“More stars than there are in heaven” was once the slogan for Hollywood’s largest studio. Larger-than-life celebrities like Judy Garland, Clark Gable, Fred Astaire, Katharine Hepburn, Jean Harlow and Gene Kelly were common fixtures at MGM. Today, MGM is an IP outpost purchased by Amazon for $8.5 billion in 2022, but in its day, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had the biggest lot in Hollywood and produced some of the most extravagant films. Located in Culver City, MGM’s famously sprawling lot began as it grew from the 40 acres owned by Samuel Goldwyn. The legendary MGM property was 3 miles long and housed more than 45 buildings and 14 stages, in addition to numerous outdoor sets that would be built over the years.
MGM was home to countless classic films, and in 1939 alone, the studio backed the timeless fantasy The Wizard of Oz and distributed the Oscar-winning Gone With the Wind, the Ernst Lubitsch/Greta Garbo comedy Ninotchka,...
MGM was home to countless classic films, and in 1939 alone, the studio backed the timeless fantasy The Wizard of Oz and distributed the Oscar-winning Gone With the Wind, the Ernst Lubitsch/Greta Garbo comedy Ninotchka,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Chris Yogerst
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MGM celebrated its centennial on April 17th. Marcus Lowe established the studio by merging Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures and Louis B. Mayer Pictures. Boasting it had “more stars than there are in heaven,” MGM may have been the biggest studio during the Golden Age of Hollywood, it has gone through many owners and regimes over the years but seems to on terra firma since Amazon acquired MGM in 2021. In fact, Amazon MGM Studios won best screenplay Oscar for “American Fiction.” And speaking of Academy Awards, MGM has earned numerous statuettes over the years. Here’s a look at five Best Picture winners produced between 1929-1958.
“The Broadway Melody”
The 1929 musical made Oscar history by being the first talkie to win the top prize. Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed wrote the songs which include “The Broadway Melody,” “You Were Meant for Me” and “The Wedding of the Painted Doll” but...
“The Broadway Melody”
The 1929 musical made Oscar history by being the first talkie to win the top prize. Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed wrote the songs which include “The Broadway Melody,” “You Were Meant for Me” and “The Wedding of the Painted Doll” but...
- 4/22/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
In Hamilton McFadden's 1934 film "Stand Up and Cheer!," the unnamed off-screen president (actually Franklin D. Roosevelt) posits that the real reason for Great Depression was a sudden crisis of optimism. Additionally, wicked bankers were running amok and getting rich while the rest of the nation starved, leaving everyone nihilistic and horrified. The wasteful and corrupt Warren Harding administration followed by the Crash of '29 isn't mentioned, as McFadden's film sought to cheer people up, not make their depression — and the Depression — any worse. In "Stand Up and Cheer!," Fdr created a Department of Amusement and appoints a secretary (Warner Baxter) to oversee a feel-good, nationwide show to keep morale up.
The bulk of the 80-minute film is a series of auditions in the secretary's office wherein performers come in to sing and dance, effectively turning the movie into a revue. Modern audiences may bristle at some racist caricatures, notably actress...
The bulk of the 80-minute film is a series of auditions in the secretary's office wherein performers come in to sing and dance, effectively turning the movie into a revue. Modern audiences may bristle at some racist caricatures, notably actress...
- 4/17/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
“Maestro” brought together three filmmakers — the sophomore director Bradley Cooper and the screen masters Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese — as producers. “Maestro” chronicles the marriage of famed composer Leonard Bernstein (Cooper) and his muse Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan). You can catch this acclaimed films in cinemas before it starts streaming on Netflix on Dec. 20. Either way, you’re in for a treat.
While Scorsese has his own film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” in contention for this year’s Oscars, Spielberg is also a producer on the musical remake of “The Color Purple.” (This fact was omitted in the original version of this article due to an editing error.) He is one of the most successful filmmakers of all time and has an Oscars track record to prove it. He’s won two of his nine bids for Best Director: in 1994 for “Schindler’s List” and 1999 for “Saving Private Ryan.” While...
While Scorsese has his own film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” in contention for this year’s Oscars, Spielberg is also a producer on the musical remake of “The Color Purple.” (This fact was omitted in the original version of this article due to an editing error.) He is one of the most successful filmmakers of all time and has an Oscars track record to prove it. He’s won two of his nine bids for Best Director: in 1994 for “Schindler’s List” and 1999 for “Saving Private Ryan.” While...
- 11/28/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
In the early 1940s, a young Lena Horne began an engagement at an intimate L.A. club called Little Troc, where her silken voice — with her perfect enunciation and her sophisticated interpretation of the lyrics — dazzled the likes of Marlene Dietrich, Cole Porter, Lana Turner and Greta Garbo. Among the many eyes that observed her during her run were those of the astute, sensitive Roger Edens, who was an integral member of the Freed Unit at MGM Studios. Led by innovative producer Arthur Freed, the unit consisted of musical artists who created many of MGM’s great musicals from the golden age: It had recently produced Babes in Arms (1939) and would strike gold with An American in Paris (1951), Singin’ in the Rain (1952) and Gigi (1958).
Within the Freed Unit, Edens stood out as a highly respected composer, arranger and associate producer who eventually won three Academy Awards. After seeing Lena perform,...
Within the Freed Unit, Edens stood out as a highly respected composer, arranger and associate producer who eventually won three Academy Awards. After seeing Lena perform,...
- 10/12/2023
- by Donald Bogle
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Last year, Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle made a decadent hate letter to Hollywood, a film which dived into the seedy, salacious, and ultimately gruesome side of an industry that trades on fantasy and prefers to look at itself through glasses a shade of rose. Chazelle’s Babylon failed to set the world on fire at the box office, but it does have its admirers, including those enamored by an ending sequence in which a crucial character wanders into a movie house decades after his heyday in the silent era and early talkies. And he catches, as it so happens, Singin’ in the Rain during its original 1952 theatrical run.
The choice of ending a movie like that on a character watching Singin’ in the Rain is both obvious yet profound. On the one hand, Singin’ in the Rain is the textbook definition of a rose-tinted filter being cast across Hollywood’s...
The choice of ending a movie like that on a character watching Singin’ in the Rain is both obvious yet profound. On the one hand, Singin’ in the Rain is the textbook definition of a rose-tinted filter being cast across Hollywood’s...
- 3/30/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Bring up Golden Age Hollywood filmmaker Busby Berkeley, and most people conjure his staging of elaborate, kaleidoscopic dance numbers in such films as “Dames” and “Footlight Parade,” Ginger Rogers singing “We’re in the Money” at the height of the Depression in “Gold Diggers of 1933,” or his sinuous camera weaving through dancer’s legs in such hits as Oscar-nominated “42nd Street” (1933).
A three-time Oscar nominee (for Best Dance Direction), Berkeley’s musicals were credited with saving Warner Bros. from financial collapse before he became a key player in Arthur Freed’s unit at MGM, where he propelled the careers of numerous stars, including Rogers, Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, and Gene Kelly. Behind the scenes, Berkeley’s life was darker and often tragic — beset by scandal and numerous brushes with the law.
Arguably, Berkeley’s Hollywood artist’s journey is the untold story that “Babylon” wasn’t — and it coincides...
A three-time Oscar nominee (for Best Dance Direction), Berkeley’s musicals were credited with saving Warner Bros. from financial collapse before he became a key player in Arthur Freed’s unit at MGM, where he propelled the careers of numerous stars, including Rogers, Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, and Gene Kelly. Behind the scenes, Berkeley’s life was darker and often tragic — beset by scandal and numerous brushes with the law.
Arguably, Berkeley’s Hollywood artist’s journey is the untold story that “Babylon” wasn’t — and it coincides...
- 3/17/2023
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Danette Herman was one of the key staff members of the Academy Awards ceremonies from the 1970s into the 2010s, beginning as a production assistant and rising through the ranks to become the show’s executive in charge of talent and coordinating producer. One of the few women to serve in key positions at the Oscars, she was with the show during the years of its highest ratings and largest cultural impact.
As the Academy prepares for the 95th Oscars ceremony, Herman asked TheWrap if she could share some memories of past shows, from an encounter with Katharine Hepburn in 1974 to a pair of anniversary shows in which she assembled historic groups of past winners. —Steve Pond
Congratulations to the Academy on 95 years of the Academy Awards. Almost 40 of those years are my history, also.
It began in April 1968 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The 40th Academy Awards were hosted by Bob Hope,...
As the Academy prepares for the 95th Oscars ceremony, Herman asked TheWrap if she could share some memories of past shows, from an encounter with Katharine Hepburn in 1974 to a pair of anniversary shows in which she assembled historic groups of past winners. —Steve Pond
Congratulations to the Academy on 95 years of the Academy Awards. Almost 40 of those years are my history, also.
It began in April 1968 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The 40th Academy Awards were hosted by Bob Hope,...
- 3/10/2023
- by Danette Herman
- The Wrap
70 years after its original release, the influence of musical juggernaut "Singin' in the Rain" is immeasurable. A Hollywood satire filled to the brim with show-stopping musical numbers from Nacio Herb Brown with lyrics by Arthur Freed, its DNA is present in the likes of modern movie musicals like "La La Land," and its whimsical, love-struck title song still gets airplay in Pnc Park in star Gene Kelly's hometown anytime the Pittsburgh Pirates catch a rain delay.
For all of its extravagance and pomp, the story of a trio of showbiz performers grappling with the advent of "talkies" in Hollywood had a modest reception upon its original 1952 release, and would collect just a handful of awards in its day. Over the decades, though, the movie (which was co-directed by Kelly and Stanley Donen) grew in reputation, and by 1989, the Library of Congress recognized its "cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance," preserving...
For all of its extravagance and pomp, the story of a trio of showbiz performers grappling with the advent of "talkies" in Hollywood had a modest reception upon its original 1952 release, and would collect just a handful of awards in its day. Over the decades, though, the movie (which was co-directed by Kelly and Stanley Donen) grew in reputation, and by 1989, the Library of Congress recognized its "cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance," preserving...
- 12/12/2022
- by Anya Stanley
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
“Delirious” is the word to describe S.S. Rajamouli’s Indian action-adventure film that has become a worldwide phenomenon both in theaters and on Netflix since its summer release.
This Telugu-language big-budget spectacle starring Tollywood superstars N.T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan as revolutionaries fighting against the British Raj in 1920 features the sort of dizzyingly over-the-top action sequences and exuberant musical numbers that send audiences into a frenzy. Wildly entertaining for every minute of its three hour-plus running time, Rrr has become one of India’s highest-grossing films of all time and is now generating Oscar buzz.
Although the central characters are based on real-life historical figures, Rrr (the title stands for “Rise, Roar, Revolt”) is strictly fictional, as one of the most extensive opening disclaimers ever seen onscreen takes pain to emphasize. (We’re also assured that all of the animals seen in the film,...
“Delirious” is the word to describe S.S. Rajamouli’s Indian action-adventure film that has become a worldwide phenomenon both in theaters and on Netflix since its summer release.
This Telugu-language big-budget spectacle starring Tollywood superstars N.T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan as revolutionaries fighting against the British Raj in 1920 features the sort of dizzyingly over-the-top action sequences and exuberant musical numbers that send audiences into a frenzy. Wildly entertaining for every minute of its three hour-plus running time, Rrr has become one of India’s highest-grossing films of all time and is now generating Oscar buzz.
Although the central characters are based on real-life historical figures, Rrr (the title stands for “Rise, Roar, Revolt”) is strictly fictional, as one of the most extensive opening disclaimers ever seen onscreen takes pain to emphasize. (We’re also assured that all of the animals seen in the film,...
- 11/27/2022
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Quentin Tarantino does not want to direct superhero movies. That was the immediate buzz, at least among geek media, when The Los Angeles Times’ profile of the maverick filmmaker dropped late Friday, with the director confirming to no one’s particular surprise that he has little interest in making a movie based on either Marvel or DC comic book characters.
“You have to be a hired hand to do those things,” Tarantino told the newspaper, “I’m not a hired hand. I’m not looking for a job.” The immediate internet backlash to that was quick and predictable, but it should be noted there was nothing malicious in the comment. Since the superhero movie genre ascended to becoming the most popular of the last decade, Marvel Studios has perfected the model of looking for young and hungry filmmakers with relatively limited experience in either the indie world or television, and...
“You have to be a hired hand to do those things,” Tarantino told the newspaper, “I’m not a hired hand. I’m not looking for a job.” The immediate internet backlash to that was quick and predictable, but it should be noted there was nothing malicious in the comment. Since the superhero movie genre ascended to becoming the most popular of the last decade, Marvel Studios has perfected the model of looking for young and hungry filmmakers with relatively limited experience in either the indie world or television, and...
- 11/6/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
“I made him the highest paid actor in Hollywood history. We had a lot of fun!” So purrs Tom Hanks’ brazenly camp Col. Tom Parker in the new Elvis biopic. The film, which is the most decadent, jewel-encrusted piece of kitsch ever given an 85 million budget, is as much a monument to director Baz Luhrmann’s showmanship as it is Elvis Presley’s. For who else could condense the larger than life excess of a man dubbed “the King of Rock ’n Roll” into a three-ringed circus that keeps all its plates in the air for 160 minutes?
Elvis really is a marvel in spectacle and indulgence—plus a breakout for star Austin Butler who is so superb as the titular character that Luhrmann more than once slips in footage of the real Elvis’ 1950s rock star career, as well as clips from his ill-advised detour in 1960s Hollywood… and few viewers ever seemed to notice!
Elvis really is a marvel in spectacle and indulgence—plus a breakout for star Austin Butler who is so superb as the titular character that Luhrmann more than once slips in footage of the real Elvis’ 1950s rock star career, as well as clips from his ill-advised detour in 1960s Hollywood… and few viewers ever seemed to notice!
- 9/7/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Judy Garland, who would have turned 100 years old this week, wasn’t just billed as “the world’s greatest entertainer” – in her time, she really was.
Garland was much more than just little Dorothy Gale from Kansas who once had an adventure in far-off Oz. She spent 45 of her 47 years in show business, eventually making 34 feature films and more than 200 radio appearances, releasing 80 singles and 12 albums, making 60 TV appearances (including 30 of her own shows), and doing 1,100 concerts.
“She had the amazing ability to convey joy and pathos and humor and sincerity and honesty,” says author and Emmy-winning producer John Fricke (“Judy Garland: A Portrait in Art and Anecdote”), “yet by giving of herself on that level, she had no guard, no protective shield. She was a million percent vulnerable.”
See More: Judy Garland: Her Life in Photos
Just watch 16-year-old Judy sing “Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz...
Garland was much more than just little Dorothy Gale from Kansas who once had an adventure in far-off Oz. She spent 45 of her 47 years in show business, eventually making 34 feature films and more than 200 radio appearances, releasing 80 singles and 12 albums, making 60 TV appearances (including 30 of her own shows), and doing 1,100 concerts.
“She had the amazing ability to convey joy and pathos and humor and sincerity and honesty,” says author and Emmy-winning producer John Fricke (“Judy Garland: A Portrait in Art and Anecdote”), “yet by giving of herself on that level, she had no guard, no protective shield. She was a million percent vulnerable.”
See More: Judy Garland: Her Life in Photos
Just watch 16-year-old Judy sing “Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz...
- 6/9/2022
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Director Vincente Minnelli and his leading lady Judy Garland created magic with their first collaboration, MGM’s enchanting 1944 Technicolor musical “Meet Me in St. Louis.” Though she was playing a teenager in the box office hit classic, there was a real maturity and assuredness to her performance under Minnelli’s loving guidance. And she never looked so beautiful on screen. No wonder the two became a couple during the production.
And she’s even better in their second project, “The Clock,” which was released five months after “Meet Me in St. Louis” and marked her first non-singing role. Over the years “The Clock” had fallen through the cracks when critics and audiences talked about Garland’s film roles. But thanks to TCM, DVD and Blu-ray-Warner Archive is releasing the Blu-Ray as part of its Garland centennial celebration. “The Clock” has developed a legion of devoted fans and historians who consider...
And she’s even better in their second project, “The Clock,” which was released five months after “Meet Me in St. Louis” and marked her first non-singing role. Over the years “The Clock” had fallen through the cracks when critics and audiences talked about Garland’s film roles. But thanks to TCM, DVD and Blu-ray-Warner Archive is releasing the Blu-Ray as part of its Garland centennial celebration. “The Clock” has developed a legion of devoted fans and historians who consider...
- 6/8/2022
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Vincente Minnelli took a break from musicals to feature Judy Garland in the first movie to show her dramatic acting range, a charming and thoughtful wartime tale in New York: a whirlwind romance goes from nothing to marriage in 48 hours. She’s a working woman and he’s a soldier shipping out for combat; the miracle is that the whole thing is believable, and resolutely unglamorized. The illusion of ‘ordinary life’ in NYC is remarkable for 1945; star Robert Walker leaves behind the gangling bumpkin character he’d been playing. The Warner Archive’s Blu-ray is a welcome addition to the Minnelli disc library.
The Clock
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1945 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 90 min. / Available at Amazon.com / General site Wac-Amazon / Street Date June 7, 2022 / 21.99
Starring: Judy Garland, Robert Walker, James Gleason, Keenan Wynn, Marshall Thompson, Lucile Gleason, Ruth Brady.
Cinematography: George Folsey
Art Director: William Ferrari
Film Editor: George White...
The Clock
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1945 / B&W / 1:37 Academy / 90 min. / Available at Amazon.com / General site Wac-Amazon / Street Date June 7, 2022 / 21.99
Starring: Judy Garland, Robert Walker, James Gleason, Keenan Wynn, Marshall Thompson, Lucile Gleason, Ruth Brady.
Cinematography: George Folsey
Art Director: William Ferrari
Film Editor: George White...
- 6/4/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
“You think anything’s going to stand in the way of us playing the Palace this time? Oh no, not even a war.”
Judy Garland and Gene Kelly in For Me And My Gal (1942) will be available on Blu-ray June 7th from Warner Archive. It can be purchased at the Warner Archive Amazon Store
Judy Garland got top billing at the mere age of 20 as the central star of this quintessential classic that introduced none other than Gene Kelly, making his film debut as her co-star.
Directed with panache by the legendary maven of the movie musical Busby Berkeley, the films casts Gene and Judy as young vaudeville performers Harry Palmer and Jo Hayden.
The pair dream of stardom, but the United States enters World War I and Harry receives his draft notice–trapping the two between their obligation to each other’s dreams and their duty to their country.
Judy Garland and Gene Kelly in For Me And My Gal (1942) will be available on Blu-ray June 7th from Warner Archive. It can be purchased at the Warner Archive Amazon Store
Judy Garland got top billing at the mere age of 20 as the central star of this quintessential classic that introduced none other than Gene Kelly, making his film debut as her co-star.
Directed with panache by the legendary maven of the movie musical Busby Berkeley, the films casts Gene and Judy as young vaudeville performers Harry Palmer and Jo Hayden.
The pair dream of stardom, but the United States enters World War I and Harry receives his draft notice–trapping the two between their obligation to each other’s dreams and their duty to their country.
- 5/20/2022
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Announces The Beloved Classic
Singin’ In The Rain To Be Released On 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray™
Acclaimed as one of the greatest Musical films of all time,
will Be Available For The First Time In 4K Resolution With High Dynamic Range (Hdr)
Burbank, CA, – To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the 1952 acclaimed and beloved film, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that Singin’ In The Rain will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital on April 26.
Singin’ In The Rain is widely considered to be one of the greatest musical films in cinematic history. The musical romantic comedy was directed by choreographed by Gene Kelly (On the Town) and Stanley Donen (On the Town) and stars Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchel and Cyd Charisse.
The film was written by Adolph Green and...
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Announces The Beloved Classic
Singin’ In The Rain To Be Released On 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray™
Acclaimed as one of the greatest Musical films of all time,
will Be Available For The First Time In 4K Resolution With High Dynamic Range (Hdr)
Burbank, CA, – To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the 1952 acclaimed and beloved film, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that Singin’ In The Rain will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital on April 26.
Singin’ In The Rain is widely considered to be one of the greatest musical films in cinematic history. The musical romantic comedy was directed by choreographed by Gene Kelly (On the Town) and Stanley Donen (On the Town) and stars Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchel and Cyd Charisse.
The film was written by Adolph Green and...
- 4/27/2022
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
It might have opened to muted applause, but the Gene Kelly-Stanley Donen dream team turned a 1952 also-ran into a classic
Singin’ in the Rain was not exactly conceived as a masterpiece. Arthur Freed, head of the musicals unit at MGM, had a back catalogue of songs – not all of them classics – that he’d co-written for various films at the studio between 1929 and 1939, and had the idea of stringing them together as a song score for a single new musical. Screenwriters Betty Comden and Adolph Green were hired to cobble a story around the disparate tunes; Howard Keel, a stolid bass-baritone in the MGM stable who had acquitted himself respectably in Annie Get Your Gun, was pencilled in as the lead.
As a producer, Freed tended to alternate artistically ambitious prestige musicals – just one week before Singin’ in the Rain premiered, he picked up a best picture Oscar for Vincente Minnelli’s ravishing,...
Singin’ in the Rain was not exactly conceived as a masterpiece. Arthur Freed, head of the musicals unit at MGM, had a back catalogue of songs – not all of them classics – that he’d co-written for various films at the studio between 1929 and 1939, and had the idea of stringing them together as a song score for a single new musical. Screenwriters Betty Comden and Adolph Green were hired to cobble a story around the disparate tunes; Howard Keel, a stolid bass-baritone in the MGM stable who had acquitted himself respectably in Annie Get Your Gun, was pencilled in as the lead.
As a producer, Freed tended to alternate artistically ambitious prestige musicals – just one week before Singin’ in the Rain premiered, he picked up a best picture Oscar for Vincente Minnelli’s ravishing,...
- 4/11/2022
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
Burbank, CA – To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the 1952 acclaimed and beloved film, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that Singin’ in the Rain will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital on April 26.
Singin’ in the Rain is widely considered to be one of the greatest musical films in cinematic history. The musical romantic comedy was directed by choreographed by Gene Kelly (On the Town) and Stanley Donen (On the Town) and stars Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchel and Cyd Charisse.
The film was written by Adolph Green and Betty Comden and produced by Arthur Freed. The music is by Nacio Herb Brown and the lyrics are by Arthur Freed.
O’Connor won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and Betty Comden and Adolph Green won the Writers Guild of America Award for their screenplay, while...
Singin’ in the Rain is widely considered to be one of the greatest musical films in cinematic history. The musical romantic comedy was directed by choreographed by Gene Kelly (On the Town) and Stanley Donen (On the Town) and stars Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchel and Cyd Charisse.
The film was written by Adolph Green and Betty Comden and produced by Arthur Freed. The music is by Nacio Herb Brown and the lyrics are by Arthur Freed.
O’Connor won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and Betty Comden and Adolph Green won the Writers Guild of America Award for their screenplay, while...
- 3/7/2022
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
On March 20, 1952, two black and white dramas came into the Oscar ceremony vying for the win. Both “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “A Place in the Sun” had everything the Academy loves: drama, an ensemble of well-known actors and directors – many of whom had previous nominations and wins – and loads of nominations. By the time the Best Picture was to be announced, each had picked up major wins – “Streetcar” had claimed three of the four acting wins, while “Sun” had picked up statues for directing, cinematography and editing. So, it was a “what the heck??” Oscar moment when the final big prize was shockingly announced: the romantic musical “An American in Paris.”
A little over six years after the end of a war that ravaged Europe and in the middle of a Cold War that led to the infamous Hollywood blacklist that destroyed the careers of friends and collaborators, the...
A little over six years after the end of a war that ravaged Europe and in the middle of a Cold War that led to the infamous Hollywood blacklist that destroyed the careers of friends and collaborators, the...
- 2/25/2022
- by Susan Pennington
- Gold Derby
The only sales pitch needed is “The Red Shoes has been encoded in 4K.” Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger’s 1947 masterpiece conquered America as had no previous English film. This is one artsy dance show that captivates nearly everybody: audiences can be counted on to ooh and ahh the film’s dazzling hues, striking dance artistry and endless visual creativity. Cameraman Jack Cardiff took first position as the world master of Technicolor, and Moira Shearer’s dancing is recorded forever, celebrated as with no other ballet artist. Criterion’s 4K remaster includes all the extras of their 2010 restored Blu-ray.
The Red Shoes
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 44
1947 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 133 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date December 14, 2021 / 49.95
Starring: Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook, Marius Goring, Léonide Massine, Ludmilla Tchérina, Robert Helpmann, Albert Basserman.
Cinematography: Jack Cardiff
Production Design and Costumes: Hein Heckroth
Film Editor: Reginald Mills
Original Music: Brian Easdale
Written,...
The Red Shoes
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 44
1947 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 133 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date December 14, 2021 / 49.95
Starring: Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook, Marius Goring, Léonide Massine, Ludmilla Tchérina, Robert Helpmann, Albert Basserman.
Cinematography: Jack Cardiff
Production Design and Costumes: Hein Heckroth
Film Editor: Reginald Mills
Original Music: Brian Easdale
Written,...
- 12/18/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
After months of wild and wacky performances, it was finally time for Group B to name a champion on “The Masked Singer.” Whoever prevailed at the end of Wednesday’s Group B Finale, either Banana Split or Queen of Hearts, would go on to compete for the Season 6 Golden Mask on December 15, where they’d face off against the Group A victor, Bull. So did Banana Split or Queen of Hearts fall victim to this week’s unmasking just one week before the season finale?
See ‘The Masked Singer’ reveals for all seasons: Celebrities and costumes through the years
Below, read our minute-by-minute “The Masked Singer” recap of Season 6, Episode 12, to find out what happened Wednesday, December 8 at 8:00 p.m. Et/Pt. Then be sure to sound off in the comments section about your favorite costumed characters on Fox’s reality TV show and who you think has what...
See ‘The Masked Singer’ reveals for all seasons: Celebrities and costumes through the years
Below, read our minute-by-minute “The Masked Singer” recap of Season 6, Episode 12, to find out what happened Wednesday, December 8 at 8:00 p.m. Et/Pt. Then be sure to sound off in the comments section about your favorite costumed characters on Fox’s reality TV show and who you think has what...
- 12/9/2021
- by Denton Davidson and Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Spoiler Alert: Do not read ahead if you have not watched “The Masked Singer” Season 6, Episode 12, “Group B Finale,” which aired December 9 on Fox.
Singer Katharine McPhee and producer David Foster say “The Masked Singer” producers actually “undersold” how much fun they’d have as contestants on the hit Fox reality series. “We had the best time,” Foster said. “No regrets.” The couple were unmasked as the Banana Split on the twelfth episode of Season 6, “Group B Finale.”
“We didn’t have any summer plans,” McPhee said. “I was five months postpartum, and Covid was raging. We just thought, what are we going to do, sit at home all summer long and just look at each other? So we did that, we looked at each other for two or three weeks straight on the show. And just had so much fun. And I was very upset that I lost that...
Singer Katharine McPhee and producer David Foster say “The Masked Singer” producers actually “undersold” how much fun they’d have as contestants on the hit Fox reality series. “We had the best time,” Foster said. “No regrets.” The couple were unmasked as the Banana Split on the twelfth episode of Season 6, “Group B Finale.”
“We didn’t have any summer plans,” McPhee said. “I was five months postpartum, and Covid was raging. We just thought, what are we going to do, sit at home all summer long and just look at each other? So we did that, we looked at each other for two or three weeks straight on the show. And just had so much fun. And I was very upset that I lost that...
- 12/9/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
The movie awards’ season is in full flower with such films as Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog”; Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story”; Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast,” Guillermo Del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley” and Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth” among the favorites for top prizes. But one thing we know for certain is that there is no sure thing when it comes to the Oscars. Consider the case of seventy years ago. Not only were there surprises among the nominees, but there were also some shocks when it came to the winners of the 1952 Oscars.
Let’s revisit the 24th Academy Awards, which took place March 20, 1952 at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood and were hosted by Danny Kaye. This was the last time the ceremony was presented on radio. The show moved to television the following year. Among the presenters that evening were Lucille Ball,...
Let’s revisit the 24th Academy Awards, which took place March 20, 1952 at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood and were hosted by Danny Kaye. This was the last time the ceremony was presented on radio. The show moved to television the following year. Among the presenters that evening were Lucille Ball,...
- 12/6/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Years in the making! The glory of MGM on parade! Enough studio resources to film twenty pictures were expended on this paean to showman Florenz Ziegfeld. It’s really Metro Goldwyn Mayer’s Technicolor valentine to itself, showing off the studio’s enormous stable of musical talent, along with various of its comic performers. Arthur Freed and Louis B. Mayer’s notion of ‘something for everyone’ results in weird stack of grandiose musical numbers and mostly weak comedy. The biggest draw is the incredible color cinematography that peeks through in three or four jaw-droppingly elaborate musical spectacles. The picture is a workout to find the artistic limits of the Technicolor system.
Ziegfeld Follies
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1945 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 117 110 min. / Street Date June 15, 2021 / 21.99
Starring: (alphabetically): Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Lucille Bremer, Fanny Brice, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, Victor Moore, Red Skelton, Esther Williams. Also...
Ziegfeld Follies
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1945 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 117 110 min. / Street Date June 15, 2021 / 21.99
Starring: (alphabetically): Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Lucille Bremer, Fanny Brice, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, Victor Moore, Red Skelton, Esther Williams. Also...
- 7/20/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
For his first re-teaming sans Ginger, Fred Astaire hot-foots it to MGM and the waiting tap & sweep partner Eleanor Powell, already a terrific box office draw in her own right. These were the days when the caliber of talent in Hollywood justified the exalted, glamorous aura of star status. The story is a backstage mixup with sidebar singing and joke acts, decent dialogue and not much else. But when these two alight on a dance floor — not just ‘a’ dance floor but an enormous expanse of glittering glass — Hollywood hits a too-glamorous-to-be-real peak. The music by Cole Porter includes Begin the Beguine. Just-okay George Murphy is the third wheel on this musical bicycle, with Frank Morgan serving as fuddy-duddy comic relief.
Broadway Melody of 1940
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1940 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 102 min. / Street Date April 13, 2021 / 21.99
Starring: Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell, George Murphy, Frank Morgan, Ian Hunter, Florence Rice, Trixie Firschke,...
Broadway Melody of 1940
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1940 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 102 min. / Street Date April 13, 2021 / 21.99
Starring: Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell, George Murphy, Frank Morgan, Ian Hunter, Florence Rice, Trixie Firschke,...
- 5/1/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
MGM’s old-fashioned Irving Berlin musical has superior songs and powerful performances, especially that of Betty Hutton. She gets plenty loud and rambunctious, but it fits the ‘big’ Annie Oakley character. And the talented, under-appreciated Howard Keel really fires up the screen with her in songs like ‘Anything You Can Do.’ The Wac disc contains plenty of George Feltenstein- rescued unused audio material, plus footage … depressing footage … of Judy Garland’s attempt in the leading role. Yep, the show may be PC minefield begging for a Cancel Culture intervention, but if it goes we’ll have to put most of Hollywood film history in a landfill.
Annie Get Your Gun
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1950 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 107 min. / Available at Amazon.com / Street Date April 10, 2021 / 21.99
Starring: Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Louis Calhern, J. Carrol Naish, Edward Arnold, Keenan Wynn, Benay Venuta, Clinton Sundberg, Mae Clarke, John Mylong, Chief Yowlachie, Evelyn Beresford.
Annie Get Your Gun
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1950 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 107 min. / Available at Amazon.com / Street Date April 10, 2021 / 21.99
Starring: Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Louis Calhern, J. Carrol Naish, Edward Arnold, Keenan Wynn, Benay Venuta, Clinton Sundberg, Mae Clarke, John Mylong, Chief Yowlachie, Evelyn Beresford.
- 4/20/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
MGM’s remake of the grand musical can’t be ignored — the restored transfer is stunning, demonstrating the studio’s technical skill at full tilt. There are good aspects to this version, even if it’s mostly a missed opportunity more notable for production backstories than for itself. It’s Kathryn Grayson’s high water mark at MGM, and Howard Keel does yeoman’s work on his side. MGM’s musical arrangements of the Hammerstein / Kern songbook is as good as ever. Most critics in 1951 thought it superior because it was in Technicolor; and it was one of the top $ money earners of the year.
Show Boat
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1951 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 108 min. / Street Date February 23, 2021 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, Joe E. Brown, Marge Champion, Gower Champion, Robert Sterling, Agnes Moorehead, Leif Erickson, William Warfield, Regis Toomey, Adele Jergens, Owen McGiveney,...
Show Boat
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1951 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 108 min. / Street Date February 23, 2021 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, Joe E. Brown, Marge Champion, Gower Champion, Robert Sterling, Agnes Moorehead, Leif Erickson, William Warfield, Regis Toomey, Adele Jergens, Owen McGiveney,...
- 3/2/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
MGM’s remake of the grand musical can’t be ignored — the restored transfer is stunning, demonstrating the studio’s technical skill at full tilt. There are good aspects to this version, even if it’s mostly a missed opportunity more notable for production backstories than for itself. It’s Kathryn Grayson’s high water mark at MGM, and Howard Keel does yeoman’s work on his side. MGM’s musical arrangements of the Hammerstein / Kern songbook is as good as ever. Most critics in 1951 thought it superior because it was in Technicolor; and it was one of the top $ money earners of the year.
Show Boat
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1951 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 108 min. / Street Date February 23, 2021 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, Joe E. Brown, Marge Champion, Gower Champion, Robert Sterling, Agnes Moorehead, Leif Erickson, William Warfield, Regis Toomey, Adele Jergens, Owen McGiveney,...
Show Boat
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1951 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 108 min. / Street Date February 23, 2021 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, Joe E. Brown, Marge Champion, Gower Champion, Robert Sterling, Agnes Moorehead, Leif Erickson, William Warfield, Regis Toomey, Adele Jergens, Owen McGiveney,...
- 3/2/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The Academy has released a list of 366 feature films in contention for the upcoming 93rd Oscars. The number of eligible movies is up from the 344 submitted in 2019, although it’s not an AMPAS record. This is the highest total since the 1970 awards, which had 374 eligible entries.
All the expected awards contenders are among the “reminder list of productions eligible for the 93rd Academy Awards,” which include Florian Zeller’s “The Father,” Shaka King’s “Judas and the Black Messiah,” Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari,” Paul Greengrass’ “News of the World,” Regina King’s “One Night in Miami,” Emerald Fennell’s “Promising Young Woman” Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland,” Pete Docter and Kemp Powers’ “Soul,” and Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”
Some of the more unconventional contenders are also on the list, including Robert Downey Jr.’s family pic “Dolittle,” the horror film “The Empty Man” from David Pryor,...
All the expected awards contenders are among the “reminder list of productions eligible for the 93rd Academy Awards,” which include Florian Zeller’s “The Father,” Shaka King’s “Judas and the Black Messiah,” Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari,” Paul Greengrass’ “News of the World,” Regina King’s “One Night in Miami,” Emerald Fennell’s “Promising Young Woman” Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland,” Pete Docter and Kemp Powers’ “Soul,” and Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”
Some of the more unconventional contenders are also on the list, including Robert Downey Jr.’s family pic “Dolittle,” the horror film “The Empty Man” from David Pryor,...
- 2/25/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The Arthur Freed MGM musical unit gives this 1927 musical remake the old College Try! It’s a vehicle for the wartime sweetheart June Allyson, aided by Peter Lawford, who is quite good if not real musical material. The fun original tunes are joined by a couple of new ones, including an all-time terrific song & dance number staged by Robert Alton and performed by the incredible Joan McCracken. The new restoration does wonders with the 1947 Technicolor and the Wac adds hilarious, eye-opening musical excerpts from the crazy 1930 early talkie version with Penny Singleton. Good news indeed. With Patricia Marshall, Mel Tormé and Tommy Rall.
Good News
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1947 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 93 min. / Street Date January 26, 2021 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: June Allyson, Peter Lawford, Joan McCracken, Patricia Marshall, Ray McDonald, Mel Tormé, Robert E. Strickland, Donald MacBride, Tom Dugan, Clinton Sundberg, Loren Tindall, Connie Gilchrist, Morris Ankrum, Tommy Rall,...
Good News
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1947 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 93 min. / Street Date January 26, 2021 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: June Allyson, Peter Lawford, Joan McCracken, Patricia Marshall, Ray McDonald, Mel Tormé, Robert E. Strickland, Donald MacBride, Tom Dugan, Clinton Sundberg, Loren Tindall, Connie Gilchrist, Morris Ankrum, Tommy Rall,...
- 2/13/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Ava Gardner and Howard Keel in Show Boat (1951) will be available on Blu-ray February 23rd from Warner Archive. Oredring info can be found Here
From novel (by Edna Ferber) to Broadway smash (by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II) to three film versions to stage revivals. Like Ol’ Man River, Show Boat just keeps rollin’ along. Produced by Arthur Freed and directed by George Sidney, this 1951 version of the saga of riverboat lives and loves has glorious stars in Technicolor® radiance, a made-from-scratch 170-foot paddle wheeler, timeless songs and an equally timeless outcry against racial bigotry. “This was music that would outlast Kern’s day and mine,” Ferber said in recalling her first reaction to hearing “Ol’ Man River.” She was right as rain.
Special Features: Commentary by Director George Sidney; “Till the Clouds Roll By – Show Boat” (1946) Sequence; “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man” and “Bill” Ava Gardner Audio-only...
From novel (by Edna Ferber) to Broadway smash (by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II) to three film versions to stage revivals. Like Ol’ Man River, Show Boat just keeps rollin’ along. Produced by Arthur Freed and directed by George Sidney, this 1951 version of the saga of riverboat lives and loves has glorious stars in Technicolor® radiance, a made-from-scratch 170-foot paddle wheeler, timeless songs and an equally timeless outcry against racial bigotry. “This was music that would outlast Kern’s day and mine,” Ferber said in recalling her first reaction to hearing “Ol’ Man River.” She was right as rain.
Special Features: Commentary by Director George Sidney; “Till the Clouds Roll By – Show Boat” (1946) Sequence; “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man” and “Bill” Ava Gardner Audio-only...
- 2/5/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Now for a real treat for musical fans, a core MGM dazzler with top stars, fully restored and looking incredibly good. Vincente Minnelli’s snappy, funny 1948 show isn’t ranked among producer Arthur Freed’s best but it ought to be. Silly farce gets a high-toned, technically amazing workout as Judy Garland’s demure señorita secretly lusts after the ruthless corsair of the title, Mack the Black! Gene Kelly’s slippery carny womanizer impersonates her piratical fantasy sex object, and it all ends in clowning and killer musical numbers. Cole Porter’s smart songs attest to the great orchestrators and arrangers in MGM’s world-class music department; the new full digital restoration makes the movie look and sound better than I’ve certainly ever seen it.
The Pirate
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1948 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 102 min. / Street Date November 24, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Walter Slezak,...
The Pirate
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1948 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 102 min. / Street Date November 24, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Walter Slezak,...
- 11/24/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Video Version of this Article Photo/Video: 'Singing in the Rain'/Loews Inc./Hollywood Insider YouTube Channel MGM Musicals: The musical-movie genre harkens back to the Golden Age of Hollywood, even the new ones always direct us to those that came before, those iconic films that impacted generation after generation, and without them, Hollywood likely wouldn’t be what it is today. Within the musical-movie era, there was a single studio that put out a dizzy rate of musicals in a two-decade span that still holds up today. That studio was MGM. And within the studio, a producer and lyricist, Arthur Freed, rose to prominence, acting as the Kevin Feige of the musical age akin to the Marvel age we live in now. And while I could go on for ages listing hidden gems and the many musicals all worth your time, I’ll shorten it to five impactful musicals that if somehow missed,...
- 11/13/2020
- by Merrick Sinclair
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
The Notebook Primer introduces readers to some of the most important figures, films, genres, and movements in film history.Above: 42nd StreetWhile other genres undoubtedly advanced with the dawning of sound technology, the musical is likely the most indebted to the reverberations of this complementary process. More than that, though, the movie musical was fundamentally born with the surge of sound—it simply could not have existed otherwise. And since that time, the musical has indeed been a uniquely cinematic venture, less beholden to conventional narratives and often disposed to experimentations in color, location, camera mobility, production design, and special effects. Especially in its heyday, the so-called “Golden Age” lasting between the mid-1930s and late-‘50s, Hollywood musicals were an enrapturing experience, delighting audiences with spectacle, romance, athleticism, fine performances, and, of course, song and dance. Some of America’s brightest stars sparkled in the musical, while many of...
- 10/7/2020
- MUBI
We told you. Remember the rules. You didn’t listen. Now we’re Back with an all new batch of guest recommendations featuring Blake Masters, Julien Nitzberg, Floyd Norman, Tuppence Middleton and Blaire Bercy.
Please support the Hollywood Food Coalition. Text “Give” to 323.402.5704 or visit https://hofoco.org/donate!
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Wild Angels (1966)
Spirits of the Dead (1966)
The Trip (1967)
Mooch Goes To Hollywood (1971)
Stalker (1979)
The Candidate (1972)
The Parallax View (1974)
Network (1976)
Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
Ace In The Hole (1951)
Margin Call (2011)
Death Wish (1974)
Death Wish (2018)
Seconds (1966)
Soylent Green (1973)
Rage (1972)
Assault on Wall Street (2013)
Repo Man (1984)
Elmer Gantry (1960)
The Train (1965)
Clouds of Sils Maria (2014)
Strange Brew (1983)
To Have And Have Not (1944)
Singin’ In The Rain (1952)
Easter Parade (1948)
The Band Wagon (1953)
Guys And Dolls (1955)
On The Town (1949)
Casablanca (1942)
The Dirt Gang (1972)
Back To The Future (1985)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The Big Sleep (1946)
Bomba, the Jungle Boy (1949)
My Man Godfrey...
Please support the Hollywood Food Coalition. Text “Give” to 323.402.5704 or visit https://hofoco.org/donate!
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Wild Angels (1966)
Spirits of the Dead (1966)
The Trip (1967)
Mooch Goes To Hollywood (1971)
Stalker (1979)
The Candidate (1972)
The Parallax View (1974)
Network (1976)
Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
Ace In The Hole (1951)
Margin Call (2011)
Death Wish (1974)
Death Wish (2018)
Seconds (1966)
Soylent Green (1973)
Rage (1972)
Assault on Wall Street (2013)
Repo Man (1984)
Elmer Gantry (1960)
The Train (1965)
Clouds of Sils Maria (2014)
Strange Brew (1983)
To Have And Have Not (1944)
Singin’ In The Rain (1952)
Easter Parade (1948)
The Band Wagon (1953)
Guys And Dolls (1955)
On The Town (1949)
Casablanca (1942)
The Dirt Gang (1972)
Back To The Future (1985)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The Big Sleep (1946)
Bomba, the Jungle Boy (1949)
My Man Godfrey...
- 8/14/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Spoiler Alert: The following podcast contains spoilers about season 3 of Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
The one motif that rings throughout season 3 of Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is that the production literally struck up the band. From the first episode’s massive Uso show, to a Latin Miami dance slow dance, to a swimming pool ballet that Midge wrecks, and all the Shy Baldwin love songs in between, season 3 was a wall-to-wall musical.
“We wanted Midge in season 3 to be be swept up; a huge observer of a big hot young star’s journey,” the series EP/director and writer Dan Palladino tells Deadline’s Crew Call.
“We wanted her to see fame,” adds creator/EP/director/writer Amy Sherman-Palladino.
“…And the effects of fame,” says Dan Palladino.
Season 3 in particular, “allowed us to indulge in our inner MGM, Gene Kelly, Arthur Freed moments; everything in the...
The one motif that rings throughout season 3 of Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is that the production literally struck up the band. From the first episode’s massive Uso show, to a Latin Miami dance slow dance, to a swimming pool ballet that Midge wrecks, and all the Shy Baldwin love songs in between, season 3 was a wall-to-wall musical.
“We wanted Midge in season 3 to be be swept up; a huge observer of a big hot young star’s journey,” the series EP/director and writer Dan Palladino tells Deadline’s Crew Call.
“We wanted her to see fame,” adds creator/EP/director/writer Amy Sherman-Palladino.
“…And the effects of fame,” says Dan Palladino.
Season 3 in particular, “allowed us to indulge in our inner MGM, Gene Kelly, Arthur Freed moments; everything in the...
- 7/6/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
This article contains major Hollywood spoilers. You can find our easter egg guide for the previous episode here.
Don’t you just love a happy ending? Ryan Murphy clearly did with regards to Hollywood, and while we had mixed ideas of our own about that conclusion, there is no denying how gratifying it is to see representation shared with those whom society marginalized for years and centuries. There is a real sugar rush of “what if” good cheer about the series’ version of Oscar night 1948. Here are some of the facts the series changed, and some other shout-outs it enjoyed in its closing moments.
Hollywood Episode 7
-The Meg editor admits he didn’t shtup Gloria Swanson. He only got to third base while she was on the rebound after Joe Kennedy dumped her. This would’ve placed the screening room action around 1928 or ’29—an affair Swanson denied until she finally admitted it in her 1980 autobiography.
Don’t you just love a happy ending? Ryan Murphy clearly did with regards to Hollywood, and while we had mixed ideas of our own about that conclusion, there is no denying how gratifying it is to see representation shared with those whom society marginalized for years and centuries. There is a real sugar rush of “what if” good cheer about the series’ version of Oscar night 1948. Here are some of the facts the series changed, and some other shout-outs it enjoyed in its closing moments.
Hollywood Episode 7
-The Meg editor admits he didn’t shtup Gloria Swanson. He only got to third base while she was on the rebound after Joe Kennedy dumped her. This would’ve placed the screening room action around 1928 or ’29—an affair Swanson denied until she finally admitted it in her 1980 autobiography.
- 5/3/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Director Brad Bird is the new programmer of TCM’s “The Essentials” series and will join host Ben Mankiewicz starting May 2. He has loaded up the schedule with musicals — including starting out with everybody’s feel-good favorite, “Singin’ in the Rain.”
Turns out that Bird is quite the devotee of the genre and is currently scripting a live-action/animated musical passion project at Sony in collaboration with composer Michael Giacchino. So, nestled between such evergreens as “Casablanca,” “Lawrence of Arabia,” “North by Northwest,” “The Searchers,” “Dr. Strangelove,” and “The Maltese Falcon,” Bird will also serve up the musical joys of “The Red Shoes,” “An American in Paris, ” “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Guys and Dolls,” and “The Music Man.”
For Bird, musicals and animation are actually quite similar in their reliance on stylization to propel the storytelling. “In character animation, you’re trying to capture the essence of a character through...
Turns out that Bird is quite the devotee of the genre and is currently scripting a live-action/animated musical passion project at Sony in collaboration with composer Michael Giacchino. So, nestled between such evergreens as “Casablanca,” “Lawrence of Arabia,” “North by Northwest,” “The Searchers,” “Dr. Strangelove,” and “The Maltese Falcon,” Bird will also serve up the musical joys of “The Red Shoes,” “An American in Paris, ” “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Guys and Dolls,” and “The Music Man.”
For Bird, musicals and animation are actually quite similar in their reliance on stylization to propel the storytelling. “In character animation, you’re trying to capture the essence of a character through...
- 5/1/2020
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
The great Larry Wilmore joins us to share some very personal double features.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
1917 (2019)
Animal Crackers (1930)
Duck Soup (1933)
My Little Chickadee (1940)
A Night At The Opera (1935)
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
The Parallax View (1974)
Singin’ In The Rain (1952)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Jaws (1975)
The Stepford Wives (1975)
The Party (1968)
The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)
The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
Richard Pryor: Live In Concert (1979)
Richard Pryor: Live And Smokin’ (1971)
Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
Lenny (1974)
The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009)
Lolita (1962)
Caligula (1979)
The Night of the Iguana (1964)
The Elephant Man (1980)
What Would Jack Do? (2020)
Blue Velvet (1986)
The Apartment (1960)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Double Indemnity (1944)
The Sting (1973)
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
1917 (2019)
Animal Crackers (1930)
Duck Soup (1933)
My Little Chickadee (1940)
A Night At The Opera (1935)
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
The Parallax View (1974)
Singin’ In The Rain (1952)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Jaws (1975)
The Stepford Wives (1975)
The Party (1968)
The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)
The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
Richard Pryor: Live In Concert (1979)
Richard Pryor: Live And Smokin’ (1971)
Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
Lenny (1974)
The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009)
Lolita (1962)
Caligula (1979)
The Night of the Iguana (1964)
The Elephant Man (1980)
What Would Jack Do? (2020)
Blue Velvet (1986)
The Apartment (1960)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Double Indemnity (1944)
The Sting (1973)
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid...
- 3/10/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
In 91 years of Academy Awards, there have only been three occasions when a producer had two best picture nominees simultaneously: Francis Coppola and Fred Roos, with 1974’s “The Godfather Part II” and “The Conversation”; Scott Rudin, with 2010’s “The Social Network” and “True Grit”; and Megan Ellison, with 2013’s “American Hustle” and “Her.”
That could happen this year with Emma Tillinger Koskoff, who produced “The Irishman” and “Joker.” As a bonus, she was also exec producer on “Uncut Gems.” In other words, she’s having a good year.
Tillinger Koskoff freely admits that many people, even within the industry, are unclear on a producer’s role: “Some producers find the material and develop it. Some raise the funds and never go to the set. That’s not what I do.” What she does do: Pay attention to the filmmaker’s vision, and do everything necessary to bring it to life.
That could happen this year with Emma Tillinger Koskoff, who produced “The Irishman” and “Joker.” As a bonus, she was also exec producer on “Uncut Gems.” In other words, she’s having a good year.
Tillinger Koskoff freely admits that many people, even within the industry, are unclear on a producer’s role: “Some producers find the material and develop it. Some raise the funds and never go to the set. That’s not what I do.” What she does do: Pay attention to the filmmaker’s vision, and do everything necessary to bring it to life.
- 12/4/2019
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
It is interesting this Oscar weekend to reflect on the life and career of the great Stanley Donen who died today at the age of 94. For those nominated tomorrow night who end up losing, don’t despair and just think of Stanley Donen , the director behind the camera on Singin’ In The Rain, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, On The Town, Damn Yankees, The Pajama Game, It’s Always Fair Weather, Royal Wedding, Indiscreet, Charade , Arabesque, Two For The Road, Funny Face, and so many more. He never got a single Academy Award nomination in his career, not one, yet he made so many movies that are the epitome of style , and virtually (with mentors like Gene Kelly in particular) helped to reinvent the movie musical before passing the baton to Bob Fosse ,Rob Marshall, and Damien Chazelle among others all clearly influenced by him in one way or another.
- 2/24/2019
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Like a lot of great filmmakers, Stanley Donen never won a competitive Academy Award — or even got nominated for one. But the “Singin’ in the Rain” and “Charade” director, who died this morning at 94, did receive an honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement in 1998. Presented by Martin Scorsese, it was emblematic of Donen’s vibrant spirit — and, apropos of his career, featured a musical interlude.
“Marty, it’s backwards, I should be giving this to you, believe me. And I want to thank the Board of Governors for this cute little fella which to me looks titanic,” he said before launching into song (the Titanic reference was a nod to how this was the night James Cameron’s film would win 11 Oscars). “Tonight, words seem inadequate. In musicals that’s when we do a song, so…”
Then he sang:
“Heaven, I’m in heaven,
and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak,...
“Marty, it’s backwards, I should be giving this to you, believe me. And I want to thank the Board of Governors for this cute little fella which to me looks titanic,” he said before launching into song (the Titanic reference was a nod to how this was the night James Cameron’s film would win 11 Oscars). “Tonight, words seem inadequate. In musicals that’s when we do a song, so…”
Then he sang:
“Heaven, I’m in heaven,
and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak,...
- 2/23/2019
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
“Our love will last till the stars turn cold.” That line from “Singin’ in the Rain” perfectly sums up the sensibility of its director, Stanley Donen: absolute sincerity wedded to knowing irony. When Gene Kelly’s Don Lockwood says that to Debbie Reynolds’ Kathy Seldon, he’s actually quoting a line from the cornball movie he’s just made with Jean Hagen for which he has contempt: “The Duelling Cavalier.” But what Lockwood comes to recognize is that, polished just right, hokum can be made to sparkle — and can convey genuine feeling. Is “Our love will last till the stars turn cold” silly? Sure. But it’s beautiful too, and who wants to be so cynical as not to recognize that?
Donen, who died February 23 at age 94 after a nearly 70-year career across film and theater, recognized what so few do today: that two seemingly contradictory things can be true at the same time.
Donen, who died February 23 at age 94 after a nearly 70-year career across film and theater, recognized what so few do today: that two seemingly contradictory things can be true at the same time.
- 2/23/2019
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
David Crow Feb 23, 2019
Stanley Donen, legendary director of Singin' in the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Charade, has passed away.
Stanley Donen, one of the filmmakers most associated with the Golden Age of Hollywood movie musicals out of the MGM Freed unit, has passed away at the age of 94, leaving behind a legacy that includes Singin’ in the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, On the Town, Funny Face, and non-musical Audrey Hepburn classics like Charade and Two for the Road.
The news was confirmed by one of Donen’s sons to The Chicago Tribune critic Michael Phillips. The journalist tweeted Saturday morning, “Confirmed by one of his sons this morning: Director Stanley Donen has died at 94… A huge, often neglected talent.”
Born in South Carolina in April 1924, Donen said later in life that he was inspired by the likes of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals of the ‘30s,...
Stanley Donen, legendary director of Singin' in the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Charade, has passed away.
Stanley Donen, one of the filmmakers most associated with the Golden Age of Hollywood movie musicals out of the MGM Freed unit, has passed away at the age of 94, leaving behind a legacy that includes Singin’ in the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, On the Town, Funny Face, and non-musical Audrey Hepburn classics like Charade and Two for the Road.
The news was confirmed by one of Donen’s sons to The Chicago Tribune critic Michael Phillips. The journalist tweeted Saturday morning, “Confirmed by one of his sons this morning: Director Stanley Donen has died at 94… A huge, often neglected talent.”
Born in South Carolina in April 1924, Donen said later in life that he was inspired by the likes of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals of the ‘30s,...
- 2/23/2019
- Den of Geek
Stanley Donen, the deft director of such iconic movie musicals as Singin’ In the Rain, Funny Face, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Charade who helped define Hollywood’s golden age, has died at age 94. The news was confirmed this morning by his son to the Chicago Tribune.
Donen remarkably never won an Oscar for his work, but was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Motion Picture Academy in 1998, “in appreciation of a body of work marked by grace, elegance, wit and visual innovation.” He sang “Cheek to Cheek” with his statuette during his acceptance speech.
Born in Columbia, Sc, Donan was a Broadway dancer and choreographer when he met Gene Kelly while dancing in the chorus of Pal Joey. He eventually moved to Hollywood to dance in MGM musicals, and when he was 19 Kelly got the studio to lend Donen to Columbia Pictures so they could co-choreograph Cover Girl.
Donen remarkably never won an Oscar for his work, but was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Motion Picture Academy in 1998, “in appreciation of a body of work marked by grace, elegance, wit and visual innovation.” He sang “Cheek to Cheek” with his statuette during his acceptance speech.
Born in Columbia, Sc, Donan was a Broadway dancer and choreographer when he met Gene Kelly while dancing in the chorus of Pal Joey. He eventually moved to Hollywood to dance in MGM musicals, and when he was 19 Kelly got the studio to lend Donen to Columbia Pictures so they could co-choreograph Cover Girl.
- 2/23/2019
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Stanley Donen, the director of such stylish and exuberant films as “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Funny Face” and “Two for the Road” and the last surviving helmer of note from Hollywood’s golden age, has died at 94.
The Chicago Tribune’s Michael Phillips tweeted that one of his sons had confirmed the news to him.
Confirmed by one of his sons this morning: Director Stanley Donen has died at 94. With Gene Kelly he brought On The Town and Singin’ In The Rain into the world; on his own, 7 Brides, Charade and Two For The Road. A huge, often neglected talent. #StanleyDonen
— Michael Phillips (@phillipstribune) February 23, 2019
Though he was never Oscar-nominated for any of the many films he directed, Donen received a lifetime achievement Oscar at the 1998 Academy Awards “in appreciation of a body of work marked by grace, elegance, wit and visual innovation.”
His films were known for their brisk pace,...
The Chicago Tribune’s Michael Phillips tweeted that one of his sons had confirmed the news to him.
Confirmed by one of his sons this morning: Director Stanley Donen has died at 94. With Gene Kelly he brought On The Town and Singin’ In The Rain into the world; on his own, 7 Brides, Charade and Two For The Road. A huge, often neglected talent. #StanleyDonen
— Michael Phillips (@phillipstribune) February 23, 2019
Though he was never Oscar-nominated for any of the many films he directed, Donen received a lifetime achievement Oscar at the 1998 Academy Awards “in appreciation of a body of work marked by grace, elegance, wit and visual innovation.”
His films were known for their brisk pace,...
- 2/23/2019
- by Carmel Dagan and Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
David Crow Dec 17, 2018
The musical is back, so we're revisiting all the best modern movie musicals that have helped revive the genre in the 21st century.
With Mary Poppins Returns set to dominate the box office this holiday season, and Anna and the Apocalypse earning indie cred among theater geeks and gorehounds the world over, it’s fair to say that the musical is back and healthier than it has been in decades. We have written in the past about how the Disney Renaissance sowed the seeds for a new generation of millennials to embrace musicals after their parents largely rejected them, and the proof has never been more striking than in the last several years.
While the 21st century began with industry watchers and critics being slack-jawed that Broadway adaptations and jukebox musicals could do big business again—as well as be big awards contenders—it is now commonplace...
The musical is back, so we're revisiting all the best modern movie musicals that have helped revive the genre in the 21st century.
With Mary Poppins Returns set to dominate the box office this holiday season, and Anna and the Apocalypse earning indie cred among theater geeks and gorehounds the world over, it’s fair to say that the musical is back and healthier than it has been in decades. We have written in the past about how the Disney Renaissance sowed the seeds for a new generation of millennials to embrace musicals after their parents largely rejected them, and the proof has never been more striking than in the last several years.
While the 21st century began with industry watchers and critics being slack-jawed that Broadway adaptations and jukebox musicals could do big business again—as well as be big awards contenders—it is now commonplace...
- 12/16/2018
- Den of Geek
It's with a heavy heart that I write of my appreciation and love for producer Craig Zadan, who died shockingly last week. He was my friend and kindred spirit in putting musicals on television, and some of the most joyful moments in my life came from working with him — or just watching one of his movies.
Long ago I dubbed Craig and Neil Meron, his producing partner of 45 years, the most prolific producers of musicals since the great Arthur Freed (Singin' in the Rain, American in Paris, The Wizard of Oz). Neil and I, along with Craig's ...
Long ago I dubbed Craig and Neil Meron, his producing partner of 45 years, the most prolific producers of musicals since the great Arthur Freed (Singin' in the Rain, American in Paris, The Wizard of Oz). Neil and I, along with Craig's ...
- 8/27/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Broadway director and writer Gordon Greenberg has revised the book for Meet Me In St. Louis at The Muny. Performances began August 4 and will run until August 12. This production, the 8th in Muny history, will also include several songs new to the stage adaptation of Meet Me In St. Louis, including 'Boys and Girls Like You and Me,' a song written by Rodgers amp Hammerstein for Oklahoma and then recorded for, but ultimately cut, from the film of Meet Me In St. Louis. This production will also include the first stage use of 'You and I,' a song in the film by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed.
- 8/5/2018
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
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