MY FIVE FAVORITE MOVIE MUSICALS OF ALL-TIME

One of my favorite genres of movies are musicals. I was close to my grandfather, and he instilled in me a love of the movies and music of the 1930s and 1940s. Today is my birthday - I can not believe I am 52 now, so I wanted to share the list of my favorite movie musicals for my birthday entry this year. I did this list one before, way back in 2011 so it is good to update it. I am not looking at the old list before I make this new list.

Here are my five favorites:

5. SILK STOCKINGS (1957) - This movie was one of htel ast big budget musicals Fred Astaire did for MGM. MGM sure new how to make a musical back then. Fred was paired up with the wonderful Cyd Charisse for this musical set in beautiful Paris. Rounding out the cast was Janis Page, Peter Lorre, and Jules Munshin. The stand out songs for me was "Sterophonic Sound" (performed by Fred and Janis) and "The Ritz Roll And Rock" (which made fun of Fred's top hat and tales personna). The movie is a lot of fun! (#5 in 2011)

4. THE MUSIC MAN (1962) - My wife absolutely hates this movie, but I do not care. Robert Preston originated the role on Broadway, and he made this movie version as well. The songs were from Meredith Wilson, and I have had a foundness for the film since my music teacher had us watch the movie in the 7th grade. In the cast as well were top notch performers like Shirley Jones and Buddy Hackett. My wife hates Preston's singer, but I like the movie! (#3 in 2011)

3. HIGH SOCIETY (1956) - This movie was one of the last great musicals that Bing Crosby starred in, and it is one of the best msuicals of the 1950s. The music is provided courtsey of Cole Porter and rounding out the cast was Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Celetse Holm, and Louis Armstrong. On a personal note, I enjoyed Grace Kelly's character Tracy Samantha Lord so much, that we named our daughter "Samantha", and I used to sing the song "I Love You Samantha" to her. The story is great. The dialogue is witty. This musical is top notch in every way. (new to list)

2. HAIRSPRAY (2007) - It is odd for me that I have two modern musicals in my top five musicals, but I love this film. My daughter, and I have watched it countless times, and the film is nearly perfect. Another Broadway transformation, the film starred John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Michele Pfeifer, and Jerry Stiller among others. Seeing John Travolta sing and dance as a woman is amazing, and the film had a serious tone dealing with 1960s racism. (new to list)

1. SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (2007) - I am a huge fan of the movies of director Tim Burton, and Johnny Depp rarely makes a bad movie. Depp is not a singer, but he pulls of the role of Sweeney Todd perfectly. Tim Burton films the movie in such a way that you are transported back in time to the slums of London, and he uses colors in a way that the movie is nearly black and white. I am not a fan of the music of Stephen Sondheim, but they are presented in a way that they are woven effortlessly into the fabric of the movie. The movie is a little bit violent of course, but the story and the film itself is flawless - for a modern musical that is saying a lot. (#1 in 2011)

BRIGADOON: A 1954 REVIEW

Here is the original review of the movie musical Brigadoon, which was released 70 years ago. This review appeared in the New York Times on September 17, 1954...

By Bosley Crowther


AS we recall, the drama critics had a bit of a difficult time placing their pen-points precisely on the secret of the charm of "Brigadoon" when that whimsical play with music opened on Broadway some seven years ago. Was it the dancing, the music, the acting, the story, the decor—or, indeed, a graceful blending of all these elements—that made it a bright and spinning joy? As we recall, the secret was never entirely resolved.And now we're afraid the film critics—at least, this one—will find it equally hard to say why the film made from that triumph is so curiously flat and out-of-joint, rambling all over creation and seldom generating warmth or charm.It cannot be blamed on the story, for the story told in the film, which M-G-M delivered to the Music Hall yesterday, is exactly the same wistful fancy that was spun out upon the stage as written by Alan Jay Lerner, who also prepared the script. 

It is the story of two American hunters who go astray in the Scottish hills and there come upon a spectral village that is lost to the world and to time. Naturally, one of the fellows falls in love with a bonnie ghost, which leads to disturbing complications. It's a fairy-tale story, but it's okay.And it certainly cannot be for want of elaborate and handsome decor that this huge, polychrome motion picture lacks the joy of the show upon the stage. For Arthur Freed has produced it with what appears not a thought of the expense of Scottish costumes, thatched cottages, heather blossoms, scenic backdrops and furze-covered hills. A whole highland village and half a county are spread across the CinemaScope screen. To be sure, it does look artificial, but it is scenery. That, too, is okay.

The music? Well, let's acknowledge that a few of the better songs that made the stage show sweet and lovely are strangely omitted from the film. "Come to Me, Bend to Me" is missing. So is "My Mother's Wedding Day." And, for some unaccountable reason, they have dropped "There But For You Go I."However, "Waitin' for My Dearie" and "I'll Go Home With Bonnie Jean" are still given choral circulation, with a big boost from stereophonic sound, "The Heather on the Hill" still has its fragrance. And there's "Almost Like Being in Love." These, plus some other choral numbers, keep the musical franchise in line.But the dancing and the performance—well, we're afraid that it is in here that the life and the smoothness of the original have been perceptibly lost—which is odd, because the personable Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse have the lead dancing roles. Even so, their several individual numbers are done too slickly, too mechanistically. What should be wistful and lyric smack strongly of trickery and style. And the several ensemble dances—with the exception of the wild and fierce "The Chase," wherein the Scots pursue a fugitive from their village—seem as calculated as Rockette parades.It might be noted that Mr. Kelly has taken credit for the choreography. On the stage, it was by Agnes De Mille.And those performances! Mr. Kelly's is as thin and metallic as a nail; Miss Charisse's is solemn and posey. A dismal young Scots lassie she! Van Johnson as the friend of Mr. Kelly pouts in a most unfunny way, and Barry Jones, Hugh Laing and Jimmy Thompson make peculiarly stagey Scottish ghosts. Vincente Minnelli's direction lacks his usual vitality and flow."Brigadoon" on the screen, we must say, is pretty weak synthetic Scotch.On the stage at the Music Hall are Gill Johnson and Mike Madill, comedians; Marlene Dell and Don Farnsworth, ballet soloists; Anthony Makas, pianist, and the Glee Club, Corps de Ballet and Rockettes...

SOURCE

THE LAST DAYS OF TONY MARTIN JR.

Tony Martin Jr. was driving north on the I-5 expressway on October 31, 2003, presumable on his way home. He had just passed the Templin Highway interchange, and was just north of it when he lost control of his car. His car veered towards the guardrail, but the section that he would have hit had been removed after being destroyed a week earlier by a previous accident. His car ran off the embankment and reportedly rolled several times, injuring Tony Martin Jr. very severely. He suffered from severe brain injuries, a broken pelvis, broken knee, and serious cranial fractures. He spent 5 weeks in a coma before awakening.

His mental level was found to have been reduced to that of a 5 year-old child. Liv Lindeland Martin sued the State of California in 2006, for the missing guardrail. The State of California's position was that there had not been time to repair the guardrail in the 6 days since it's original damage and removal, because at that same time, all available CalTrans personnel were occupied with forest fire and wildfire control on the expressways in other areas, that even if the guardrail would have been in place, it would not have saved him from the injuries, and that the original accident was Tony Martin Jr.s' fault for losing control of his car, which was NOT caused by any road condition or highway problem.

The State of California lost their case, and Liv Lindeland Martin was awarded $893,000 in direct damages, and future damages for the perpetual around-the-clock care of Tony Martin Jr. of $9,200.000.00. Tony Martin Jr. died on April 10th, 2011. Tony Martin Sr. died July 27th, 2012. Liv Lindeland Martin settled the Martin estate, and moved back to her native Norway in late 2012...

PHOTOS OF THE DAY: CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD VALENTINE'S DAY

 No one showcased romance more than classic Hollywood. There are some great pictures of classic Hollywood celebrating February 14th. Here are just a few of them...

Betty Hutton

Jean Harlow, Clark Cable, Myrna Loy

Mary Carlisle

Marilyn Monroe

Mary Pickford

Cyd Charisse

MISSED OBITS: NICO CHARISSE

I am sad to report that Nico Charisse, the last surviving child of dancer Cyd Charisse died this past October. I regret that I did not learn about this sooner. Nico had a tough life in later years, and may he rest in peace.

Here is his obituary:
Nico Finklea Charisse, 77, of Los Angeles, California, passed away on Monday October 28, 2019, in Lakewood, California. He was born to Nico and Cyd Charisse on May 7, 1942 in Los Angeles, California. Nico was a veteran of the Army and served as Second Lieutenant at Camp San Luis Obispo. During his time there he fell in love with the San Luis Obispo area and later moved his family from Beverly Hills to Atascadero, California.

After the military, Nico received his Juris Doctor degree and practiced law until the early 2000s.

Nico spent his retirement living along the beautiful Kern River, a place where he had enjoyed fishing and camping throughout his life. Nico is survived by his children, daughter Gabrielle (Tom) McDougall of Long Beach, California. Son, Nico L. Charisse of Paso Robles, California. His grandchildren; Hailey, Nick, Ethan, Taylor, Ella, and Jackson and a brother, Marc Charisse of Spring Grove, Pennsylvania.

Nico is preceded in death by wife Sheilah Snodgrass Charisse, brother Tony Martin Jr., step-father Tony Martin Sr., and his parents. A graveside service will be held at Glen Haven Memorial Park in Sylmar, California on Saturday, November 9, 2019 at noon...

Here is an article I wrote on Nico Charisse Jr back in January of 2015...

Nico Charisse Jr: A Hollywood Offspring Story

PHOTOS OF THE DAY: A CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD HALLOWEEN

I love looking at vintage pictures of Hollywood stars at the holidays. My favorites I think are the photos from Halloween. I spotlighted them in 2012 and 2014 so it's been awhile. Here are some classic Hollywood pics celebrating Halloween...

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis

Jeanne Crain

Jimmy Durante

Clark Gable and Marion Davies

Linda Darnell

Cyd Charisse

A CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD HALLOWEEN (2012)

A CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD HALLOWEEN (2014)

PHOTOS OF THE DAY: DAN DAILEY

One of the most underrated musical stars in all of Hollywood was dancer Dan Dailey (1915-1978). He not only was a dancer but he could sing and act and do drama. Unfortunately, his life was not as happy as the movies he made. His only son commited suicide in 1975, and Dailey himself would die at the young age of 63.

Here are some pictures of Dan Dailey through the years...

With Betty Grable (1916-1973)

With Cyd Charisse (1922-2008)

PHOTOS OF THE DAY: CLASSIC PATRIOTIC HOLLYWOOD

What present Hollywood is missing in its stars is a sense of patriotism. Classic Hollywood really rallied about the country, especially during World War II. On this 4th of July, I thought I would take a look at some of the patriotic pictures from classic Hollywood...

Ann Miller (1923-2004)

Ava Gardner (1922-1990)

Claudette Colbert (1903-1996)

Colleen Moore (1899-1988)

Cyd Charisse (1922-2008)

Veronica Lake (1922-1973)

NICO CHARISSE: A HOLLYWOOD OFFSPRING STORY

You probably do not recognize the name Nico Charisse, but he is the son of famous parents dancer Cyd Charisse (1921-2008) and singer Tony Martin (1913-2012). Actually his real father was Nico Charisse Sr (1906-1971). Nico Sr. was actually his mother's dance teacher and Cyd married the much older dance teacher in 1939 at the young age of 18. The age difference and Cyd making a move to Hollywood was too much for the marriage, and the couple divorced on February 17, 1947. The elder Nico would remarry and have another child in the 1950s.

Nico Jr. would be pratically adopted by Tony Martin after Martin married Cyd on May 18, 1948. With two parents now happy and in love, as well as with a new half brother Tony Martin Jr born on August 28, 1950, Nico had pretty much a perfect Hollywood family and upbringing. His parents were both healthy and raised their sons without the drama that face other Hollywood families.

In the late 1960s, Nico met the beautiful Shelia Marie Snodgrass. They were married and life seemed pretty good for the couple. Nico was going to school to become a lawyer, and he was admitted to the star bar in 1977 and began practicing law in California. Tragedy would strike the family when Shelia was killed on May 25, 1979 when the American Airlines Flight 191 crashed just outside of Chicago. All 258 passengers and 13 crew on board were killed, along with two people on the ground. It is the deadliest aviation accident to occur on U.S. soil. The disaster and investigation received widespread coverage in the media, assisted by new news gathering technologies. The impact on the public was increased by the dramatic effect of an amateur photo taken of the aircraft rolling which was published on the front page of the Chicago Tribune on the Sunday following the crash (the crash was on a Friday).

Nico remarried a second time - unfortunately unsuccessfully. His career as a lawyer was almost ruined when he was disciplined for misconduct. Charisse's misconduct involved three separate clients and included failing to properly maintain and supervise his client trust account, keep clients informed about the status of their case, perform legal services competently, and improper withdrawal from representation.

In one instance, Charisse was employed by a client who maintained that trees in his orchard were damaged by a crop dusting company. Charisse filed the complaint but did not comply with fast track rules; the case was dismissed and he was sanctioned for failing to appear at a hearing.

His client was unsuccessful at many attempts to check on the status of his case and Charisse did not tell him that the case was dismissed. The client requested an accounting and refund of unearned fees, which Charisse neglected to do.

In mitigation, Charisse was suffering from extreme clinical depression which was exacerbated by a personal family law matter, including a child custody fight from his second wife. Charisse was suffering from alcoholism at the time of his misconduct, but has received inpatient treatment and is involved in a continuing program of sobriety. Nico rose above these tough times and continued to practice law until he retired in 2007.

After receiving the National Medal Of Freedom from President George Bush in 2006, Cyd Charisse began having heart troubles. She suffered a massive heart attack on June 16, 2008 and died the following day at the age of 86. Nico openly wept at the funeral of his mother who was buried at the Hillside Memorial Park.

More tragedy struck on April 10, 2011 when his half brother Tony Martin Jr died at the age of 60. I have not discovered the exact cause of death, but it was reported that Tony Martin Jr had been in ill health for years, and his parents had to pay most of the medical bills. It was also reported that Tony Jr was in a car accident in 2001, but I am not sure if that contributed to his death.

At this point Nico helped to care for the now elderly Tony Martin Sr. Tony was always a pillar of health and energy and performed into 2008, but after the death of his beloved Cyd and then the death of their only son together, Tony Sr. stopped performing. Tony Martin Sr. died on the evening of July 27, 2012 at the age of 98. Nico Jr has had a lot of tragedy in his life, and despite having a happy upbringing from his famous parents, you never quite know where life will take you.

UPDATE: Sadly Nico died on October 28, 2019...

PHOTOS OF THE DAY: TONY MARTIN

On Christmas Day 2013, it will mark the 100th birthday of singer, actor, and entertainer Tony Martin. I was hoping Tony would make it to his 100th birthday, but unfortunately he died on July 27, 2012. Here are some great picture memories on this underrated crooner...



WITH 1ST WIFE ALICE FAYE (1915-1998)

WITH RITA HAYWORTH (1918-1987)

WITH  2ND WIFE CYD CHARISSE (1921-2008)

CLASSIC MOVIES AND MY STEP FATHER

Last month I lost an important person in my life. My step-father Scott Cornman died on October 25, 2012 at the age of 59 after a long battle with cancer. He was a father to me for over twenty years, longer than my own father was. Scott and I shared many happy moments, and one of those moments was watching movies together. While Scott enjoyed more of a science fiction type movie, I did get to introduce him to some of my favorite Bing Crosby movies. I wanted to share with you now a few of the movies Scott introduced me to…

BRIGADOON (1954)
Scott was a 6ft 4inch tall hunter, but he was not shy about admitting that he liked movie musicals. One of the first musicals he introduced me to was Brigadoon (1954) which starred Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse. When I first saw the movie in my teen years, I had a hard time enjoying it because it was a sort of fantasy movie. The music was closer to ballet and opera than tin pan alley as well. However, after watching the movie with Scott a couple of times, I grew to love the story and the movie. It is now one of my favorite Gene Kelly movies.

HELLFIGHTERS (1968)
Before Scott married my mother, he was also a volunteer fire fighter. So it was only natural that he would like a movie about fire fighters. Hellfighters (1968) basically starred John Wayne as John Wayne playing a man who fights oil rig fires. Before Scott, I never really regarding John Wayne as much of an article and did not watch many of his movies. After seeing this movie and a few others, I quickly became a John Wayne fan, and I even got the chance to introduce Scott to a few John Wayne films.

XANADU (1980)
Again this musical is a very unlikely film for someone like Scott to like, but it had a science fiction/fantasy type element that appealed to Scott. Xanadu (1981) starred Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly. Scott was a fan of the ELO as well as the Bee Gees to a lesser extent. The movie is just a fun movie to watch, if not a great movie. I don’t think many fathers and sons would sit on a Saturday and watch a musical like Xanadu together. It was a lot of fun though.

TRON (1982)
Not every movie Scott introduced me to was a winner in my books. One of Scott's favorite movies was a science fiction fantasy Tron (1982) starring Jeff Bridges. I sat through the whole movie, but even though this is one of Scott's favorite movies, it is one of my least favorites. Scott tried though to introduce me to the movie and genre. The movie has a cult following and even spawned a sequel in 2010.

Other great movie moments I had with Scott included going to see many of the James Bond movies - all of them during the Pierce Brosnan era. I regret that was never saw any of the Daniel Craig versions in recent years. Since those days of watching movies with Scott, I have since gotten married and started a family of my own. However, I will never forget those times we spent together. I miss those days almost as much as I miss my stepfather Scott Cornman…

MY FIVE FAVORITE GENE KELLY MUSICALS

The month of August marks the 100 anniversary of Gene Kelly's birth. It seems like only yesterday he was dancing with Judy Garland or performing an intricate number on roller skates or a cartoon mouse. Luckily Gene Kelly left his mark in countless great musicals that we can watch over and over again. Here are my five personal favorite Gene Kelly musicals...

5. SUMMER STOCK (1950)
This is often an overlooked Gene Kelly musical. The movie is best remembered as the last movie that Judy Garland did at MGM. Her weight throughout the movie radically changed, but Kelly has some appealing dance numbers. I think one of his most energetic dances of all time was the dance to "Dig Brother Dig". This movie also marked the third and final time Kelly and Judy would appear together on film. It is an amazing example of his talent.

4. SINGIN IN THE RAIN (1952)
At first I wasn't even going to put Singin In The Rain on my list. Sure, I love the movie, but is it my favorite musical - no. I think the number that puts this beloved Kelly musical over the top for me was the "Broadway Dance Ballet" Kelly did with Cyd Charisse. I like the title number Kelly did in the rain, but I have seen it so much. I think the "Moses" number with his co star Donald O' Connor is truly great. Still though, the image of Kelly dancing in the rain with his umbrella is one of the most memorable cinema moments.

3. ON THE TOWN (1949)
This was one of the first Gene Kelly movies I saw back when I was starting to watch classic movies when VHS or even Beta first came out. Gene was of course great in the movie, but On The Town's appeal to me is the cast as a whole - Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin, Ann Miller, Vera-Ellen, and Betty Garrett was like a dream team of musical greats. My favorite number is Ann Miller's "Prehistoric Man", but Kelly took his talents to new heights in this movie with some pretty tricky choreography.

2. FOR ME AND MY GAL (1942)
Watching Gene Kelly in this movie, it is amazing it is his first film. He really had a commanding presence on the screen. This was the first movie he was paired with Judy Garland in, and they made a great team. From the title number to their terrific performance of "Ballin The Jack" they really looked like they were having fun together. For Kelly's first movie he did not really play a nice guy but in the end his character grew. It really was an amazing performance for Kelly just starting out. All of the songs were old even by 1942's standards, but Kelly and Judy brought new life to all of them.

1. BRIGADOON (1954)
My stepfather, who is a 6ft 4in hunter, introduced me to Brigadoon when I was younger. The movie did not do well when it first came out, but I think since then the film has gotten more recognition. Kelly himself was disappointed with the movie because he wanted to film the musical on location in Scotland. MGM refused and shot the entire film on the backlot. One of my favorite numbers was "Almost Like Being In Love", and Kelly's version of the song is another memorable musical moment. Cyd Charisse and Van Johnson also are perfect in their roles as his love interest and his best friend respectively. The movie was one of the last of the great MGM musicals made, but Brigadoon is another example of why 100 years after his birth, Gene Kelly is still remembered...