It seems like the rain in Manila is never ending. If you’re the type of person who gets down by the wet and damp, we’ve got a suggestion for you. Travel back in time to Hollywood’s Golden Age (1939-1959) and discover the era’s splashy, technicolor movie musicals. The regular song and dance routines of Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Marilyn Monroe and Cyd Charisse populated the screen back then. Today, it will add color to your grey skies, and help chase away those rainy day blues. As a introductory course, here are 10 of the very best of those lush movie musicals, made for your enjoyment with a sprinkle of glitter and ton of Tinseltown magic…
An American in Paris (1951)
The Plot: Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly), an American G.I. living in Paris as a painter falls in love with a mysterious girl named Lise (Leslie Caron), who is secretly engaged to an older man.
Why You Need to See It: The film garnered the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1951, and features a stunning 17-minute ballet inspired by the work of famous French painters.
Songs to Look Out for: “The American in Paris Ballet” is a masterpiece, but other Gershwin tunes like “Our Love is Here to Stay” and “I’ve Got Rhythm” will have you humming for days.
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The Band Wagon (1953)
The Plot: An aging movie star (Fred Astaire) tries to resurrect his career on the Broadway stage, but finds himself continuously butting heads with the young prima ballerina (Cyd Charisse) he co-stars with.
Why You Need to See It: Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse were never better in the lead roles, which are very “meta” to a degree. The screenplay is grossly underrated and extremely funny.
Songs to Look Out for: The romantic “Dancing in the Dark” is a favorite, but you will leave remembering the film’s trademark song, “That’s Entertainment!”.
Easter Parade (1948)
The Plot: After being left by his dance partner, Don Hewes (Fred Astaire) decides to train cocktail waitress Hannah Brown (Judy Garland) to be the next big Vaudeville star.
Why You Need to See It: Judy Garland is hilarious in this role. The Irving Berlin songs are charming, and the film’s romantic-comedy feel makes it ultra re-watchable. Also, Ann Miller is explosive as Don’s ex Nadine Hale.
Songs to Look Out for: The title song “Easter Parade” is iconic, but you’ll really enjoyed Ann Miller tapping the heck out of “Shakin’ the Blues Away”.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
The Plot: Blonde-bombshell Lorelei Lee (Marilyn Monroe) travels to Europe via cruise ship with her best friend Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell). To Dorothy’s dismay, Lorelei’s gold-digging ways cause trouble on board. It’s up to the brunette (who is acting as Lorelei’s chaperone) to hide the troubles away from the blonde’s trusting, millionaire fiancé
Why You Need to See It: It is the quintessential Marilyn Monroe film, along with Billy Wilder’s Some Like It Hot (1959). If you’re a first timer, we promise you that your stomach will hurt from laughing!
Songs to Look Out for: Marilyn singing “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” in her pink gown is as iconic as it gets, but the film has other small musical gems like “Bye Bye Baby” and “A Little Girl from Little Rock”.
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Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
The Plot: A year in the life of the Smith’s, a middle class family in St. Louis, during the turn of the century and the brink of the industrial era. Elder sisters Esther (Judy Garland) and Rose (Lucille Bremer) manage their love lives, navigate family life, and dread their eventual move to New York City.
Why You Need to See It: This film allowed Judy Garland to transition from child star to a certified movie star. It’s also her best performance ever. Director Vincente Minnelli magnificently crafts an intimate look at American family life. The themes in this picture are universal and still very much relevant today.
Songs to Look Out for: Several songs in the film have become standards, like the Christmas classic “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and untraditional love song “The Trolley Song”. They can’t be missed, because they are the best scenes in the movie.
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On the Town (1949)
The Plot: Three sailors (Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin) are granted leave from the navy for one day. With only 24-hours in New York, they do everything they can to have fun.
Why You Need to See It: It’s just plain fun, musical entertainment that will have you saying, “Why don’t we have movies like this anymore?”
Songs to Look Out for: Betty Garrett swooning Sinatra with “Come Back to My Place” is cheeky and cute, while the opening number “New York, New York” feels like everything that defines Golden Age Hollywood magic.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
The Plot: A young woman (Jane Powell) marries the eldest (Howard Keel) of seven primitive brothers, and takes it upon herself to socialize them and find them wives of their own.
Why You Need to See It: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a long forgotten gem that belongs in film’s Hall of Greats. The innovative choreography, All-American music, wonderful performances, provocative storytelling, and modern film editing makes it a very worthy and satisfying view.
Songs to Look Out for: “A Lonesome Pole Cat” is dramatic and memorable, and the scene at the barn dance offers some of the very best choreography you will ever see on film.
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Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
The Plot: Silent film star Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) commissions his musician best friend (Donald O’Connor) and a budding actress (Debbie Reynolds) to help save his career.
Why You Need to See It: Often considered the Greatest Screen Musical of All Time, Singin’ in the Rain is magic on celluloid. Gene Kelly’s trademark film offers fantastic performances from the whole cast (especially the underrated comedic talents of Jean Hagen, who plays the film’s main bad girl). Splashing with color and comedy, it has rightfully gained a reputation as a Hall of Famer.
Songs to Look Out for: Gene Kelly splashing around the streets of Hollywood in the titular number and the three friends singing and dancing to “Good Morning” is more than enough to get us to revisit this film again and again. “The Broadway Melody” ballet is also very special.
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The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
The Plot: A young French girl (Catherine Deneuve) from the small town of Cherbourg lives depressed when forced to marry a wealthy man after her true love (Nino Castelnuovo) is enlisted into military service.
Why You Need to See It: Although not from the Golden Age of Hollywood, there’s nothing like The Umbrellas of Cherbourg on a rainy day. Fair warning, the film is extremely depressing, despite a colorful palette in this costumes, cinematography and production design. However, it’s still worthwhile a watch. Damien Chazelle, director of La La Land, claims this film was his biggest inspiration for his movie musical.
Songs to Look Out for: The whole movie is sung throughout in French, so it feels like an ever running song. Every piece of music has a purpose to the plot.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Plot: Kansas farm girl Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) is transported to the magical land of Oz during a tornado. She now must follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City, to ask the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz to send her back home.
Why You Need to See It: The childhood classic must be seen by everyone. It’s an important piece of cinema that should honestly be required viewing at home. Almost 80 years later, the picture is still enchanting viewers.
Songs to Look Out for: “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” was almost cut by the studio because it was too “dragging”. Luckily, the filmmakers fought to keep it in. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song during its competitive year.
