WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

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JackFavell
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by JackFavell »

I have had a crush on Michael Callan ever since I saw him in Cat Ballou as an 8 year old. He may be my first real true movie crush.

He was absolutely wonderful dancing in Gidget, it was shocking how good he was! and it makes me more than a little upset that I never knew this about him! What a shame he wasn't at least in Bob Fosse's and Bobby Van's age group, so he could have gotten a few more decent musicals under his belt. Thanks so much for the link. I can't wait to look.

As for Lawrence T, I have seen nothing by him. I knew I wanted to check out this movie this morning (partly for Karen Morley too) - he has intrigued me for years, after seeing a gorgeous picture of him in Hussars uniform in The Pictorial History of the Talkies when I was age 8 or 9 (again, the year my movie obsession started). I'm so glad that he has a youtube posting - now I can listen to that magnificent voice over and over!
RedRiver
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by RedRiver »

Callan had a short lived sitcom called OCCASIONAL WIFE. I may have seen it once or twice.
feaito

Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by feaito »

Last night I saw a film that I had long ago wanted to revisit, because I had seen it as small kid on public TV: Henry Koster's "Two Sisters from Boston" (1946).

I'm a bit partial to the less prestigious MGM films of the 1940s and 1950s, because they introduced me to Classic film as a a boy and were my "companions" during my isolated childhood.

In this film Kathryn Grayson plays a young lady from Boston (Abigail Chandler aka Susie) who ends working in a NY Burlesque Theatre to pay her singing lessons (her aristocratic uncle is very stingy). It was good to see Grayson in a rather mischievous role, opposed to the prim, proper young damsels she usually played -she still is quite proper, but she shows her gams in a Burlesque house, offending her "Class". June Allyson is her more proper, traditional and intellectual younger sister, who tries to help her get in the Opera world with the aid of the young scion of a prominet NY family (Peter Lawford). Lauritz Melchior is the Opera star. And Jimmy Durante is Grayson's boss and pal (he's a hoot). Ben Blue is wonderful as a butler who when drunk becomes wild! I loved watching this endearing musical, 30 sth years later, for the 2nd time.
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JackFavell
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by JackFavell »

I thought Two Sisters from Boston was quite charming, mainly due to it's sly humor.
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Fossy
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by Fossy »

What a coincidence, I watched Two Sisters from Boston only last night. I am keen on her voice, and of course she is easy on the eyes. I have all twenty of her movies and I don`t think she made a bad movie.

My favourites would include “Show Boat” (1951). Her duet “Only make Believe” with Howard Keel was just magic.”
“Seven Sweethearts” (1942), although I didn`t think much of Van Heflin as a romantic interest.
“It Happened In Brooklyn” (1947) her duet with Frank Sinatra was just great as was her “Bell Song” from Lakme.
“So This Is Love”(1953) which follows reasonably closely Grace Moore`s autobiography. Her final song “Si Michiamano Mimi” was as good as any other version I have heard.
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JackFavell
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by JackFavell »

Ah, another Seven Sweethearts fan! I saw it last year, and thought it was the oddest movie I'd ever seen, especially for the year it was made. But it was so different, I loved it!
feaito

Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by feaito »

Hi Fossy! I also love Kathryn Grayson and my fave film of hers is "Kiss Me Kate"....and her rendition of "So In Love" with Howard Keel is wondrous. Also, her renditions of Jerome Kern's standards in "Lovely To Look At" are a knockout (Yesterdays, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes).
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moira finnie
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by moira finnie »

I have DVRed Two Sisters From Boston (1946). Fernando's fine review of this movie makes me determined to make time to view it soon. I was watching Seven Sweethearts (1942) one time a few years ago, when my brother-in-law wandered in the room. Seeing the sisters all decked out and playing instruments while tossing meaningful, come-hither glances at Van Heflin in one early scene in SZ Sakall's hotel, he asked me, "What the hell kind of "hotel" is this?" :roll: :wink:

I still like the movie, in part because of Marsha Hunt's amusingly conceited eldest sister, but also because it has some charming moments, even if the schmaltz is spread with a broad brush. One I particularly like is this scene between Kathryn Grayson and Carl Esmond (born Willy Eichberger, he was a very good actor, too often typecast by history as a Nazi). Here's the musical interlude shared by Grayson and Esmond :
[youtube][/youtube]
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Uncle Stevie
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by Uncle Stevie »

I am on board here. Kathryn grayson is on of my favorites. My favorite movie is "It Happened In Brooklyn". She sings the Bell song like few others. Her comedy and song with Frank Sinatra is a charm. She has a commanding voice. When she sings everyone listens.
Uncle Stevie


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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by feaito »

Last Friday I discovered a very good musical of the Pasternak Unit at MGM: "Music for Millions" (1944) directed by Henry Koster, a sincere, honest, dramatic, well done film, that left me in high spirits after watching it.

Margaret O'Brien stars in perhaps one of the most likable and well played roles ever played by a youngster; she's a girl who arrives in NY looking for her elder sister (June Allyson, who has wonderful chemistry with her), who plays the Violoncello in an Orchestra directed by José Iturbi and whose husband is fighting in the Pacific. Allyson is pregnant and has not heard from her husband in a while. O'Brien's relationship with Allyson is so close, and their moments together are sweet and tender.

Marsha Hunt impersonates plays another orchestra member (a harpist) and plays her role with nuance and skill; Jimmy Durante gives perhaps his best performance ever, combining his typical brand of humor with serious acting. The movie has many touching moments that did not struck me as phony or schmaltzy, they exuded honesty (i.e. When Larry Adler plays Clair de Lune -Allyson's husband's fave tune- with his harmonica; or when Allyson's co-workers and pals try to conceal some bad news from her). Marie Wilson plays a not-so-dizzy dame who plays the clarinet and Madeleine Le Beau is another girl of the bunch. Ethel Griffies is priceless as the girls' landlady and Hugh Herbert, Wilson's likable uncle (a con-man and a swindler).

A winning, moving, feel-good film, which should be better-known. A great finding.
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rohanaka
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by rohanaka »

Excuse the interuption folks, but wanted to pop in here and mention the TCM event from yesterday for Singing in the Rain. I posted on it over on their message board too, but wanted to pop in here as well and say how much we enjoyed getting to be there. We do not get many classic movies on the big screen in our area.. so that alone was a nice treat.. but it is such a fun film too.. and we really enjoyed getting to see it all in a theater that way. It was fun to watch the interview between Robert Osborne and Debbie Reynolds intermixed with the older interviews w/ Donald O'Connor and Cyd Charise, etc.. I really liked where O'Connor talked about how Gene Kelly choreographed everything out in advance.. how they'd turn, where they'd point their hands.. how high they'd jump. After seeing that and then watching them together (bigger than LIFE) I paid even CLOSER attention to their skill (as much as just enjoying the dancing) and OH me.. they were perfectly timed.. every move.. every jump, every turn. It really is a masterpiece of dancing.

Not sure how many people were there with us..(at the 2PM show) maybe about 100? And that was just at the one theater we were at.. it was showing at at least three or four more in our area as well. I wonder how many made it to the evening show. I bet it was a nice crowd. I went with my mom and my 9 year old daughter. And we were pretty representative of the crowd as we saw all ages there too.. only a few youngun's like my kidling.. but a couple even younger than she is.. and several teenagers or young 20's.. mostly middle aged folks or older though. Some QUITE elderly in fact.. a local nursing home brought (it looked like) 7 or 8 folks.. we saw them loading into their van in the parking lot after the movie.


All in all it was a nice crowd.. and a fun crowd too.. everyone laughed at the funny parts and best of all CLAPPED after each of the big dance numbers. It made it all the more fun to hear the crowd reacting like that. I actually got a bit emotional (silly me) because I had never really stopped to think how "iconic" some of those moments in this movie all are.. how much a part of "movie history" they all are. That film is FULL of great "movie musical moment" like Make 'em Laugh and Good morning and of course.. "Singin' in the Rain". Oh me.. when Gene Kelly started splashing around.. I got all wooshy eyed..because I thought how special these screen moments all were.. and how talented all three of these actors really were.. and how special it was to get to see them with my kidling on the big screen.


And just about then, the kidling looked over and saw I was tearing up and said, "Mom.. are you crying AGAIN?" ha.. you could almost see her eyes rolling, even in the dark.. ha. Alas, she knows me too well. :D


She really did enjoy herself though.. she laughed at all the right moments, and clapped right along with the crowd. She really liked Donald O'Connor too. But her heart belongs to Gene Kelly. The last time either of us saw this movie she was only about 5 or 6, so she had little memory of the story or any of the other characters.. it was fun to watch her reactions to them. It was good to get to go with my mom too. She had a great time as well. But truthfully.. the one I am the happiest for was my kidling. I don't know if she really will look back on this as the most exciting thing she did all summer but at least it makes me smile to think she did at least enjoy it.. and I hope some day when she is older and sits down to watch this movie again, she'll remember that her grandma and mom once took her out to see it on the big screen way back when... and she'll smile.

Thanks for letting me blab a bit folks.. now back to Music for Millions..
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movieman1957
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by movieman1957 »

If I hadn't plans already I was going by myself. But , alas.

Next week my friend wants to go see "North By Northwest" at the theater.
Chris

"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by feaito »

What a wonderful experience Rohanka. I'd like something like that in my "area" too :wink:
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Uncle Stevie
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by Uncle Stevie »

I do not remember the big screen offering in my area and i am envious of your theater experience. I wonder how many members here consider viewing on a large 50" or greater, TV set to be the same thing. I imagine it is also the ambience and the laughing crowd that contribute to it. I watch all of my old movies on a 27" flat screen in a small room and am satisfied but, again, I would love to see some really big screen performances.
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So Is Thunder and Lightning"
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moira finnie
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Re: WHAT MUSICALS HAVE YOU SEEN LATELY?

Post by moira finnie »

All in all it was a nice crowd.. and a fun crowd too.. everyone laughed at the funny parts and best of all CLAPPED after each of the big dance numbers. It made it all the more fun to hear the crowd reacting like that. I actually got a bit emotional (silly me) because I had never really stopped to think how "iconic" some of those moments in this movie all are..
I didn't make it to this event, but I am so glad that you got to go. I last heard people applauding a film segment when I attended a theater showing a revival of Douglas Fairbanks' Robin Hood (1922). When the merry men dropped from the trees in Sherwood Forest, and Doug gave them a rousing (if silent) pep talk everyone was caught up in the movie, and started to applaud their attack on Nottingham. It was a wonderful moment of communal joy.
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