Musicals - Page 33

Manufacturer: Warner Home Video Brand: Warner Brothers

Show Boat (1951) (DVD)One of the greatest Broadway musicals comes to the screen in this tale of music, racial bigotry and enduring love as outsized as the American heartland set aboard a Mississippi River Show Boat. Magnolia Brown has grown up onboard a sailing theater, plying the river from town to town to entertain people, and she has always dreamed of a life on stage. When the star's, Julie LaVerne part African American ancestry is revealed and she is forced to leave, Magnolia steps in to take Julie's place on stage. Magnolia soon falls in love with her leading man, the handsome gambler and rogue, Gaylord Ravenal (Howard Keel--Kiss Me Kate, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers), and the two marry, have a daughter and live happily--for a while. But Ravenal's gambling debts force Magnolia to find a job, and Julie LaVerne again leaves her starring role--this time voluntarily--to give Magnolia the break she needs, an opportunity that leads to stardom.]]> The show that first defined the Broadway musical has never come to the screen intact, despite three tries. But take this splashy 1951 MGM extravaganza on its own terms, and it boggles the eyes. Not to mention the ears: The Kern-Hammerstein score includes some staples of the American songbook, such as "Make Believe," "After the Ball," and "Can't Help Lovin' That Man." Perhaps a riverboat gambler is almost too-easy casting for Howard Keel, and Kathryn Grayson is overly twittery, which may be why the film's middle sags when they take center stage. But any time the uncannily beautiful Ava Gardner smolders, a lush tragic undertone takes over (even if the most interesting parts of her story seem to take place offscreen). The physical production is extraordinary: the busy riverside setting, the outrageous color design, and best of all an "Old Man River" (sung by William Warfield) staged in the mists of morning. -- Robert Horton

Manufacturer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Brand: Sony Model: 2226148

The sleeper hit of 1965, CAT BALLOU was declared an instant classic when its sly blend of Western parody and rapid-fire action hit the screen. Lee Marvin won an Oscar(r) for Best Actor in his dual role as both Tim Strawn, a noseless ("it got bit off in a fight") gunslinger, and as Kid Shelleen, the woozy, boozy, has-been who goes up against Strawn at high noon. In accepting the award, Marvin said, "I think half of this belongs to a horse somewhere in the Valley," referring to the hilarious scene where Marvin and the horse both lean against a shed in a drunken stupor (certainly one ofthe most famous sight gags ever). Jane Fonda, at the height of her sex-kitten period, stars as Catherine "Cat" Ballou, the schoolmarm-turned-outlaw who teams with Kid to protect her father's ranch from a greedy railroad tycoon. Filmed in just 32 days, CAT BALLOU went on to become one of the biggestbox office hits of 1965, proving the popularity of the Western spoof. Singer Nat King Cole and comedian Stubby

Manufacturer: Vci Video Brand: GAIAM INTERNATIONAL Model: 4968385

THE BROADWAY MUSICAL HIT ILLUSTRATES THE LEGENDARY ODYSSEY OF CHARLEMAGNE'S SON PIPPIN. HEIR APPARENT TO THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, PIPPIN SEARCHES FOR MEANING AND TRUTH. DVD FEATURES: INTERVIEW WITH FOSSE, BIOGRAPHIES, PHOTO GALLERY.

Manufacturer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Brand: Sony Model: 4968383 Color: Color

The magical exploits of an ever-optimistic, pigtailed little girl (Tami Erin), who is self-reliant and endowed with extraordinary talents. Based on the classic children's books by Astrid Lindgren, New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking features Eileen Brennan as Miss Bannister.

Manufacturer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Brand: Unknown Model: 4955548

Celebrate thirty years of BERRY GORDY’S THE LAST DRAGON, now fully remastered in high definition on Blu-ray™. Martial arts student Leroy Green (Taimak) is on a quest to obtain the elusive all-powerful force known as “The Glow.” Along the way, he must battle the evil, self-proclaimed “Shogun of Harlem” – a kung fu warrior also known as Sho’nuff (Julius J. Carry III) – and rescue a beautiful singer (Prince protégée Vanity) from an obsessed record promoter. Combining pulsating music, cutting-edge dancing and the best in non-stop action, BERRY GORDY’S THE LAST DRAGON is kickin’ good fun featuring an amazing Motown soundtrack, including music by Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Vanity and DeBarge performing their smash hit “Rhythm of the Night .” Get ready for some seriously big hair. The Last Dragon--or, to call it by its full title, Berry Gordy's the Last Dragon--is a stunning example of 1980s camp cinema. One-name kung fu wonder Taimak plays Leroy Green, a.k.a. Bruce Leroy, a humble student of kung fu who has achieved the highest level of skill, but hasn't yet found his inner master. Wandering through the streets of New York in a Chinese peasant outfit, he accidentally becomes the protector of nightclub hostess/video jockey Laura Charles (played by former Prince protégé Vanity, who also costarred in the trash classic Action Jackson). She's being threatened by a height-challenged mobster who wants her to play his girlfriend's video (the girlfriend is something of a Cyndi Lauper look-alike, played by Broadway star Faith Prince). Meanwhile, a man who calls himself Sho'Nuff, the Shogun of Harlem, wants to kick Leroy's ass and prove himself the baddest kung fu master in town. Add to this Leroy's smart-mouthed brother Richie (who calls Leroy "the chocolate-covered yellow peril"), a dregs-of-Motown soundtrack (DeBarge is a high point), ninja battles, pseudo-Eastern philosophical babble, and a jaw-dropping club performance by Van...

Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox Brand: TCFHE Model: 2218076 Color: Color

Barbara Streisand is a knockout as Dolly Levi, the woman "who arranges things like furniture and daffodils and lives." And Hello Dolly, is the blockbuster musical you'll want to see her in again and again. The famed plot concerns Dolly, a young widow and professional matchmaker who sets her sights, and whatever else she can muster, on conquering tight-fisted Yonkers merchant, Horace Vandergeider, beautifully played by Walter Matthau. How she does it has to be the grandest, singingest, dancingest, marchingest flag-wavingest musical there ever was.

Manufacturer: Universal Studios Home Entertainment Brand: ANDREWS,JULIE Model: 2219930

Not only is Thoroughly Modern Millie a zany romantic spoof of the Roaring Twenties, it’s a musical that won an Oscar for Best Original Music Score! Julie Andrews stars as Millie, an innocent country girl who comes to the big city in search of a husband. Along the way she becomes the secretary of the rich and famous Trevor Graydon (John Gavin), befriends the sweet Miss Dorothy (Mary Tyler Moore), fights off white slaver Mrs. Meers (Beatrice Lillie) and hooks up with a lively paper clip salesman, Jimmy (James Fox). In the end it takes a rich nutty jazz baby like Muzzy (Carol Channing) to unravel all these complications, give a great party, and match up lovers. Julie Andrews is at her peak of adorability in this enjoyable (and surprisingly sarcastic) spoof of the 1920s. It has every trick: occasional silent-movie intertitles, flapper lingo ("Oh, banana oil"), and a laughable plot about women being sold into white slavery by the scheming manageress (splendid Beatrice Lillie) of a Hotel for Ladies, aided by a cabal of wicked Chinese. (The stereotypes are bearable only if you remember this is a spoof of silent movie melodrama.) Even with able support from Mary Tyler Moore and James Fox, this is Julie's show; she plays to the camera with the collusion of director George Roy Hill, who's clearly smitten with her silly streak. The movie has an annoying tendency to spend time on musical numbers--a Jewish wedding, a vaudeville act--that don't serve the plot. A future Broadway musical would create a new score, except for the delightfully catchy title tune. --Robert Horton

Manufacturer: Walt Disney Home Entertainment Brand: Buena Vista Home Video Model: 4979722

Hayley Mills brings a joyful enthusiasm to this nostalgic, musical, and bighearted adventure in small-town living, now on Disney DVD. When a close-knit Boston family loses their fortune, they find a wealth of family secrets, young love, and charming summer nights in Beulah, Maine. A good-natured postmaster, pretentious cousin Julia, and the mysterious absentee landlord, Mr. Hamilton, populate their new life in a charming old yellow house. Featuring an all-star supporting cast, including Burl Ives, Dorothy McGuire, and Deborah Walley, this classic and wondrous tale will delight the entire family and belongs in every Disney collection.|This film is based on the novel "Mother Carey's Chickens," by Kate Douglas, which has become an American classic.

Manufacturer: HBO Studios Brand: HBO HOME VIDEO Model: 3344132

La Vie En Rose (DVD)Marion Cotillard ("Big Fish," "A Very Long Engagement") won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for her performance in this examination of the life of singer Edith Piaf (1915-1963), known as "The Little Sparrow." Piaf grew up in difficult circumstances, living at times with her mother, an alcoholic street singer; her father, a circus performer; and a grandmother, a madam at a brothel. A 20-year-old street singer, she is discovered by a club owner who is soon murdered, and coached by a musician who brings her to concert halls. Her rise to fame after that was fast, and her constant companions were alcohol and heartache. The tragedies of a love affair with Marcel Cerdan and the death of her only child belie the words of one of her signature songs, "Non, je ne regrette rien" (translated: "No, I regret nothing"). In addition to Cotillard's Best Actress Oscar, "La Vie En Rose" also took home an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Makeup. French-language film with English subtitles.]]> Edith Piaf is the subject of La Vie en Rose, director Olivier Dahan's powerful if emotionally redundant biographical film about the iconic French superstar whose life, as depicted here, seems to have been a numbing succession of tragedies interrupted on occasion by artistic triumph. Dahan's portrait begins with Piaf's stay in a brothel as a young girl. Left to the care of her grandmother (who runs the place) after her father pulls her away from a narcissistic mother, Piaf undergoes significant health problems and grows up to sing on the street in lieu of outright prostitution. The film pulses along with the usual biopic rhythms, with pivotal moments in the life of Piaf (played as an adult by Marion Cotillard) turning up regularly only to be smacked aside by the unseen hand of perpetual misfortune. There's the impresario (Gerard Depardieu) who recognizes Piaf's great but raw talent only to have a run-in with the criminal element around her. There's the heavyweight fighter (Marcel Cerdan) who becomes the love of Piaf's...

Manufacturer: Universal Studios Home Entertainment Brand: Universal Studios Model: 25192067723

Discover the magic of the Mean One this holiday season! Oscar-winning director Ron Howard and Oscar-winning producer Brian Grazer bring Christmas' best-loved grump to life with the help of the irrepressible Jim Carrey as The Grinch. The Grinch is a celebration of the holiday spirit no home should be without! Why is The Grinch (Carrey) such a grouch? No one seems to know, until little Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen) takes matters into her own hands and turns both Whoville and The Grinch's world upside down, inside out… and funny side up in her search for the true meaning of Christmas.