All tagged High Wide and Handsome
An early movie musical (in black and white-gasp!) that is worth a look (if you can find it) is Paramount Pictures’ High, Wide, and Handsome. The epic tale features a score by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein, II who also worked together to write one of Broadway’s most prolific scores, Show Boat. Made in 1937 (ten years after Show Boat), High, Wide, and Handsome was directed by Rouben Mamoulian, who would go on to direct the original Broadway productions of Oklahoma! and Carousel.
Most of us who love musical theatre cultivated our appreciation for musical storytelling by watching old Hollywood musicals. Let's face it: seeing a Broadway show is expensive and we had to get our song and dance fix somewhere. So, though we prefer live theatre, we found solace in the worlds of MGM, Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, and Gene Kelly. Some movie musicals were spectacular: The Wizard of Oz, The Bandwagon, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Singin' in the Rain and My Fair Lady come to mind. The same titles are always given as "the classics" of the Hollywood Musical, but there are other titles that are solidly entertaining and worth your time. Here is my list for the Top-Ten Underappreciated Movie Musicals that you should make a point to see.
