Musical Movie Review: ***^Brigadoon (1954)

Gene Kelly puts his spin on this Lerner and Loewe musical.  Kelly is credited with the choreography.  This is a musical I was in at one point in my life, so the story I know well.  They did some nice things here, and the left out some which I miss.  Tommy Allbright (Gene Kelly) and Jeff Douglas (Van Johnson) are hunting when they loss their way.  Out of the mist a town, Brigadoon, which is not on the map.  It is a magical town.   Here we see what happens when two cultures collide.  It proves well for Tommy, and a nightmare for Jeff.  Tommy meets Fiona (Cyd Charisse) and Charlie Dalrymple (Jimmy Thompson) and his fiance Jean (Virginia Bosler), Fiona's sister.  The miracle town is doomed when one member of the town decides to leave.  His leaving will end the miracle and they will all be doomed.   The part that was minimized in the movie is that of Meg (Dodie Heath) in fact they cut both of her songs, as well as a Fiona song.
However they add a rousing tap number, with the Scottish characters being totally amused by something new, as well as some nice dance scenes.  The big dance is after the wedding.

Movie Review: ***^Singing in the Rain

This is a classic movie, musical about the switch from silent movies to talkies.  Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) are stars of the silent screen.  However, when the studio decides to do a talking movie, they discover Lina  Lamont's voice is not conducive to good theater.  When the premier comes out, there are just too many problems, and those in attendance are not impressed.  A last minute change to a musical before release is in order.  Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor), Lockwood's good friend and Kathy Seldon (Debbie Reynolds) his love interest agree to help; Seldon by dubbing over the voice of Lamont, and singing all her songs and giving all her lines.  All this is kept from Lamont, but when she finds out it is as if she is a woman scorned.  She insists Seldon continue as her voice, while the studio keep the truth under wraps.  In other words, she wants to destroy Seldon's possibility of having her own career.
This musical is good, but it has the fault of the time, putting in numbers just for no reason.  there is the song "Gotta Dance" which is just that. a big production with nothing to do with the plot.  However songs that work are "Make them Laugh," "Singing in the Rain" and "Good Mornin'."  A lot of fun if you don't fall to sleep with the long song and dance numbers.

Musical Movie Review: On the Town

This is a Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly musical in which they portray two of three sailors, who have a day's shore leave and the want to meet girls.  Gabey (Kelly) falls for a woman declared princess of New York, and goes to all kind of efforts to meet her.  While he does that, the other guys meet girls as well.  Can you establish a relationship in just one night, you bet you can.  All three guys have girls in tow as the return to the ship.  This movie is fun, but not earth shattering.  The starring actresses are Vera Ellen, Alice Pearce, Betty Garrett and Ann Miller. Music was written by Leonard Bernstein.  Songs of not include "New York, New York" and "Lonely Town."

Movie Review: ***^ Xanadu (1980)

Xanadu 1980  Sheri and I enjoyed Xanadu when we were younger.  It actually came out a couple years before we were married.  Olivia Newton John stars as Kira, a muse.  Gene Kelly as Danny McGuire, is a former love interest of the muse, and the current love interest, Sonny Malone is played by Michael Beck.  The story explains a muse is not allowed to have a permanent relationship, but they are to help people’s dreams come through.  The dream in this case is for the two men, who are partners, to get a club going which they call Xanadu.  When the muse has to leave as the dream is fulfilled, Sonny is depressed and miserable, as Danny was 30 years ago.  He goes after her.  He runs through a mural, into the realm of the muses.  Because of this great love, she is granted a day to come back and see the opening day of the club.  She still has to leave in the end, but they do get a day.  This show has good music, and a story line that works.  I don’t know what it is with all the roller skating.  Maybe it was a thing for the time, roller skates, not roller blades.  There is a twist at the end.