Subgenre Sampler

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That's Entertainment III (1994): Feat. June Allyson, Cyd Charisse, Lena Horne…; Starlets of the golden age recall their heyday and bring fresh insight to this third showcase of infectious musical highlights.
Cry-Baby (Cry baby) (1990): Dir. John Waters
Feat. Johnny Depp, Amy Locane, Susan Tyrrell…; Another stylish, camp classic from the infamous director who made Divine a cult sensation. Depp heads a super cast in a tribute to the juvenile…
Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989): Dir. Howard Brookner
Feat. Matt Dillon, Jennifer Grey, Julie Hagerty…; An American Playhouse adaptation of four Damon Runyon tales which intersect on New Year's Eve 1928 in a milieu of jazz–age hedonism. A good…
Bird (1988): Dir. Clint Eastwood
Feat. Forest Whitaker, Diane Venora, Keith David; Eastwood's biopic tribute to legendary jazz saxophonist Charlie 'Bird' Parker. His turbulent and extraordinary life is sympathetically characterised…
Earth Girls Are Easy (1988): Dir. Julien Temple
Feat. Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, Jim Carrey…; Under–rated campy musical about a trio of goofy aliens (incl. Jim Carrey in an early role) who crash–land in Geena Davis's swimming pool.
Crossroads (1986): Dir. Walter Hill
Feat. Ralph Macchio, Jami Gertz, Joe Seneca…; Great Ry Cooder music peps this light drama in which Ralph Macchio seeks lost blues tunes in the Deep South.
That's Dancing! (1985): Dir. Jack Haley, Jr.
Feat. Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, James Cagney…; A compilation of splendid dance sequences from dozens of Hollywood films. Includes over fifty top dancers, with the best of the crop generally dating…
Amadeus (1984): Dir. Milos Forman
Feat. Tom Hulce, F. Murray Abraham; Academy–award winning biopic of Mozart's illustrious but brief existence that spawned much of the greatest music ever written. A humourous yet…
Cotton Club, The (1984): Dir. Francis Ford Coppola
Feat. Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Gregory Hines…; Richard Gere heads the ensemble for Coppola's glossy musical melodrama set in the thick of New York's glitzy gangster culture of the 1930s.
Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, The (1982): Dir. Colin Higgins
Feat. Burt Reynolds, Dolly Parton, Dom DeLuise…; Dolly Parton is the buxom madam of Texas’ famous Chicken Ranch whorehouse (portrayed less flatteringly in Nick Broomfield’s documentary) in this…
One from the Heart (1982): Dir. Francis Ford Coppola
Feat. Frederic Forrest, Teri Garr, Raul Julia; A lavishly mounted curiosity loosely following the romantic plight of an estranged couple, set against an impressively stylised backdrop of Las…
Privates On Parade (1982): Dir. Michael Blakemore
Feat. John Cleese; John Cleese stars in this perky adaptation of the play about a gay Song and Dance Unit of the Brtish army stationed in 1940s Singapore.
Blues Brothers, The (1980): Dir. John Landis
Feat. John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Carrie Fisher; Smash comedy with great soul music and epic sight–gags.
Coal Miner's Daughter (1980): Dir. Michael Apted
Feat. Sissy Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones; Biopic of country legend Loretta Lynn.
Elvis (1979): Dir. John Carpenter
Feat. Kurt Russell, Shelley Winters, Bing Russell…; Made just two years after Elvis's death, the king of rock 'n' roll's life is traced from dirt poor beginnings to becoming the most loved entertainer…
Hobbit, The (1977): Dir. Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jnr
Feat. Orson Bean, Richard Boone, John Huston…; A homebody demi–human in Middle Earth gets talked into joining a quest with a group of dwarves to recover their treasure from a dragon.…
That's Entertainment II (1976): Dir. Gene Kelly
Feat. Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Spencer Tracy…; A second helping of musical nostalgia, with Astaire and Kelly again hosting while also contributing a number of brand new dance numbers together.…
Slipper and the Rose, The (1975): Dir. Bryan Forbes
Feat. Richard Chamberlain, Gemma Craven, Sir Michael Hordern…; Middling musical retells the Cinderella story from the prince's point of view. An unlikely Richard Chamberlain plays the all–singin, all dancin…
That's Entertainment (1974): Dir. Various; A jolly good compendium of MGM musical highlights that nutshell the magic of the productions and the times they were made, and judiciously cut out…
Man of La Mancha (1972): Dir. Arthur Hiller
Feat. Peter O'Toole, Sophia Loren, James Coco…; Peter O’Toole ‘dreams the impossible dream’ as Cervantes’ Don Quixote in this much–maligned adaptation of the popular Broadway musical.…
Boy Friend, The (1971): Dir. Ken Russell
Feat. Twiggy, Christopher Gable, Max Adrian…; Unavailable on any format until recently, this long lost flight of fancy finds Ken Russell remodeling the golden age of musicals in his own…
Fiddler On the Roof (1971): Dir. Norman Jewison
Feat. Topol, Molly Picon; Epic folk tale of community survival is given a vivid musical setting, as a Jewish family travel from pre–revolutionary Ukraine to America in…
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970): Dir. Vincente Minnelli
Feat. Barbra Streisand, Yves Montand, Bob Newhart…; Hi–gloss screen version of the Broadway musical with Barbra Streisand as a kooky chain–smoker who is told by psychiatrist Yves Montand…
Change of Habit (1969): Dir. William A. Graham
Feat. Elvis Presley, Mary Tyler Moore, Barbara McNair…; Elvis Presley's final acting role was this musical drama in which he plays a doctor who falls in love with Mary Tyler Moore, playing one of three…
Hello Dolly! (1969): Dir. Gene Kelly
Feat. Barbra Streisand, Walter Matthau, Michael Crawford…; Barbra Streisand is the attraction of this Gene Kelly musical, as a meddling matchmaker.
Oh! What a Lovely War (1969): Dir. Richard Attenborough
Feat. John Rae, Corin Redgrave, Maurice Roeves…; Powerful anti–war musical adapted from the play by Charles Chilton, which depicts the mass blunder of WWI through the experiences of the poor…
Paint Your Wagon (1969): Dir. Joshua Logan
Feat. Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood, Jean Seberg…; Entertaining musical epic based on the popular Lerner–Loewe play. Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood play gold prospectors who share a wife they…
Finian's Rainbow (1968): Dir. Francis Ford Coppola
Feat. Fred Astaire, Petula Clark, Tommy Steele; Completely whimsical latter–day musical sees Irishman Fred Astaire popped–down in the American South to tackle racial injustice with the…
Funny Girl (1968): Dir. William Wyler
Feat. Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif; Barbra Streisand's bravura debut, playing real–life showbiz celeb Fanny Brice, won her an Oscar. Rates also as a well–executed musical.
Live a Little, Love a Little (1968): Dir. Norman Taurog
Feat. Elvis Presley, Michele Carey, Rudy Vallee; Another musical comedy pairing director Norman Taurog with The King. Elvis plays a playboy pin–up photographer whose carefree life is…
Oliver! (1968): Dir. Carol Reed
Feat. Ron Moody, Oliver Reed, Mark Lester; Perfect screen adaptation of the 1960 stage musical by British writer and composer Lionel Bart, based on Charles Dickens' timeless tale. For a…
One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, The (1968): Dir. Michael O'Herlihy
Feat. Walter Brennan, Buddy Ebsen, Lesley Ann Warren…; A rambunctious Disney musical in which the large Bower family band sets off to the 1888 Democrat Party convention in St. Louis to support Grover…
Star! (1968): Dir. Robert Wise
Feat. Julie Andrews, Richard Crenna, Michael Craig…; A commendably lavish biopic of the stage–comedienne Gertude Lawrence, who wooed the British stage in the first half of the 20th…
Sweet Charity (1968): Dir. Bob Fosse
Feat. Shirley Maclaine, Ricardo Montalban, John McMartin…; Neil Simon's Broadway version of Fellini's NIGHTS OF CABIRIA makes a smashing musical film thanks to the director's razzamatazz, late 60's chic, and…
Camelot (1967): Dir. Joshua Logan
Feat. Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave, Franco Nero…; This King Arthur musical was a disastrous, expensive–looking flop. Good performances though.
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967): Dir. David Swift
Feat. Robert Morse, Michele Lee, Rudy Vallee; Skillfully treading the line between silliness and satire, this adaptation of the lauded Broadway musical sees Morse play an ambitious young window…
Young Girls of Rochefort, The (Les Demoiselles de Rochefort) (1967): Dir. Jacques Demy
Feat. Catherine Deneuve, Francois Dorleac, Gene Kelly; The carrot of love is dangled in Jacques Demy's positively radiant follow–up to UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG: an unbridled, colour–saturated…
Frankie and Johnny (1966): Dir. Frederick de Cordova
Feat. Elvis Presley, Donna Douglas, Harry Morgan…; The King and Donna 'Elly May' Douglas (of The Beverly Hillbillies) hitch up in Mississippi, only for a wily seductress (Kovack) to crach their party.…
Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, A (1966): Dir. Richard Lester
Feat. Zero Mostel, Buster Keaton, Jack Gilford…; Wild spoof–musical set in Roman times, is somewhat spotty but still generates plenty of comic gas courtesy of some old pros. Mostel plays a…
Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966): Dir. Michael D. Moore
Feat. Elvis Presley, James Shigeta, Suzanna Leigh…; A touristy musical that sticks to the Elvis Presley formula of songs and romance with the added bonus of lush tropical scenery.
Spinout (1966): Dir. Norman Taurog
Feat. Elvis Presley, Shelley Fabares; Musical comedy starring Elvis as a race car driver and singer in a band, whose carefree single life is threatened by the romantic advances of three…
Beach Blanket Bingo (1965): Dir. William Asher
Feat. Paul Lynde, Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello…; Most successful and best known of the ‘Beach Party’ movies, though it shows signs of being fifth in a series by straying quite a way from the…
Girl Happy (1965): Dir. Boris Sagal
Feat. Elvis Presley, Shelley Fabares, Harold J. Stone; Elvis escorts the daughter of a mobster to a Florida beachside resort for a holiday. Enjoyably kitsch Presley musical.
Sound of Music, The (1965): Dir. Robert Wise
Feat. Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker…; Enduring Rogers and Hammerstein musical based on the real–life Von Trapp family, who deserted their homeland to escape the Nazis.…
Christmas Television Classics (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town) (1964-1970): Feat. Fred Astaire; Three festive features garanteed to bring nostalgic cheer to any child of the sixties.
Kissin' Cousins (1964): Dir. Gene Nelson
Feat. Elvis Presley, Arthur O'Connell, Glenda Farrell…; Elvis both an Air Force officer and his hillbilly cousin, and negotiates the affections of two other female cousins, in this cheerfully hick musical…
My Fair Lady (1964): Dir. George Cukor
Feat. Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison; Ever–popular, though rather long musical version of George Bernard Shaw's 'Pygmalion', starring Audrey Hepburn as riffraff transformed into…
Roustabout (1964): Dir. John Rich
Feat. Elvis Presley, Barbara Stanwyck; Relatively pleasing Elvis Presley vehicle. The King joins a carnival run by Barbara Stanwyk.
Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The (1964): Dir. Jacques Demy
Feat. Catherine Deneuve, Nino Castelnuovo; Gorgeous French musical with Catherine Deneuve, in her acting debut, one of its many pleasures. A bittersweet romantic story is allied to a lush…
Unsinkable Molly Brown, The (1964): Dir. Charles Walters
Feat. Debbie Reynolds, Ed Begley, Harve Presnell; Rags to riches musical based on the eventful life of Margaret Brown who survived flooding, snobbery and a trip on a boat called the Titanic. One of…
Viva Las Vegas (1964): Dir. George Sidney
Feat. Elvis Presley, Ann-Margret; Elvis Presley is paired with Ann–Margret in this rumbunctious Vegas–set musical.
Bye Bye Birdie (1963): Dir. George Sidney
Feat. Dick Van Dyke, Ann-Margret, Janet Leigh…; Fluffy yet fabulous film version of the hit Broadway musical with rock 'n' roller Dick Van Dyke traveling to small town Ohio to make his final…
I Could Go on Singing (1963): Dir. Ronald Neame
Feat. Judy Garland, Dirk Bogarde, Jack Klugman…; A successful singer visits her estranged son while on tour in England. Teary melodrama was Garland's last film and featured arguably her best acting.
It Happened At The World's Fair (1963): Dir. Norman Taurog
Feat. Elvis Presley, Yvonne Craig, Gary Lockwood…; The King plays a pilot–for–hire who hitchhikes to the World's Fair in Seattle to earn some cash after his plane is seized by the local…
Live it Up! (Sing and Swing) (1963): Dir. Lance Comfort
Feat. David Hemmings; Low–budget, but historically fascinating musical wraps some great mid–60s pop music around its slender plot. Hemmings plays a…
Summer Magic (1963): Dir. James Neilson
Feat. Hayley Mills, Burl Ives, Dorothy McGuire; Sweetly sentimental Disney version of the Kate Wiggins novel 'Mother Carey's Chickens', about a poor Boston family who make a drafty Maine homestead…
Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962): Dir. Charles Walters
Feat. Doris Day, Stephen Boyd, Jimmy Durante…; Cracking musical extravaganza based around the real–life Billy Rose stageshow and doctored with brilliant Rodgers and Hart songs, plus dance…
Gypsy (1962): Dir. Mervyn LeRoy
Feat. Rosalind Russell, Natalie Wood, Karl Malden; Eye–catching musical comedy–drama based on the memoir of burlesque entertainer Gypsy Rose Lee, whose career was driven by her aggressive…
Kid Galahad (1962): Dir. Phil Karlson
Feat. Elvis Presley, Charles Bronson, Joan Blackman…; Musical remake sees Elvis enter the ring as an upstart boxer under the tutelage of grizzly Charles Bronson, who's not about to put the champ in…
Music Man, The (1962): Dir. Morton DaCosta
Feat. Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett…; A lively and delightful Broadway musical adaptation with conman Robert Preston (reprising his stage role) diddling a small Iowa town in 1912. Full of…
Blue Hawaii (1961): Dir. Norman Taurog
Feat. Elvis Presley; Lush setting for this Elvis vehicle is easy on the eye. The King's least Rock'n'Roll effort.
Flower Drum Song (1961): Dir. Henry Koster
Feat. Nancy Kwan, James Shigeta; Amiable if overlong musical comedy telling the story of a Chinese girl who smuggles herself into San Francisco as a "picture bride" to marry a young…
West Side Story (1961): Dir. Robert Wise
Feat. Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn…; Oscar–sweeping, hugely influential film version of Bernstein and Sondheim's landmark Broadway musical, updating Romeo and Juliet to dockland…
Wild in the Country (1961): Dir. Phillip Dunne
Feat. Elvis Presley, Hope Lange, Tuesday Weld…; Unusual Elvis Presley vehicle, playing a country hothead with a literary bent.
Young Ones, The / Summer Holiday (1961-1962): Dir. Sidney J. Furie, Peter Yates
Feat. Cliff Richard, Robert Morley, The Shadows; A pairing of delightfully dated musical vehicles for Brit pop sensation of the day, Cliff Richard. THE YOUNG ONES has Cliff organising a fundraising…
Bells are Ringing (1960): Dir. Vincente Minnelli
Feat. Judy Holliday, Dean Martin, Fred Clark…; Winning musical rom–com from Vincente Minnelli (MEET ME IN ST LOUIS), with Judy Holliday playing a fictionalised version of real–life…
Can-Can (1960): Dir. Walter Lang
Feat. Frank Sinatra, Shirley Maclaine, Maurice Chevalier…; Agreeable Cole Porter musical by way of Old Blue Eyes' Rat Pack croon. Sinatra teams up with Shirley Maclaine, here the proprietor of Parisian cafe…
G.I. Blues (1960): Dir. Norman Taurog
Feat. Elvis Presley; A fond Elvis vehicle in which his guitar–playing G.I. meddles with things a young cadet shouldn't while stationed in Germany. Presley sings…
Let's Make Love (1960): Dir. George Cukor
Feat. Marilyn Monroe, Yves Montand; An under–rated Marilyn Monroe comedy with Yves Montand as a millionaire who joins her theatre company, then hires a host of real–life…
Black Orpheus (1959): Dir. Marcel Camus
Feat. Breno Mello, Marpessa Dawn, Lourdes De Oliveira; Get caught up in the rhythms and colour of Rio De Janiero at Carnival time for an exotic, utterly unique spin on the Greek legend of doomed lovers…
Five Pennies, The (1959): Dir. Melville Shavelson
Feat. Danny Kaye, Barbara Bel Geddes, Louis Armstrong…; Cheery Red Nichols biopic with Danny Kaye turning in a heartfelt performance as the famed jazz trumpter. Contains many soapy moments between Kaye…
Girls Town (1959): Dir. Charles Haas
Feat. Mamie Van Doren, Mel Torme, Paul Anka…; Wayward teen Mamie Van Doren is sent to a girls' home after being ratted out by 'greaser' Mel Torme. Loaded with rock'n'roll.
Damn Yankees (Whatever Lola Wants) (1958): Dir. George Abbott, Stanley Donen
Feat. Tab Hunter, Gwen Verdon, Ray Walston…; Supremely entertaining musical rom–com that transposes the Faustian legend to the world of American baseball, with Gwen Verdon in the iconic…
Gigi (1958): Dir. Vincente Minnelli
Feat. Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, Louis Jourdan…; This cheerful musical odyssey of a Parisian girl trained to be a courtesan was the Oscar–winner of its year.
King Creole (1958): Dir. Michael Curtiz
Feat. Elvis Presley, Carolyn Jones; Many would agree with Elvis that this is his best film. He plays a roguish street hustler who manifests his rebellion in his music. Tight direction…
South Pacific (1958): Dir. Joshua Logan
Feat. Rossano Brazzi, Mitzi Gaynor, John Kerr…; Solid screen version of Rogers and Hammerstein's stage spectacle, memorable for its lush location photography and infectious tunes.
Speedway (1958): Dir. Norman Taurog
Feat. Elvis Presley, Nancy Sinatra; Elvis Presley musical set in stock–car racing scene. With Nancy Sinatra in the passenger seat.
Jailhouse Rock (1957): Dir. Richard Thorpe
Feat. Elvis Presley; Great musical numbers highlight this Elvis Presley vehicle. The handsome delinquent learns to pick the guitar while behind bars, which of course…
Pajama Game, The (1957): Dir. George Abbott, Stanley Donen
Feat. Doris Day; Exemplary screen musical stars Doris Day in exuberant form as a feisty union delegate who falls for her boss while negotiating a wage rise for her…
Pal Joey (1957): Dir. George Sidney
Feat. Rita Hayworth, Kim Novak, Frank Sinatra; Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak clash over Frank Sinatra who happens to belt out 'The Lady is a Tramp' among others in cool, jazzy musical.
Silk Stockings (1957): Dir. Rouben Mamoulian
Feat. Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Peter Lorre; Handsome musical version of Garbo's NINOTCHKA, with Cyd Charisse's million dollar legs the star attraction.
Carousel (1956): Dir. Henry King
Feat. Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones, Cameron Mitchell; Rodgers and Hammerstein carnival musical has some of their best songs. A darker than usual storyline – possibly partly why it wasn't such a…
Don't Knock the Rock (1956): Dir. Fred F. Sears; Small town Mellonville becomes a makeshift Woodstock in this swinging companion piece to dir. Sears' ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK. Quaint fashion, bad…
Funny Face (1956): Dir. Stanley Donen
Feat. Fred Astaire, Audrey Hepburn; Hip musical boasts the unrestrained ebullience of Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn as a fashion photographer and book–clerk who becomes his…
Girl Can't Help It, The (1956): Dir. Frank Tashlin
Feat. Tom Ewell, Jayne Mansfield, Julie London; This ebullient comedy is not only the best showcase for what one Jayne Mansfield had to offer, but also for many of the rock 'n' roll talent of the…
High Society (1956): Dir. Charles Walters
Feat. Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra…; On the button remake of THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, giving the skewed love–triangle tale a musical treatment. Score by Cole Porter.
King and I, The (1956): Dir. Walter Lang
Feat. Yul Brynner, Deborah Kerr, Rita Moreno…; Lush screen adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's broadway show, Anna and the King of Siam. Yul Brynner is unforgettable in the title role.
Rock Around the Clock (1956): Dir. Fred F. Sears; This upbeat, toe–tapping 'advertorial' for rock & roll was intially brushed off as a show–reel for live performance, yet remains a lively…
Daddy Long Legs (1955): Dir. Jean Negulesco
Feat. Fred Astaire, Leslie Caron, Terry Moore…; An orphaned French teenager (Caron) endears herself to a playboy sophisticate (Astaire), who secretly sponsors her in an American private education.…
Guys and Dolls (1955): Dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Feat. Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Vivien Leigh; Snappy popular musical in spite of its length. Marlon Brando appears in an atypically upbeat performance.
Kismet (1955): Dir. Vincente Minnelli
Feat. Howard Keel, Ann Blyth; An Arabian–Nights style musical, with Howard Keel attempting to woo wicked wizar's wife Ann Blyth.
Love Me or Leave Me (1955): Dir. Charles Vidor
Feat. Doris Day, James Cagney; Multiple Oscar–nominated biopic of singer Ruth Etting, played here by Doris Day in a more substantial role than usual. Story chiefly concerns…
Lucky Me (1955): Dir. Jack Donohue
Feat. Doris Day, Robert Cummings, Phil Silvers; Showbiz musical comedy with Doris Day paired once again with CALAMITY JANE tune smiths Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster.
Oklahoma! (1955): Dir. Fred Zinnemann
Feat. Gordon MacRae, Gloria Grahame, Gene Nelson…; Ground–breaking Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, includes many classic numbers.
Pete Kelly's Blues (1955): Dir. Jack Webb
Feat. Jack Webb, Janet Leigh, Edmond O'Brien…; Musical set in 1920's Kansas which blends jazz, gangsters and political corruption. Directed by and starring Jack Webb as a cornet player who is…
A Star Is Born (1954): Dir. George Cukor
Feat. Judy Garland, James Mason; All–time great musical melodrama, with actress Judy Garland's star eclipsing hubby James Mason's.
Brigadoon (1954): Dir. Vincente Minnelli
Feat. Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse; Overlooked Gene Kelly musical, with Kelly discovering a magical Scottish village.
Carmen Jones (1954): Dir. Otto Preminger
Feat. Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte; Blazing screen version of George Bizet's "Carmen" classic opera uniquely staged in the Deep South with an all–black cast and new lyrics by…
Living It Up (1954): Dir. Norman Taurog
Feat. Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Janet Leigh…; One of the funnier Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis comedies of the 17 they made together. Jerry Lewis plays a stationmaster from provincial New Mexico…
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954): Dir. Stanley Donen
Feat. Jane Powell, Howard Keel, Jeff Richards…; Rollicking musical set in backwoods Oregon, with brothers all looking for brides–to–be.
Student Prince, The (1954): Dir. Richard Thorpe
Feat. Ann Blyth, Edmund Purdom, John Ericson…; Taken from the operetta by Sigmund Romberg, and the third filmed version of the tale of a young Prince breaking out into the real world by falling in…
There's No Business Like Show Business (1954): Dir. Walter Lang
Feat. Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, Marilyn Monroe…; Gaudy musical about Show Business. Stars Marilyn and some great Irving Berlin songs.
White Christmas (1954): Dir. Michael Curtiz
Feat. Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye; Timeless Irving Berlin musical, whose stocking full of great tunes – 'Sisters', 'Blue Skies' and of course the title–track – redeem…
Affairs of Dobie Gillis, The (1953): Dir. Don Weis
Feat. Debbie Reynolds, Bobby Van, Bob Fosse…; Lighthearted MGM college musical set on a Midwestern university campus, where two freshmen spend their time cutting class and courting two coeds.…
Band Wagon, The (1953): Dir. Vincente Minnelli
Feat. Fred Astaire, Jack Buchanan, Cyd Charisse; In the top echelon of screen–musicals, this follows the fortunes of toe–tapping movie actor Fred Astaire, revue style, as he attempts a…
Beggar's Opera, The (1953): Dir. Peter Brook
Feat. Laurence Olivier; Initially a commercial failure, this energetic romp through John Gay's 18th century ribald opera has since been critically acclaimed. In his first…
By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953): Dir. David Butler
Feat. Doris Day, Gordon MacRae; Quaint sequel to ON MOONLIGHT BAY finds Gordon MacRae returning from WWI where fiancée Doris Day waits impatiently to begin married life together.…
Calamity Jane (1953): Dir. David Butler
Feat. Doris Day, Howard Keel; Big, rousing musical western, featuring Doris Day as the tomboy heroine, who falls for easygoing Wild Bill Hickok (Howard Keel).
Call Me Madam (1953): Dir. Walter Lang
Feat. Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, Vera-Ellen…; Delightful musical starring Ethel Merman as a Washington hostess who becomes a Truman–era US ambassador to a European grand duchy. Songs by…
Dangerous When Wet (1953): Dir. Charles Walters
Feat. Esther Williams; Musical starlet Esther Williams gets to do what she does best as an athlete who attempts to swim the English channel. Highlight is a subterranean…
Give a Girl a Break (1953): Dir. Stanley Donen
Feat. Debbie Reynolds, Marge Champion, Gower Champion…; Musical comedy about three unknown actresses who are all competing for Broadway stardom after a temperamental performer walks off the set of a major…
How to Marry a Millionaire (1953): Dir. Jean Negulesco
Feat. Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall; An extravagent, cheery comedy with a trio of sexy opportunists who collectively devise schemes to entrap well–to–do bachelors.
Kiss Me Kate (1953): Dir. George Sidney
Feat. Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ann Miller; Cole Porter’s irreverent take on Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew is one of the most pleasurable (and fabulously danced) MGM musicals of the…
Miss Sadie Thompson (1953): Dir. Curtis Bernhardt
Feat. Rita Hayworth, Jose Ferrer, Aldo Ray…; Rita Hayworth turned it on in this lavish musical with a hard edge of sex and sin in the South Seas, here playing a smokin’ dame stranded on a…
Has Anyone Seen My Gal? (1952): Dir. Douglas Sirk
Feat. Charles Coburn, Lynn Bari, Piper Laurie…; Sirk–for–hire musical comedy finds the iconic melodramatist at his most unidentifiable: Coburn stars as an elderly money bags with no…
Lili (1952): Dir. Charles Walters
Feat. Leslie Caron, Mel Ferrer; Fairytale–like story of Leslie Caron's amorous adventures in a carnival is swimming in charm, whimsical songs and 'circus–type'…
Singin' in the Rain (Singing in the Rain) (1952): Dir. Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
Feat. Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds…; The quintessential Hollywood musical happens to be about the movie biz. Its blend of vivacious style and humour, catchy numbers and dazzling…
An American in Paris (1951): Dir. Vincente Minnelli
Feat. Gene Kelly; Ebullient, multi–styled musical with Gene Kelly dancing his socks off. Terrific George Gershwin score.
Great Caruso, The (1951): Dir. Richard Thorpe
Feat. Mario Lanza; Entertaining biopic of the legendary tenor Enrico Caruso with American protege Mario Lanza in the title role. His hokey performance and some…
On Moonlight Bay (1951): Dir. Roy Del Ruth
Feat. Doris Day, Gordon MacRae; Winning musical with Doris Day trading baseball obsession for the courtship of a strapping Gordon MacRae. Folksy tunes are blended with carefree…
On The Riviera (1951): Dir. Walter Lang
Feat. Danny Kaye, Gene Tierney, Corinne Calvet…; Talented Broadway veteran Danny Kaye stars in this musical comedy, playing an American entertainer who develops a skit impersonating a wealthy…
Show Boat (1951): Dir. George Sidney
Feat. Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel…; Lavish technicolor adaptation of the 1920 Hammerstein stage musical in which an aspiring actor goes from working a Mississippi river–boat to…
Tales of Hoffmann, The (1951): Dir. Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Feat. Moira Shearer, Pamela Brown, Sir Robert Helpmann…; Boldly visual imagining of Offenbach's 1880 opera which takes three tales of magic and deception by E.T. Hoffmann and weaves them into a disquieting…
Annie Get Your Gun (1950): Dir. George Sidney
Feat. Betty Hutton, Howard Keel; The much–filmed story of Annie Oakley, star of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, is the subject of this Irving Berlin musical, with Betty Hutton…
My Blue Heaven (1950): Dir. Henry Koster
Feat. Dan Dailey, Betty Grable, David Wayne…; Treacly musical concerns a variety show couple enduring all manner of misfortune as they try to create a family of their own. Unusually bright…
Petty Girl, The (1950): Dir. Nat Perrin
Feat. Constance Cummings; Robert Cummings stars in this comedy–musical as an artist who causes a scandal through his choice of model.
Summer Stock (1950): Dir. Charles Walters
Feat. Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Eddie Bracken…; This technicolor musical was Judy Garland's final film for MGM as she struggled with many personal problems during filming. Garland plays a farm…
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949): Dir. Tay Garnett
Feat. Bing Crosby, Rhonda Fleming, William Bendix…; Mark Twain's comedy given a light musical spin with Bing Crosby.
In the Good Old Summertime (1949): Dir. Robert Z. Leonard
Feat. Judy Garland, Van Johnson, S.Z. Sakall; Judy Garland and Van Johnson star in this musical adaptation of the 1940 film, The Shop Around the Corner, with the locale changed from 1930s…
Ladies of the Chorus (1949): Dir. Phil Karlson
Feat. Marilyn Monroe; Modest musical burlesque has the distinction of giving Marilyn Monroe her first sizeable role.
On the Town (1949): Dir. Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen
Feat. Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly; Exuberant musical about three sailors enjoying a day's leave in New York is about as good as this stuff gets. The cast almost bounce off the screen.
Take Me Out To The Ball Game (Everybody's Cheering) (1949): Dir. Busby Berkeley
Feat. Frank Sinatra, Esther Williams, Gene Kelly; An excellent warm–up for ON THE TOWN with Sinatra and Kelly playing vaudeville buddies in the early–1900s who yuck it up in variety…
Young Man With a Horn (Young Man of Music) (1949): Dir. Michael Curtiz
Feat. Kirk Douglas, Doris Day, Lauren Bacall…; Sharp biopic based on legendary jazz trumpeteer Bix Beiderbecke (played here by Kirk Douglas), who rose from obscurity to possess one of the most…
Easter Parade (1948): Dir. Charles Walters
Feat. Fred Astaire, Amy Miller, Judy Garland; Big–scale musical treat by Irving Berlin, has Fred Astaire swapping dance–partner Amy Miller for celebrity plus Judy Garland, in a role…
Pirate, The (1948): Dir. Vincente Minnelli
Feat. Judy Garland, Vincente Minnelli, Gene Kelly; Real–life partnership Judy Garland and Vincente Minelli reteam for a fine musical that also boasts Gene Kelly's footwork and Cole Porter's…
Red Shoes, The (1948): Dir. Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Feat. Anton Walbrook, Moira Shearer, Marius Goring…; Beloved dance classic is a strikingly realised story of a young ballerina who, in an echo of the Hans Christian Andersen story, becomes torn between…
Down To Earth (1947): Dir. Alexander Hall
Feat. Rita Hayworth, Larry Parks, James Gleason…; Musical comedy sequel to HERE COMES MR. JORDAN starring Rita Hayworth as Greek Goddess Terpsichore who comes down to Earth to join a Broadway…
Good News (1947): Dir. Charles Walters
Feat. June Allyson, Peter Lawford, Patricia Marshall…; Toe–tapping MGM musical based on the 1927 stage production of the same name. Set on a collage campus, where a football star falls in love…
Perils of Pauline, The (1947): Dir. George Marshall
Feat. Betty Hutton, John Lund, Billy DeWolfe…; Showbiz melodrama in which Hutton plays true–life actress Pearl White, who graduated from being a lowly–paid seamstress to queen of the…
Jolson Story, The / Jolson Sings Again (1946): Dir. Alfred E. Green, Henry Levin
Feat. Larry Parks; An American success story in song, accomplished biography traces the career of mammy–singing Al Jolson. Larry Parks offers a flawless…
Man I Love, The (1946): Dir. Raoul Walsh
Feat. Ida Lupino, Robert Alda, Bruce Bennett…; Romantic drama about a New York lounge singer who becomes homesick and decides to visit her siblings on the West Coast, where she unexpectedly falls…
Night and Day (1946): Dir. Michael Curtiz
Feat. Cary Grant, Alexis Smith, Jane Wyman; Somewhat unreliable biography of Cole Porter that gets by on it's soundtrack and Cary Grant's amiable performance.
Anchors Aweigh (1945): Dir. George Sidney
Feat. Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, Gene Kelly; Wartime tale of two sailors on leave in Hollywood. A milestone due to the combination of gene Kelly's live–action choreography coupled with…
Dolly Sisters, The (1945): Dir. Irving Cummings
Feat. Betty Grable, John Payne, June Haver; Flash, energetic musical biopic on Hungarian–born sisters Jennie and Rosie Dolly, who conquered Broadway in the early 1900s. Ravishing…
Glenn Miller Story, The (1945): Dir. Anthony Mann
Feat. James Stewart, June Allyson, Louis Armstrong…; A creditable star–biography of the big–band leader and trombonist, which, verging on the overly sentimental, is saved by its reverance to…
Harvey Girls, The (1945): Dir. George Sidney
Feat. Judy Garland, John Hodiak, Ray Bolger…; A much–loved, if rather formless musical about the heyday of the railroad in the Old West and the Harvey House restaurants which sprang up…
Rhapsody in Blue (1945): Dir. Irving Rapper
Feat. Robert Alda, Joan Leslie, Alexis Smith…; George Gershwin's life and work is given a good glossing over from Hollywood, but the magical music keeps things sprightly for over two hours.
State Fair (1945): Dir. Walter Lang
Feat. Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes…; Cheerful Rodgers & Hammerstein musical about Iowa family visiting a colossal fairground.
Tonight and Every Night (1945): Dir. Victor Saville
Feat. Rita Hayworth; Rita Hayworth starring musical about a London nightclub during the war which despite bombings and blitzes, never skips a beat.
Wonder Man (1945): Dir. Bruce Humberstone
Feat. Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Vera-Ellen…; A typically zany fairy–tale for Danny Kaye, as a mild–mannered student persuaded by the ghost of his dead twin to seek out his murderer.…
Bells of St. Mary's (1944): Dir. Leo McCarey
Feat. Bing Crosby, Ingrid Bergman; Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman team up for a musical comedy as a gentle priest and a prim nun who slug out their differences. 8 Oscar nominations.
Can't Help Singing (1944): Dir. Frank Ryan
Feat. Deanna Durbin, Robert Paige, Akim Tamiroff; Sugary sweet technicolour western musical based on the book "Girl of the Overland Trail" by Samuel J. and Curtis B. Warshawsky. Set during the…
Cover Girl (1944): Dir. Charles Vidor
Feat. Rita Hayworth, Gene Kelly, Phil Silvers…; Sheer energy and razzamatazz compensate for the rampant cliches of this Rita Hayworth/Gene Kelly dance–musical, set in the world of magazine…
Going My Way (1944): Dir. Leo McCarey
Feat. Bing Crosby; Oscar–sweeping musical favourite stars Bing Crosby as the singing priest, Father O'Malley, whose casual unorthodoxy casts an influential spell.
Meet Me in St Louis (1944): Dir. Vincente Minnelli
Feat. Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor…; In the year before the 1904 St Louis World's Fair, the four Smith daughters learn lessons of life and love, even as they prepare for a reluctant move…
Pin Up Girl (1944): Dir. H. Bruce Humberstone
Feat. Betty Grable, John Harvey, Martha Raye…; Betty Grable, America's #1 pin–up during WWII, strikes a pose as a canteen girl who pretends to be broadway star in order to stay close to her…
Cabin in the Sky (1943): Dir. Vincente Minnelli
Feat. Lena Horne, Ethel Waters, " Eddie ""Rochester""" Anderson…; Landmark musical presents a 'faux–negro' folk story accompanied by the sophisticated musicianship of Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and…
Gang's All Here, The (1943): Dir. Busby Berkeley
Feat. Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda; Exhibitionist Fox musical combines some sensational talent (Miranda, in particular) with wildly innovative visuals from the great Busby Berkeley. The…
Hard Way, The (1943): Dir. Vincent Sherman
Feat. Ida Lupino, Dennis Morgan, Joan Leslie; Musical drama based on a story by Irwin Shaw, which was reportedly inspired by Ginger Rogers' first marriage to Jack Pepper. Joan Leslie plays a…
Heat's On, The (Tropicana) (1943): Dir. Gregory Ratoff
Feat. Mae West; Famous Mae West flop, with the screen vamp playing a Broadway star torn between rival producers. Once the talk of the town, she wouldn't make another…
Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943): Dir. Bruce Humberstone
Feat. Alice Faye, John Payne, Jack Oakie…; Classic technicolor musical set in Frisco's lively vaudeville scene in 1915.
Lulu Belle (1943): Dir. Leslie Fenton
Feat. Dorothy Lamour, George Montgomery, Albert Dekker; Montgomery leaves his fiancee to take up with disreputable night club singer Lulu Belle. Almost forgotten musical is mostly of interest for it's…
Phantom of the Opera (1943): Dir. Arthur Lubin
Feat. Claude Rains, Nelson Eddy, Susanna Foster; Technicolour version of the old tale with Claude Rains warbling it up behind the mask. The emphasis here is more on singing than chills, it could be…
Presenting Lily Mars (1943): Dir. Norman Taurog
Feat. Judy Garland, Van Heflin, Fay Bainter…; MGM Musical comedy starring Judy Garland in an early grown–up role as the titular small–town girl who heads to Broadway but struggles to…
Stormy Weather (1943): Dir. Andrew L. Stone
Feat. Lena Horne, Bill Robinson, Cab Calloway…; An on–off romance between a dancer and a popular songstress provides a suitable excuse for a fantastic retrospective of the great…
For Me and My Gal (1942): Dir. Busby Berkeley
Feat. Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, George Murphy; A Busby Berkeley–directed musical that provided the first real "adult" role for a nineteen–year–old Judy Garland. Gene Kelly…
Holiday Inn (1942): Dir. Mark Sandrich
Feat. Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby; Love–triangle musical scored by Irving Berlin has Astaire dancing without Rogers and Bing Crosby unleashing 'White Christmas'.
Orchestra Wives (1942): Dir. Archie Mayo
Feat. Ann Rutherford, George Montgomery, Lynn Bari…; Swing–era musical featuring the Glenn Miller orchestra, with Miller himself playing the leader of a band. When the trumpet player…
Road to Morocco (1942): Dir. David Butler
Feat. Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour; Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour do their bit for the war effort by enchanting the public with mad–cap (rom)antics on the North African…
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942): Dir. Michael Curtiz
Feat. James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston; An energy–filled and well–loved musical biography of Show–Biz King George Cohan, played by James Cagney.
You Were Never Lovelier (1942): Dir. William A Seiter
Feat. Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth; Gently funny musical with Fred Astaire pursuing Rita Hayworth.
Hellzapoppin' (1941): Dir. H.C. Potter
Feat. Ole Olsen, Chic Johnson; Batty and rambunctious comedy classic runs a gamut of slight gags and inspired slapstick lunacy, with wild pair Olsen and Johnson guiding the…
Moon Over Miami (1941): Dir. Walter Lang
Feat. Betty Grable, Don Ameche, Robert Cummings; One of Betty Grable's better musical outings, it's a bright and breezy story of two sisters who attempt to ensnare a pair of Miami millionaires when…
Sun Valley Serenade (1941): Dir. H. Bruce Humberstone
Feat. Sonja Henie, John Payne, Milton Berle…; Winter wonderland musical sets the stage for the Glenn Miller Orchestra and skating star Sonja Henie, here playing a Norwegian refugee turned…
You'll Never Get Rich (1941): Dir. Sidney Lanfield
Feat. Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, John Hubbard…; Generally amusing showbiz comedy has Fred Astaire play a star Broadway dancer who helps his boss (Benchley) out of trouble with his wife over a…
Ziegfeld Girl (1941): Dir. Robert Z. Leonard
Feat. James Stewart, Judy Garland, Hedy Lamarr…; A star–sudded MGM musical melodrama featuring musical numbers staged by Busby Berkeley, highlighted by "You Stepped Out of a Dream". Set in the…
Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940): Dir. Norman Taurog
Feat. Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell, George Murphy…; The final of the loosely connected BROADWAY MELODY quartet is unusually plot–heavy, but still features glittery dance numbers and a lovely Cole…
Down Argentine Way (1940): Dir. Irving Cummings
Feat. Carmen Miranda, Betty Grable, Don Ameche; A horse mad New Yorker falls for a wealthy Argentine rancher in this fluffy technicolor musical, but is hampered by the longstanding feud between…
It All Came True (1940): Dir. Lewis Seiler
Feat. Ann Sheridan, Jeffrey Lynn, Humphrey Bogart; A crime–themed musical comedy featuring Ann Sheridan as a fledgling singer in her first starring role as well as Humphrey Bogart as a fugitive…
Road to Singapore (1940): Dir. Victor Schertzinger
Feat. Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour; The first of half a dozen 'Road to' films has Bing Crosby and Bob Hope as clowning, crooning rivals vying for the affections of Dorothy Lamour.
Second Fiddle (1939): Dir. Sidney Lanfield
Feat. Tyrone Power, Edna May Oliver, Sonja Henie…; A musical romance with a score composed by Irving Berlin and a screenplay based on George Bradshaw's story "Heart Interest". A studio publicist…
Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, The (1939): Dir. H.C. Potter
Feat. Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edna May Oliver…; Fred & Ginger star in the story of the dancing team who taught the world to two–step, based on the stories "My Husband and My Memories of…
Wizard of Oz, The (1939): Dir. Victor Fleming, King Vidor
Feat. Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr…; The world's best loved film down through and across the generations, and a key cultural icon. MGM pulled out all the stops to realise L. Frank…
Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938): Dir. Henry King
Feat. Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, Don Ameche…; Irving Berlin contributes over two dozen songs as well as the screenplay for this rousing story of the history of (white) jazz music from ragtime to…
Broadway Melody of 1938 (1938): Dir. Roy Del Ruth
Feat. Judy Garland, Robert Taylor, Eleanor Powell; Splendidly lavish "Show Musical", where a flimsy storyline is but an excuse to launch the brilliant dancing talents of Eleanor Powell. Also included…
Carefree (1938): Dir. Mark Sandrich
Feat. Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Ralph Bellamy; The eighth of the ten films that Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers did together, this screwball comedy features only four musical numbers, and is…
Great Waltz, The (The Life of Johann Strauss) (1938): Dir. Julien Duvivier
Feat. Fernand Gravey, Luise Rainer, Lionel Atwill; The lIfe story of Johann Strauss is given a rich if somewhat corny treatment in this otherwise well–mounted musical biopic.
Keep Fit (1937): Dir. Anthony Kimmins
Feat. Kay Walsh, Guy Middleton, George Formby; Snappy–yet–slight musical–comedy sees Formby play a skinny wimp who faces off against a stocky Middleton in a 'keep fit' contest in…
On the Avenue (1937): Dir. Roy Del Ruth
Feat. Dick Powell, Madeleine Carroll, Alice Faye; The songs of Irving Berlin feature prominently in this infectious Broadway–set musical, with Dick Powell, Alice Faye and the Ritz Brothers (as…
Shall We Dance (1937): Dir. Mark Sandrich
Feat. Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers; Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers pretend to be married in this last notable musical of their partnership. Features the classic roller–skate…
Dimples (1936): Feat. Shirley Temple, Frank Morgan, Robert Kent; Shirley Temple musical set in the New York Bowery, where the young lass helps her pickpocket grandfather., Soon however her musical talents come to…
Follow the Fleet (1936): Dir. Mark Sandrich
Feat. Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers; Astaire & Rogers musical that marked a career peak for the pair after TOP HAT. Irving Berlin scores.
Gay Desperado, The (1936): Dir. Rouben Mamoulian
Feat. Ida Lupino, Leo Carrillo, Nino Martini…; A light comedy with operatic tenor Nino Martini playing a singer who works as a live entertainer in a movie theatre, and is kidnapped by a trigger…
Keep Your Seats, Please (1936): Dir. Monty Banks
Feat. George Formby, Florence Desmond, Gus McNaughton; An endearing Formby is at his gormless best in this musical comedy, where he must find his aunt's inheritance sewn up in 12 chairs that have…
Pennies from Heaven (1936): Dir. Norman Z. McLeod
Feat. Bing Crosby; Bing Crosby vehicle sees the showman protecting a little girl from the big bad school system.
Show Boat (1936): Dir. James Whale
Feat. Irene Dunne, Allan Jones, Charles Winninger…; A faithful adaptation of Oscar Hammerstein's 1920's stage musical covering four decades as an aspiring actor goes from working a Mississippi…
Swing Time (1936): Dir. George Stevens
Feat. Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers; A fine example of Fred and Ginger's magical screen partnership, their sixth together, weaving the music of Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields, into…
Gold Diggers of 1935 (1935): Dir. Busby Berkeley
Feat. Dick Powell, Adolphe Menjou, Gloria Stuart…; Summer season at New England's Wentworth Plaza hotel..the rich will come out to play, and so will the golddiggers! Dick Powell heads up this…
Naughty Marietta (1935): Dir. W.S. Van Dyke
Feat. Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy; The first vehicle for onscreen singing duo Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy – both hugely popular in their day – is a rehash of an…
Phantom Empire, The (1935): Feat. Gene Autry, Frankie Darro, Smiley Burnette; Oddball children's serial from the thirties has singing cowboy Autry discovering the last remaining inhabitants of the lost continent of Mu living…
Roberta (1935): Dir. William A. Seiter
Feat. Irene Dunne, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers…; An unsuccessful American Football player inherits his Aunt's Parisian fashion house. One of the weaker Rogers/Astaire efforts.
Top Hat (1935): Dir. Mark Sandrich
Feat. Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers; Magically irrepressible musical with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers enacting some brilliant toe–tapping routines to the tunes of Irving Berlin…
Belle of the Nineties (1934): Dir. Leo McCarey
Feat. Mae West; Mae's first post–production code outing: she plays a sultry cabaret singer lusted after by a myriad of Missippian males. Duke Ellington also…
Dames (1934): Dir. Ray Enright, Busby Berkeley
Feat. Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, ZaSu Pitts…; This blissful musical battle between stage–hopefuls and a disapproving decency group is often referred to by critics as the 'Gold Diggers of…
Gay Divorcee, The (1934): Dir. Mark Sandrich
Feat. Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers; Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers received top–billing for the first time in this excellent revision of Cole Porter's Broadway musical. Songs…
March of the Wooden Soldiers (Babes In Toyland) (1934): Dir. Gus Meins, Charles R. Rogers
Feat. Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy; Imaginative musical fantasia also makes the most of Laurel and Hardy's comic genius – as dim–witted toymakers whose mistaken order for…
Merry Widow, The (1934): Dir. Ernst Lubitsch
Feat. Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald; Out of cold–blooded patriotism to his homeland Marshovia, gadabout Maurice Chevalier attempts to seduce millionairess Jeanette MacDonald into…
42nd Street (1933): Dir. Lloyd Bacon
Feat. Warner Baxter, Bebe Daniels, George Brent; The definitive backstage musical, centered around a chorus girl's shot at stardom when the leading lady twists her ankle. Busby Berkeley wrote the…
Footlight Parade (1933): Dir. Lloyd Bacon, Busby Berkeley
Feat. James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler…; James Cagney stars as an indefatigable Broadway producer, working show–biz miracles to keep his company afloat through the Depression. Most…
Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933): Dir. Mervyn LeRoy
Feat. Warren William, Joan Blondell, Aline MacMahon…; Busby Berkeley brings his snappy camerawork and choreography magic to the production numbers of this pre–'Hays code' musical, in which Dick…
Hallelujah, I'm a Bum (1933): Dir. Lewis Milestone
Feat. Al Jolson, Madge Evans, Frank Morgan…; Freewheeling musical comedy set (and made) during the Great Depression, with Al Jolson playing a hobo in New York who falls in love with the mayor's…
Blonde Venus (1932): Dir. Josef von Sternberg
Feat. Marlene Dietrich, Cary Grant, Herbert Marshall…; Director Josef von Sternberg reunites with muse Marlene Dietrich in this sweeping melodrama about a German chanteuse turned struggling housewife who…
Love Me Tonight (1932): Dir. Rouben Mamoulian
Feat. Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald, Myrna Loy…; Charismatic tailor Maurice Chevalier makes beautiful music with princess Jeanette MacDonald in this splendiferous romance, one of the great musicals…
Madam Satan (1930): Dir. Cecil B. DeMille
Feat. Kay Johnson, Reginald Denny, Roland Young; A genuine oddity (and second talkie) from Cecil B. DeMille, this typically extravagant pre–Code musical comedy stars Kay Johnson as a jealous…
Broadway Melody of 1929 (1929): Dir. Harry Beaumont
Feat. Charles King, Anita Page, Bessie Love…; "100% All Talking! 100% All Singing! 100% All Dancing!" – this creaky MGM tale of two sisters bringing their act to Broadway was tremendously…
Cocoanuts, The (1929): Dir. Robert Florey, Joseph Santley
Feat. Groucho Marx, Zeppo Marx, Chico Marx…; The first feature–length Marx Brothers is probably one for completists only, with much of the film's running time devoted to mediocre musical…
Jazz Singer, The (1927): Dir. Alan Crosland
Feat. Al Jolson, May McAvoy; Historically important as the first–ever 'talkie' (ie. sound–film), featuring synchronised singing in several numbers. Al Jolson plays…
Blind Husbands / The Great Gabbo (1919-1929): Dir. Erich von Stroheim, James Cruze
Feat. Erich von Stroheim, Gibson Gowland, Sam De Grasse…; Two feature films on one disc featuring visionary Austrian–American silent filmmaker and actor Erich von Stroheim. Blind Husbands (directed…
Busby Berkeley Disc, The: Dir. Busby Berkeley; A unique collection of twenty one complete musical numbers that established the choreographic genius of Busby Berkeley.
Gilbert & Sullivan Box Set: This extensive collection contains twelve of Gilbert and Sullivan's best loved operas specially filmed for home entertainment. A cast of top…

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