AFI's 25 GREATEST MOVIE MUSICALS OF ALL TIME

[HoldenIsHere]

All in all, this is the best list from AFT I've ever seen. Sure, it's not mine, but it's not heavily weighted toward recent films, and it includes some essential films.

I also was surprised that there were less than a handful of post-studio-era films on this list. While musical is my least favorite film genre, as you note, what I also call the essential films were on the list (i.e. my favorite musicals). A little light with regards to Fred and Ginger but that is because of my own biases.

It's been a little while since this list was made (it was sometime in the 2000s....just checked, 2006), but it isn't too surprising that the only post-1970 titles here are Cabaret, Grease, All That Jazz, Beauty and the Beast, Chicago, and Moulin Rouge. After the big failure of many large musicals in the late 60s/early 70s, the genre became quite rare in Hollywood, with only a few pings of life along the way (a bit more of them after the hits of Star is born/Saturday night Fever/Grease in the late 70s and early 80s, Disney's 90s animated titles, Broadway hits getting filmed post 2000). Now, they are so polarizing that studios are trying to hide that they are actually making musicals by hiding music in the trailers. So, its no surprise that this list is heavy on classic era titles.

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER is not really a musical although dancing and music are central.
It was later adapted into a stage musical.

[txfilmfan]

I'd pick Chicago over Moulin Rouge.

[HoldenIsHere]

I'd pick Chicago over Moulin Rouge.

Both are on the list.

[txfilmfan]

I'd pick Chicago over Moulin Rouge.

Both are on the list.

I know Moulin Rouge was 25th, but I'm not seeing Chicago on the original post.

[txfilmfan]

I'd pick Chicago over Moulin Rouge.

Both are on the list.

Well, I just noticed that 12 & 13 didn't make the image paste in, so I'm guessing Chicago is in there somewhere.

[txfilmfan]

Complete list...

[CinemaInternational]

I also was surprised that there were less than a handful of post-studio-era films on this list. While musical is my least favorite film genre, as you note, what I also call the essential films were on the list (i.e. my favorite musicals). A little light with regards to Fred and Ginger but that is because of my own biases.

It's been a little while since this list was made (it was sometime in the 2000s....just checked, 2006), but it isn't too surprising that the only post-1970 titles here are Cabaret, Grease, All That Jazz, Beauty and the Beast, Chicago, and Moulin Rouge. After the big failure of many large musicals in the late 60s/early 70s, the genre became quite rare in Hollywood, with only a few pings of life along the way (a bit more of them after the hits of Star is born/Saturday night Fever/Grease in the late 70s and early 80s, Disney's 90s animated titles, Broadway hits getting filmed post 2000). Now, they are so polarizing that studios are trying to hide that they are actually making musicals by hiding music in the trailers. So, its no surprise that this list is heavy on classic era titles.

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER is not really a musical although dancing and music are central.
It was later adapted into a stage musical.

Very true. But maybe because the soundtrack was so big it often got classified as a musical, kind of how Flashdance and Footloose would be in the 80s.

[skimpole]

Why are there no British musicals? Because I can think of several.

[HoldenIsHere]

Why are there no British musicals? Because I can think of several.

LostHorizons explained the reason.

RE: My comment that THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT should have been on the list.

THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT should be on the list

Afi stands for American film institute. Young Girls of Rochefort isn’t included because it isn’t an American film.

[Detective Jim McLeod]

Without looking at the list, here is my top ten-

1. West Side Story (1961)
2. Meet Me In St Louis (1944)
3. The Wizard Of Oz (1939)
4. On The Town (1949)
5. Little Shop Of Horrors (1986)
6. The King And I (1956)
7. Guys And Dolls (1955)
8. Pigskin Parade (1936)
9. Funny Girl (1968)
10. Show Boat (1936)

EDIT- Well 8 out of 10 are on the AFI list. Only Little Shop Of Horrors (1986) and Pigskin Parade (1936) didn't make it, the latter is very underrated, Judy Garland's debut and some very funny comedy songs by a group called The Yacht Club Boys.

I was pleasantly surprised the first version of Show Boat made it, it is so much better than the 1951 version.

[dianedebuda]

I was pleasantly surprised the first version of Show Boat made it, it is so much better than the 1951 version.

Agree strongly even though I liked seeing it in color.

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Personally, I'd yank The Wizard of Oz (1939), Cabaret (1972), Mary Poppins (1964), and definitely Moulin Rouge (2001). I know many like those first 3, but they were all one and done for me. Actually did not like Moulin Rouge at all, but think that was mostly due to how it was filmed - my memory has it as very short shots & jerky - MTV style. I'd replace those with The Music Man (1962), Victor/Victoria (1982), and Fiddler on the Roof (1971). Tough time deciding between Gigi (1958), Gypsy (1962), Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Oklahoma! (1955), and Kiss Me Kate (1958) for the last spot. If filmed stage musicals were included, She Loves Me (2016) would definitely be high on my list even though it came out after the AFI's 2006 list. It's too bad that the attempt at using color filters pretty much derailed South Pacific (1958).

[jimimac71]

I was pleasantly surprised the first version of Show Boat made it, it is so much better than the 1951 version.

Agree strongly even though I liked seeing it in color.

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Personally, I'd yank The Wizard of Oz (1939), Cabaret (1972), Mary Poppins (1964), and definitely Moulin Rouge (2001). I know many like those first 3, but they were all one and done for me. Actually did not like Moulin Rouge at all, but think that was mostly due to how it was filmed - my memory has it as very short shots & jerky - MTV style. I'd replace those with The Music Man (1962), Victor/Victoria (1982), and Fiddler on the Roof (1971). Tough time deciding between Gigi (1958), Gypsy (1993), Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Oklahoma! (1955), and Kiss Me Kate (1958) for the last spot. If filmed stage musicals were included, She Loves Me (2016) would definitely be high on my list even though it came out after the AFI's 2006 list. It's too bad that the attempt at using color filters pretty much derailed South Pacific (1958).

I was going to give you “what for” except your replacements totally rock!
I look at Fiddler on the Roof and The Sound of Music as quite similar.
Both are sad stories but great musicals.
Victor/Victoria seems to be everything a musical should be.

[HoldenIsHere]

I was pleasantly surprised the first version of Show Boat made it, it is so much better than the 1951 version.

Agree strongly even though I liked seeing it in color.

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Personally, I'd yank The Wizard of Oz (1939), Cabaret (1972), Mary Poppins (1964), and definitely Moulin Rouge (2001). I know many like those first 3, but they were all one and done for me. Actually did not like Moulin Rouge at all, but think that was mostly due to how it was filmed - my memory has it as very short shots & jerky - MTV style. I'd replace those with The Music Man (1962), Victor/Victoria (1982), and Fiddler on the Roof (1971). Tough time deciding between Gigi (1958), Gypsy (1993), Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Oklahoma! (1955), and Kiss Me Kate (1958) for the last spot. If filmed stage musicals were included, She Loves Me (2016) would definitely be high on my list even though it came out after the AFI's 2006 list. It's too bad that the attempt at using color filters pretty much derailed South Pacific (1958).

Is GYPSY (1993) the one with Bette Midler?
I think that one was made for TV.

I know I'm in the minority but I actually like the GYPSY movie with Rosalind Russell, although I wouldn't include it on a Top 25 list.

[jimimac71]

Okay, Jimi is 66 years old. I lived 17 miles outside the city of Napa, California.
That said, we had one movie theater, with one screen, and a drive in.
The only film I saw on the big screen from the list is Mary Poppins.
The Sound of Music on broadcast TV along with The Wizard of Oz.
There are a few of the films I've never seen. The others only on TCM!
Gotta say I absolutely loved seeing Thoroughly Modern Millie on a curved Panavision screen in San Francisco.
1967 and I was 10 and the movie was new.

[dianedebuda]

Is GYPSY (1993) the one with Bette Midler?

Typo, should have been the Natalie Wood/Roz Russell one from 1962. Hated the Bette Midler one.