The MoFo Top 100 Musicals Countdown

My predictions:

1. Singin' in the Rain
2. The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini
3. The Lion King
4. Cats
5. It's a Bikini World
6. Mary Poppins
7. Sergeant Dead Head
8. Dr. Seuss' the Lorax
9. West Side Story (1961)

Two of mine in there...

Cabin in the Sky was my #9. It was a pleasant surprise when I took an online course on musicals several years ago. I have a review written that I might transfer here, but overall, it has a funny and inventive story, some charming performances, and some delightful musical numbers.

On the other hand, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is a film I've been exposed to since I was a kid. We had a Disney LP that we listened to often and I fell in love instantly with all the characters and the songs, which I still sing often. You can read a recent review here. It was my #10.

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I'm resigned to the fact that a Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum didn't make the list, but there are three movies that didn't seem to make the list that surprised me:


Encanto


Coco


Guys and Dolls


I'm especially surprised that the Sinatra/Brando Guys and Dolls didn't make it. I thought it was a standard.

I found My Fair Lady to be an interesting mixture of fun, charm, but also an interesting insight as far as as toxic relationships and co-dependencies go. Neatly staged and choreographed with some solid performances from both Hepburn and Harrison. I had it at #16.


Anyway, here's where I stand...

SEEN: 32/91
MY BALLOT: 14/25

Added to my watchlist...
...for historical purposes only, of course.

In Christian belief, temptation can come in many ways and take many forms. It all depends on what the devil sees as your weaknesses, whether it's alcohol, drugs, women, gambling, porn, or whatever, it is believed that the devil will use that as his "weapon" to lure you. And although Christians believe in the power of prayer to fight temptation, some people believe you have to fight "fire with fire" to win the battle. That is the premise of this Vincente Minnelli musical.

My fourth musical for #TCMusicals, Cabin in the Sky, follows Petunia (Ethel Waters), a loving low-class wife, who's trying to keep her gambling husband, "Little Joe" Jackson (Eddie "Rochester" Anderson), out of trouble and into church. When Joe is dragged out of church by his friends, he ends up in a shootout over a gambling debt. This sparks a competition between God's envoy, "The General" (Kenneth Spencer), and the Devil's son, Lucifer Jr. (Rex Ingram), as they both try to win Joe's soul. Meanwhile, Petunia tries to keep her husband out of the fire, first with prayers and then with the Devil's "own pitchfork".

Although the above description might sound a bit too preachy, I hope non-Christians aren't turned off by it. Truth of the matter is that Cabin in the Sky is a very, very entertaining film. Most of the fun comes from Anderson's performance and the interactions between Lucifer, Jr. and his minions, but Waters is a joy to watch as Petunia. She owns the role with her earnest performance and wide smile, as well as her flawless singing. Anderson, who is more of a comedian, also has a hilarious song that highlights his comedic timing. Lena Horne plays Georgia Brown, a beautiful young woman that tries to seduce Joe, but I wasn't that impressed by her.

The other highlight of the film is Minnelli's great direction. Despite being his first film, the director who shows a unique talent with the camera. Cabin in the Sky might still lack the polish of future musicals, but it's worth the watch for its solid lead performers, some great singing, its fun and inventive dialogue, and Minnelli's direction.

Grade:

^That's what I rated it back when I saw it in 2018. I would probably bump that rating to 4 now, I think.

Of these, I've only seen the two animated films. I didn't care for Encanto at all. I don't love Coco but I do like it and voted for it.

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Well I got Sound of Music predicted for the nine spot, but I'm worried it could be Lion King or Mary Poppins

If I were bending my qualifications it would have been number 1. Greatest ending of any "musical"

Out of the near misses, I've seen only:
#105. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
I like it very much. I'm a big fan of short story collections like this. As I remember, there is a musical number only in the first segment so I didn't think about it for the countdown otherwise it would surely make my top 20.

I love that movie. I thought about voting for it but in the end I didn't think it had enough music.

Hepburn is always a charm and the costumes are nice... That's all the positive things I can say about My Fair Lady. One of the most overrated films of it's era. Jesus, it felt like it'd never end...

EDIT: shoosh, sorry iluv2viddyfilms

Like most classical musicals, I didn't like My Fair Lady. However, it was one that I remember thinking I should try again with an open mind. I liked Pygmalion quite a bit.

#103 Cabin In the Sky (1943)...Enjoyed this one and had considered it, but didn't have room.

#109 Holiday Inn (1942)....My #18, love this one.

Part of me is, but part of me isn't surprised that Guys and Dolls didn't make it. It's a solid musical and if ever it was on TV or anything, rest assured I'm going to stop changing channels (do people still do that?) and pick it up where ever it's at. However, it's really not a film I go back to often and I'm huge Brando fan and I also love Frank Sinatra and I think Jean Simmons might be one of the greatest actresses who is largely forgotten today from that era of late 1940s into the 60s and who isn't a "household" name among contemporaries like Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor. Despite all that the film doesn't click as well as might be expected for whatever reasons. I do think Brando is horribly cast in it and had Gene Kelly been it it, as originally planned, we'd be looking at an entirely different product and I imagine it would be near the top of the great standard musicals. I just can't put my finger on it and I'd have to sit down and really do a close-viewing of it with the aim of evaluating the film, but something about it just doesn't seem to work quite right. I know that's hardly a suitable or thorough explanation, but it's the best I can come up with off the top of my head at the moment.

It was however on my short list of musicals to include, because like I said, I do enjoy it, but it didn't really have any true shot or consideration for my final cut.

So it makes sense it wasn't included in the countdown because people like me, who lean in more heavily toward the older musicals, probably and rightfully considered it to be a "lesser" of the great post-Busby Berkey and pre fall of the studio system musicals from the 1940s into the 1960s. And for those members who tended to lean toward more modern showings such as Rocky Horror, La La Land, Hedwig, Sing Street, and Moulin Rouge! it certainly wasn't going to show up on their lists. The same could be said for those too whose tastes run more conventional that had at least half a dozen Disney features on their list.

So Guys and Dolls probably fell into that no-man's land void where it just didn't quite fit or belong anywhere... wandering between the winds, drifting without a home in the world of best of lists. It doesn't measure up for the classicists and it's probably largely forgotten or met with apathy by those who prefer modern sensibilities in their musicals and for those who love singing Disney princesses and animals... not a chance.

Poor, poor, poor Guys and Dolls.

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And it means to go on being... DESERVING!

It's OK, no hard feelings. I got the truth on my side!

I understand how people feel it's long, but I don't know which film critic it was who always said no good movie is too long and no bad movie is too short.

To me what stands out is how the musical numbers perfectly compliment the action and the motives and personalities of the characters and I couldn't imagine trimming a single second from it. It's perfectly constructed and you have to just completely let yourself go into that world and be absorbed by it. The dialogue and interactions and slow build is all part of the charm. My Fair Lady is very "front heavy" in that the scenes at the Professor Higgins house do take their time and there's a lot of verbal sparring and interactions too. Some of the best moments in the film are the moments with Stanley Holloway in his bickering with Higgins and others in the film. But to me, the slower pace, especially in the first half is just seeing the fun of the repartee and contrasting styles and the beauty of the English language, while also building and defining the characters and the story as well as the Edwardian London mood and atmosphere.

Nope, it's all so perfect and I wouldn't dare cut out a single second.

Oh and since you brought him up, I'm sure he'll forgive you for a lot of things... but raggin' on My Fair Lady... artistic and musical perfection... hrmmm, I'm not sure if that's in his wheelhouse or in his abilities.