Musical Theatre
The Musical Motion Picture.
Throughout
the 1940s, songwriter Arthur Freed headed MGM's main musical production unit.
There were other fine musical producers at that studio (including Joe
Pasternak), but Freed's team set the industry standard. After proving himself as
associate producer of The Wizard of Oz (1939), Freed supervised forty musicals
over the next twenty years. With associate producer Roger Edens, he selected a
dazzling line up of creative talents, including Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen, Fred
Astaire, Betty Comden & Adolph Green and Alan Jay Lerner. But Freed's greatest
achievement was shaping the careers of many entertainers.
Enjoy great songs and great performances.
The Carlsbad Channel presents many of the Great Musicals of the Silver Screen.
The Rhythm and Blues Review (1955)
Musical
variety show filmed at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York City featuring a
cast of popular African-American performers. The show features Willie Bryant,
Freddie Robinson, Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, Faye Adams, Bill Bailey, Herb
Jeffries, Amos Milburn, Sarah Vaughan, Nipsey Russell, Big Joe Turner, Martha
Davis, Little Buck, Nat 'King' Cole, Mantan Moreland, Cab Calloway and Ruth
Brown.
No Rap Music here. Just the best Harlem had to offer. 5 Stars.
Till the Clouds Roll By (1946)
Light
bio-pic of American Broadway pioneer Jerome Kern, featuring renditions of the
famous songs from his musical plays by contemporary stage artists, including a
condensed production of his most famous: 'Showboat' .
The mammoth musical of Jerome Kern's dramatic life story.
When MGM originally began planning this film, it asked Jerome Kern what he thought about Robert Walker being cast. He said it sounded all right, but he wanted to hear his wife's opinion. He phoned her from the office and she told him to stay and play himself and send Walker home to her.
Frolics on Ice (1939)
A slice of Americana as wholesome as apple pie.
The
influence of the Hollywood film is exemplified by this outstanding movie. Many
young girls would have seen this film and said "I must try to be like this young
star" Now as grandmothers, they can look with pride at their children and grand
children. 1939 was apparently a year for skating extravaganzas. Sonja Henie did
her usual couple of musicals and over at M-G-M, the costume designers fitted
skates for Joan Crawford’s “The Ice Follies of 1939”. Poverty row’s Sol added
6-year-old Irene Dare to the lineup, and the little Miss Dare could skate both
forwards and backwards while smiling prettily.
That's My Baby (1944)
Father
runs a big corporation but is suffering from a severe case of melancholia.
Daughter and persona non grata boyfriend cook up a plan to have every
ex-vaudevillian and dancer on the club circuit that they can find attempt to
make him smile. Groan. Scatterbrained ex-wife finally saves the day by
remembering that father once had ambitions to be a newspaper comic illustrator.
Gene Rodgers, the stupendous boogie-woogie piano player; Mitchell & Lytell,
Abbot and Costello wannabees; Alphonse Bergé & Doris Duane, a must-be-seen
inverse striptease act; Al Mardo and his priceless bulldog; and most of all
Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham, who steals the show with his break dancing.
Girl O My Dreams (1939)
Part
of a long and honorable Hollywood tradition of college-set films where the men
are all athletes, the women are all working on their MRS degree and students
(who seem to all be in their mid-20's) do almost anything but attend classes.
Interesting mostly for the chance to see several names very early in their
career. The opening of this film was shot on the campus of University of
California at Berkeley, as anyone who went there could testify. There are a few
shots of the campus in the film, mostly west of the campanile. Nice performances
by Sterling Holloway. All around this is a fun, innocent film. Wish there had
been more of the Crane Sisters.
Dixie Jamboree (1944)
Dixie
Jamboree (PRC, 1944) is a fun musical loaded with character actors. It stars
Frances Langford, Guy Kibbee, Eddie Quillen, and Charles Butterworth. Lyle
Talbot is getting a little thicker in this movie, more like his TV self. Frank
Jenks, Louise Beavers, Fifi D’Orsay, Joe Devlin—what a cast! The plot involves
disreputable sharps trying to steal the formula for a booze-like elixer from a
riverboat captain, but it's the parade of character actors and Langford's
singing that make this worth watching.
Home Carlsbad News Carlsbad Sports The Carlsbad Channel en Espanol
Carlsbad Music Carlsbad Videos Movies Live News Webcast Cliff Hangers
Carlsbad Special Events Cartoons High Def TV Film Theatre Carlsbad Museum
Western Movie Theatre Sherlock Holmes Theatre Musicals
Biz Thriller Theatre Classic Sci-Fi Action Theatre Comedy Theatre Horror
TV Series Photo Gallery Weirdorama The Carlsbad Channel Blogs