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)

MARTIN LANDAU AS BELA LUGOSI

With the death of Martin Landau this past week, I was reminded of my favorite role he did - that of Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood (1994). To remember this remarkable actor, I dug up a review of his performance. Scott Schuldt wrote this piece and it appeared around October 7, 1994 in newspapers and magazines...

NEW YORK - The first time the audience sees Martin Landau in "Ed Wood," he's lying in a store's display coffin, complaining about its lack of elbow room.

What's interesting is that if you didn't know in advance it was Landau playing Bela Lugosi, you might not recognize him at all.Rick Baker's makeup transforms his features. With his real voice hidden by a Hungarian accent, Martin Landau the actor disappears and Lugosi, the long dead actor who played "Dracula" in 1931 comes vividly back to life.

The Lugosi of "Ed Wood" is not a happy one. He's in his 70s, debilitated not just by his age but by 20 years of morphine addiction. He's also out of work, an "ex-bogeyman" as he refers to himself, who finds work again, even if it is in the monumentally awful films of Edward D. Wood Jr. Landau was made available to the press for interviews during a recent promotional trip for the movie "Ed Wood," paid for by Touchstone Pictures.

While Landau's choice to play Lugosi was an inspired one that should hopefully land him his third Oscar nomination since 1988, the actor was surprised director Tim Burton chose him.

"I'm amazed that Tim thought of me. Well, in the sense that I'd never met Tim," Landau said.

"I liked his work a lot ... He was one of those guys I said, 'Gee, I would like to work with that guy. ' I got a call and he said, 'You are my first and only choice for this. ' " What Burton saw in Landau is clear from the performance he gives as Lugosi, whose relationship with Wood, played by Johnny Depp, is at the heart of the film.

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"I met Johnny and loved him immediately. ... We became friends.

Generation gaps - nonsense. I mean, Lugosi and Ed Wood, there was a lot of years between them. Johnny became - and is - my pal," Landau said.

It's the rapport that develops between the two actors that deepens the movie.

"There is a sweetness in (the relationship between Wood and Lugosi), yet it's got layers ... It's an interesting relationship.

You don't see that a lot in film. These are two guys who needed each other and they're two really weird, strange guys. " Landau credits his co-star for the screen relationship's success.

"I love an actor who comes in, ready to work. It's like a good tennis player. They hit the ball where you don't expect it and it's great," Landau said.

"Ed Wood" marks the latest in a series of notable roles that have marked a resurgence in Landau's career. Following "Tuc-ker: The Man and His Dream" in 1988 and "Crimes and Misdemeanors" in 1989, both of which earned him Oscar nominations, Landau finds himself more in demand than ever.

"The more complicated the character, the better I am. It's the one-dimensional crap that I had to do for years that drove me crazy," he said.

"If you are in a meaningless, mindless movie playing a one-dimensional character, don't get too clever, because you're only going to dig a hole for yourself ... It's good writing and complicated stuff. When I got 'Tucker,' and there had been a dearth of that stuff coming my way, I said, 'My God, this is a part. ' " He certainly welcomes the praise and Oscar buzz he's receiving for his work as Lugosi, saying it's much better than hearing nothing.

"I'd rather hear this talk than the alternative. I've walked off the stage and people have said, 'That was really great. You look really nice in that suit. ' It's looks and feelings that you get.

People never say, 'Jeez, you were awful. " In many interviews, Landau has referred to his work in "Ed Wood" as a love letter to Lugosi, with whom the 60-year-old Landau had a formative film experience.

"I saw (Lugosi) when I was a kid and he scared the life out of me. I literally didn't sleep for days," Landau said. The 63-year-old film's power hasn't diminished in Landau's mind.

"It was a revival of 'Dracula. ' I was maybe 8 or 9 years old and there was this incredible creature on the screen. Look at it again...

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RECENTLY VIEWED: SLEEPY HOLLOW

 

The teaming of actor Johnny Depp and director Tim Burton is an odd pairing in my opinion. The team either makes movie magic like in Edward Scissorhands or Sweeney Todd, or they make movie duds like Alice In Wonderland or Dark Shadows. For the most part they are both geniuses in my opinion, and one of their masterpieces is 1999's Sleepy Hollow. Sleepy Hollow is a 1999 American-German horror film directed by Tim Burton. It is a film adaptation loosely inspired by the 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving and stars Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci, with Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon, Casper Van Dien, and Jeffrey Jones in supporting roles. The plot follows police constable Ichabod Crane (Depp) sent from New York City to investigate a series of murders in the village of Sleepy Hollow by a mysterious Headless Horseman.

While Johnny Depp was Burton's first choice for the role of Ichabod Crane, Paramount required him to consider Brad Pitt, Liam Neeson and Daniel Day-Lewis. Depp was cast in July 1998 for his third collaboration with Burton. The actor wanted Ichabod to parallel Irving's description of the character in the short story. This included a long prosthetic snipe nose, huge ears, and elongated fingers. Paramount turned down his suggestions, and after Depp read Tom Stoppard's rewrite of the script, he was inspired to take the character even further. "I always thought of Ichabod as a very delicate, fragile person who was maybe a little too in touch with his feminine side, like a frightened little girl," Depp explained.

Depp modeled Ichabod's detective personality from Basil Rathbone in the 1939 Sherlock Holmes film series. He also studied Roddy McDowall's acting for additional influence. Burton added that "the idea was to try and find an elegance in action of the kind that Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing or Vincent Price had." Christina Ricci, who worked with producer Scott Rudin on The Addams Family, was cast as Katrina Van Tassel. Sleepy Hollow also reunited Burton with Jeffrey Jones (from Beetlejuice and Ed Wood) as Reverent Steenwyck, Christopher Walken (Max Schreck in Batman Returns) as the Hessian Horseman, Martin Landau (Ed Wood) in a cameo role, and Hammer veteran Michael Gough (Alfred in Burton's Batman films), whom Burton tempted out of retirement. The Hammer influence was further confirmed by the casting of Christopher Lee in a small cameo.

The cast was excellent, and Johnny Depp, despite his good looks, is more than believable as the mousy Ichabod Crane. The movie is a must for viewing during Halloween, the fall, or any gloomy Saturday night when you want to see a good movie. Some of Tim Burton's movies go over the top, but Sleepy Hollow is nearly perfect. While Depp is definitely the star of the film, watch out for the great Christopher Walken who nearly steals the movie away without ever uttering a word. I've said too much already, I wouldn't want you to take off my head!

MY RATING: 10 OUT OF 10

COMING SOON: DARK SHADOWS

I have never seen one episode of the 1970s gothic soap opera Dark Shadows. The campy soap opera was my mother's favorite show of all time. The new movie version stars Johnny Depp, and it seems pretty interesting enough...

There seems to be something in Tim Burton's upcoming Dark Shadows that reminds fans of his earlier work. Everything contributes: from the film's melding of the classic and the modern a la Sleepy Hollow, to star Johnny Depp's Edward Scissorhands-esque fingernails. With his muse Depp in tow, there is simply an underlying force that is branding Dark Shadows with the style of Golden Era Burton — a man who melted our hearts with the somehow unforgettable Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, and then froze them again (for safekeeping) with the perfectly jagged Beetlejuice.

Depp stars as Barnabas Collins, an 18th Century vampire revived in the 1970s by the lovestruck witch who buried him (Eva Green). Once awakened, Collins discovers that all that's left of his once supreme lineage is a dysfunctional, loathsome family (made up of promising cast members Michelle Pfeiffer and Chloë Grace Moretz). Disappointment be damned, Collins must come to defend his family against the wrath of the witch, all the while struggling to understand what electricity is...

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MY FIVE FAVORITE MOVIE MUSICALS OF ALL TIME

When my grandfather first introduced me to classic movies when I was young, the first type of movies I watched were musicals. My grandfather was big on Eddie Cantor and Bing Crosby movies. Musicals were the 1930s and 1940s idea of fantasy movies where an emotion or mood could be conveyed through the art of a song. Looking back at old musicals they weren't very realistic, but boy are they fun to watch!

My favorite musicals are different that is what on most people's list. There is no Singin In The Rain or My Fair Lady on my list. Here are my five favorite musicals of all time:

5. SILK STOCKINGS (1957)
This was the last musical Fred Astaire made at MGM, and what a great movie to end a long association with. Astaire and Cyd Charisse were great partners in this adaptation of the Cole Porter broadway show. By 1957, musical tastes were changing, and Astaire even spoofed the changes in the show topper "Ritz, Roll, And Rock". This movie is a must to see for any Astaire or MGM musical fan.

4. BLUE SKIES (1946)
Bing Crosby saved Paramount Studios from bankruptcy in the 1930s, and by 1946 he was one of the biggest stars in the world. This movie may be corny and sentimental by today's standards, but that is what I love in a musical. The pairing of Bing and Fred Astaire is great too, and this movie also boasts a massive Irving Berlin score. My favorite number in this film is the ballad "You Keep Coming Back Like A Song", which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Song. I keep coming back to watch this musical time and time again.

3. THE MUSIC MAN (1961)
When I was in seventh grade we had a music teacher who for one whole semester taught us about The Music Man. I will never forget that class. We disected and analyzed this great musical inside and out. We though Robert Preston is not a great singer, he is the Professor Harold Hill. The studios had discussed stars like Bing Crosby or Dan Dailey for the role. Preston originated the role on Broadway, and this movie not only gives me an appreciation for traveling salemen, but also it makes me want to visit Iowa and/or Gary, Indiana! The supporting cast of Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, Paul Ford, and a young Ronnie Howard make this movie too.

2. WORDS AND MUSIC (1948)
In the 1940s, song writer biographical movies were popular. However, they bore little resemblance to the writer's actual lives. Words And Music was the story of my favorite song writers Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers. In the movie they were played by Mickey Rooney and Tom Drake respectively. The plot of the story was nothing like their real lives, but what makes the movie for me is the music as well as the great stars that appear. Everyone from Judy Garland to Perry Como appeared in the movie. If you are a fan of good music then this movie is for you. If you are a fan of accurate biographies then read a book on Rodgers and Hart. Lorenz Hart is a fascinating character and Mickey Rooney plays him well.

1. SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (2007)
I never thought I would have a modern musical as my favorite musical of all time. However, 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.