It was her first movie and she scored an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role, not too shabby! Before the movie Babs was a Broadway sensation in the stage play Funny Girl. So when acclaimed director William Wyler decided to make a big budget, sweeping story of the life and times of Fanny Brice, Barbra was a natural. And of course she could sing!
Streisand does sing a few songs in the movie, but it's not a typical musical per say. I thought she was great in this. She looked great, she was funny, personable, kooky, she had style and the camera really likes her! She paired well with leading man Omar Sharif.
The amount of period piece sets and costumes that went into this 2 1/2 half hour movie is a thing of wonderment. It's really a top notch production, with great visual appeal and great attention to detail. Lavish is the best word for it. I enjoyed the personal story of how Fanny Brice through hard work and self determination became a huge stage star.
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Favorite Movies
I have three more musicals to watch before I send in my ballot for the Top 100 Musical Countdown. I watched this last night, I still think highly of it but not quite as enthused as I was in my review from 2017:
So that was written seven years ago by me, last night I felt the movie was a bit overly long with too many songs and not enough character development. That happens with famous Broadway plays, the movie makers don't want to cut the popular songs so the story never gets fully fleshed out. Today I'd rate West Side Story (1961)
West Side Story ( Robert Wise, 1961)
Wow, that was epic! No wonder West Side Story won a whopping ten Oscars and I agree, it deserved to win them all! What a lavish telling of a simple, yet effective tale. Boy meets girl from the wrong side of the tracks, the romance is doomed, with tragic results. Romeo and Juliet set to a street gang musical.
The movie has so many wonderful songs that I don't know where to start. The Jet Song, where we are first introduced to the Jets on the streets was a favorite. Both the song's melody and lyrics...as well as the choreography were perfect for that scene. Very cool!
Dance at the Gym...loved it! that entire number, the colors, the movement, the song, everything about it. That was one of my favorites.
Another favorite scene was the dressmaking scene when Tony visits Maria after hours and they use the clothing mannequins in the store to tell the story of how their parents would view their love. Very charming and personal too.
Gee, Officer Krupke! ...was hilarious, loved the way it was staged and loved the lyrics to the song, very clever.
.....Gee, Officer Krupke, Krup you!
I really liked Natalie Wood in this, and I'm not her biggest fan. But here she really fits the role and made a perfectly sweet Maria. Especially her impassioned speech at the very end of the film was moving!
I wasn't to keen on the way Tony was presented by Richard Beymer. I read he wasn't to happy playing Tony as the nicest, sappiest guy in the world, either. He wanted Tony to have a bit more roughness to him but the director thought otherwise. Oh well, it still works.
My favorite characters/actors was Russ Tamblyn who finally got to do a substantial role here. He was a noted dancer, strong on gymnastics which got him a part in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I thought he made a pretty good leader of the Jets too. Same for the Sharks head man, Bernado - George Chakiris, he was really intense, which fit the movie well. Also I liked Rita Moreno here and the old candy store owner too.
All right that's enough writing....West Side Story is close to perfection. The look, the song numbers, the choreography and the tragic love story. Sublime.
Wow, that was epic! No wonder West Side Story won a whopping ten Oscars and I agree, it deserved to win them all! What a lavish telling of a simple, yet effective tale. Boy meets girl from the wrong side of the tracks, the romance is doomed, with tragic results. Romeo and Juliet set to a street gang musical.
The movie has so many wonderful songs that I don't know where to start. The Jet Song, where we are first introduced to the Jets on the streets was a favorite. Both the song's melody and lyrics...as well as the choreography were perfect for that scene. Very cool!
Dance at the Gym...loved it! that entire number, the colors, the movement, the song, everything about it. That was one of my favorites.
Another favorite scene was the dressmaking scene when Tony visits Maria after hours and they use the clothing mannequins in the store to tell the story of how their parents would view their love. Very charming and personal too.
Gee, Officer Krupke! ...was hilarious, loved the way it was staged and loved the lyrics to the song, very clever.
.....Gee, Officer Krupke, Krup you!
I really liked Natalie Wood in this, and I'm not her biggest fan. But here she really fits the role and made a perfectly sweet Maria. Especially her impassioned speech at the very end of the film was moving!
I wasn't to keen on the way Tony was presented by Richard Beymer. I read he wasn't to happy playing Tony as the nicest, sappiest guy in the world, either. He wanted Tony to have a bit more roughness to him but the director thought otherwise. Oh well, it still works.
My favorite characters/actors was Russ Tamblyn who finally got to do a substantial role here. He was a noted dancer, strong on gymnastics which got him a part in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I thought he made a pretty good leader of the Jets too. Same for the Sharks head man, Bernado - George Chakiris, he was really intense, which fit the movie well. Also I liked Rita Moreno here and the old candy store owner too.
All right that's enough writing....West Side Story is close to perfection. The look, the song numbers, the choreography and the tragic love story. Sublime.
So that was written seven years ago by me, last night I felt the movie was a bit overly long with too many songs and not enough character development. That happens with famous Broadway plays, the movie makers don't want to cut the popular songs so the story never gets fully fleshed out. Today I'd rate West Side Story (1961)
I agree with your West Side Story review from seven years ago.
It's a lock for my list.
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