On a different day I would probably give it to Mary Poppins or The Sound Of Music, but On The Street Where You Live and Wouldn’t It Be Loverly are two of my favorite musical songs of all time, and I have a lot of fond memories associated with seeing My Fair Lady for the first time. If Audrey Hepburn couldn’t take home the Oscar, maybe she can at least win a moderately flawed Filmspotting poll.
Ken Linck - 2 months ago
I love West Side Story, but it just doesn't have enough Nazi-thwarting.
I long for the crossover film where Indiana Jones teams up with the von Trapp family. Until that happens, I'm justgoing to have to vote for The Sound of Music.
Bruce from Portland - 2 months ago
My vote goes to The Music Man. It manages to keep its meta quality going throughout by shooting on a huge sound stage.
Most Colorful: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Best Music and Choreography: West Side Story
Best Marni Nixon vocal performance: My Fair Lady
Best Julie Andrews musical perfornance: The Sound of Music / I don't revisit The Sound of Music or Mary Poppins
Best Barbra Streisand musical performance: Funny Girl/I wasn't a fan of Hello, Dolly!
Bonus: Paint Your Wagon may be the "worst" musical of the 1960s, although I never thought I'd ever see Lee Marvin or Clint Eastwood sing.
rmp - 2 months ago
To counter those who dismiss overdubbing actors with singers, I gave my vote to Mugal-E-Azam, the legendary Bollywood budget buster. All Lata Mangeshkar, all the time! Some of the listed movies could have used MORE dubbing. Wouldn't a Stanley Holloway overdub of Dick van Dyke's coldblooded murder of the Cockney accent have been a massive upgrade?
Betsy Shane - 2 months ago
I understand that West Side Story is a little problematic, and that many of these others are excellent musicals. But Jerome Robbins choreography was so game changing, giving us gang violence as a blend of ballet and modern dance, Leonard Bernstein's challenging but familiar score is still a go-to reference for interval ear training, and uh, the alternately cheeky and sincere lyrics by some young upstart named Stephen Sondheim? Also, I want Rita Moreno to keep her well-deserved Oscar.
Bailey Clark - 2 months ago
The answer is Mary Poppins by leaps and bounds. The performances and music have been well-lauded through the years, but there is so much more to appreciate - the tirelessly exuberant choreography, the plethora of innovative effects, the razor-sharp script, and the direction’s masterful mosaic of tones. It’s a magical joy to watch as a child, but if you haven’t seen it as an adult, you haven’t really seen it.
Justan Zimmerman - 2 months ago
A Hard Day's Night
Greg Shafer - 2 months ago
I understand the praise for The Umbrellas of Cherbourg but for my money Demy’s next film The Young Girls of Rochefort still has the songs plus the radiant Catherine Deneuve but is so much stranger and more interesting!
Mark F - 2 months ago
I could make a case for each one… and a case against each (e.g., despite their many merits, UoC, WSS and MFL are all flawed by their lip-synced leads). My vote is for Funny Girl because it’s the most complete package — glorious Hollywood film craft, a great rise-and-fall backstage bio journey, and the indomitable Streisand, carrying her Broadway breakout role to the screen.
Funny girl is so so so good!! If you have that blind spot please rectify. That being said it isn’t the very best and I want to pick it but will instead vacillate between WSS and SoM.
Rob Staeger - 2 months ago
My parents' first date was WEST SIDE STORY, so I don't know if I'm going to erase myself from the timeline, Marty McFly style... but I'm choosing THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG. If it's not going to exist, I don't want to either.
On a different day I would probably give it to Mary Poppins or The Sound Of Music, but On The Street Where You Live and Wouldn’t It Be Loverly are two of my favorite musical songs of all time, and I have a lot of fond memories associated with seeing My Fair Lady for the first time. If Audrey Hepburn couldn’t take home the Oscar, maybe she can at least win a moderately flawed Filmspotting poll.
I love West Side Story, but it just doesn't have enough Nazi-thwarting.
I long for the crossover film where Indiana Jones teams up with the von Trapp family. Until that happens, I'm justgoing to have to vote for The Sound of Music.
My vote goes to The Music Man. It manages to keep its meta quality going throughout by shooting on a huge sound stage.
Most Colorful: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Best Music and Choreography: West Side Story
Best Marni Nixon vocal performance: My Fair Lady
Best Julie Andrews musical perfornance: The Sound of Music / I don't revisit The Sound of Music or Mary Poppins
Best Barbra Streisand musical performance: Funny Girl/I wasn't a fan of Hello, Dolly!
Bonus: Paint Your Wagon may be the "worst" musical of the 1960s, although I never thought I'd ever see Lee Marvin or Clint Eastwood sing.
To counter those who dismiss overdubbing actors with singers, I gave my vote to Mugal-E-Azam, the legendary Bollywood budget buster. All Lata Mangeshkar, all the time! Some of the listed movies could have used MORE dubbing. Wouldn't a Stanley Holloway overdub of Dick van Dyke's coldblooded murder of the Cockney accent have been a massive upgrade?
I understand that West Side Story is a little problematic, and that many of these others are excellent musicals. But Jerome Robbins choreography was so game changing, giving us gang violence as a blend of ballet and modern dance, Leonard Bernstein's challenging but familiar score is still a go-to reference for interval ear training, and uh, the alternately cheeky and sincere lyrics by some young upstart named Stephen Sondheim? Also, I want Rita Moreno to keep her well-deserved Oscar.
The answer is Mary Poppins by leaps and bounds. The performances and music have been well-lauded through the years, but there is so much more to appreciate - the tirelessly exuberant choreography, the plethora of innovative effects, the razor-sharp script, and the direction’s masterful mosaic of tones. It’s a magical joy to watch as a child, but if you haven’t seen it as an adult, you haven’t really seen it.
A Hard Day's Night
I understand the praise for The Umbrellas of Cherbourg but for my money Demy’s next film The Young Girls of Rochefort still has the songs plus the radiant Catherine Deneuve but is so much stranger and more interesting!
I could make a case for each one… and a case against each (e.g., despite their many merits, UoC, WSS and MFL are all flawed by their lip-synced leads). My vote is for Funny Girl because it’s the most complete package — glorious Hollywood film craft, a great rise-and-fall backstage bio journey, and the indomitable Streisand, carrying her Broadway breakout role to the screen.
(And poor Oliver! … Should’ve made the cut.)
Funny girl is so so so good!! If you have that blind spot please rectify. That being said it isn’t the very best and I want to pick it but will instead vacillate between WSS and SoM.
My parents' first date was WEST SIDE STORY, so I don't know if I'm going to erase myself from the timeline, Marty McFly style... but I'm choosing THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG. If it's not going to exist, I don't want to either.