With the holiday season starting to spice up, it feels like a good time to break out the joyful movies and feel all warm inside. I’m not talking specifically about those relegated to holiday cheer, but to a genre that generally has been especially welcome around this time: the movie musical. Along with going out to some festive shows, there are few times of year that could use that extra oomph quite like the winter months, when the family is coming together and finding something to bond over. They may be good all year round, but at times when the world needs cheering up, it’s nice to have these titles on their shelf.
To be totally clear, this is a list that combines all sorts of different eras and styles of musical filmmaking. As much as I enjoy the classics, I also like those that take creative license and celebrate the form in these small and clever ways. It’s also a medium that I’m frankly very picky about regarding structure (not all music movies are musicals but all musicals are) so don’t expect a whole lot of biopics or concert films on this list. Every one of these features music being used to progress the story, presenting character development through lyrics, and even melody. Also, the music takes up a substantial amount of space within the narrative.
In some respects, we’re in a new silver age for the medium with every year having one or two really good titles added to the pile. However, they have a long way to go climbing up the hill of my personal favorites. This is by no means a definitive list, and there’s a good chance that there are dozens more that I’ll be willing to discuss as being great, even in the category of world cinema. But for now, this is an overview that I hope will give you an understanding of how diverse this genre is and what I look for when discussing movie musicals. It’s as much a catchy tune as it is a memorable story. Put them together, and you know that we got trouble.
1. My Fair Lady (1964)
Ever since discovering this musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s excellent “Pygmalion” play, I have been obsessed. It was my entry point to the delightful career of Audrey Hepburn, finding her donned in extravagant gowns, making bad cockney accents into comedy gold, and exploring the power of language. It’s easy to forget that the whole point of My Fair Lady is not a cultural makeover, but a study of communication as this great tool. Every character may speak English, but they do so in different enough ways that it conveys a struggle of ego and class, that Eliza Doolittle could never be as respected as the arrogant, stuffy Henry Higgins.
In fact, Higgins is perfectly played by Rex Harrison with a pompous approach to singing that finds every syllable perfectly annunciated. The only issue is that where he’s trying to better Doolittle’s life, he’s secretly conveying what’s wrong with him. It’s not a quest to better someone, but another project for him to manipulate, taking wagers on as they attend The Ascot Gavotte, finding less ladylike language slipping out at awkward moments. Every note is perfectly aligned and the study of language creating independence for Doolittle as it creates Higgins’ isolation is a powerful conclusion to this whole affair.
Though, if you’re being honest with yourself, it also has one of the best songbooks from the era from Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. Who could forget “On the Street Where You Live” or “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Your Face”? These springy melodies perfectly build character, finding deeper meaning in the jauntiness. It starts by asking “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?” as Doolittle dreams of shelter and ends with so much more. It’s not a story about achieving material worth, but the human connection afforded by intellect and understanding. It’s as much a cautionary tale as it is celebrating the very essence of what makes us human.
2. Duck Soup (1933)
At a glance, The Marx Brothers don’t strike anyone as a musical troupe. After all, they’re the brothers who did wild comedy bits that inspired generations to follow. That may actually be unfair, as every film they released had some component of music. Coming from the world of vaudeville, they had different ways of entertaining their audience. Harpo played the harp. Chico played the piano while wagging a limp finger. They had this immense talent that goes beyond clever jokes. Sometimes it came at the expense of their film’s narratives, but every now and then it lined up perfectly.
Duck Soup, among other things, may be the greatest war movie musical conceived. It’s a broad satire about a manic dictator named Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx) that features him running rampant, doing familiar antagonistic banter with Margaret Dumont. While some of the initial music may strike some as dated in its operatic intent, it’s only to establish how anarchic Firefly is. His music is full of these clever asides, constantly undermining everyone who lives in the fictional Freedonia. He’s so militant in his order that even his song about how everyone is free features lines like “if chewing gum is chewed, the chewer is pursued.”
Nobody is safe in Freedonia, and it builds into an all-out madhouse in the final act. The song declaring “We’re Going to War” finds The Marx Brothers at their most zany, playing soldiers’ helmets like xylophones while Harpo snips off the feathery tips. It may end abruptly, but by then it's lampooning of war (including an extended Paul Revere gag) have brought enough laughs to forgive this era. Few movies have gotten egocentric leaders as correct as Rufus T. Firefly, if just because of how absurd he is as a concept. How do we take him seriously? Then again, why do we take any warlord seriously? It’s one of life’s great mysteries.
3. Mulan (1998)
At the tail-end of The Renaissance Era, Disney sought to make darker, more complicated stories that proved their potential. They wanted to explore the deeply wound angst of these historical stories, allowing for stories of death and existential crises to overwhelm the narrative. For Mulan, they outdid themselves in every respect. Never before did they have elaborate action set pieces that filled the screen. Every detail was a marvel, creating something artful with deeper meaning. It managed to be a story about a war that never forgot the humanity of its characters, managing to interweave tragedy and humor into every moment.
Historical inaccuracies aside, Mulan was also one of the most compelling protagonists that the studio created. At the start, she was a woman who felt displaced. During a matchmaker scene, she continually fumbles through the customs. There is no sympathy, making her seen as a pariah in this town that has strict order. It leads to “My Reflection,” a song that finds her questioning her whole life in heartbreaking detail, wondering if her fate is reflective of her own desires. It’s a story of finding that agency, constantly finding herself at odds with her environment whether behind make-up or disguised as a man. Wherever she goes, she is uncomfortable.
Of course, there is a delightful supporting role for Eddie Murphy, who levitates the dark moments with ribald humor that keeps this PG. It even has one of the great pump-up songs in “Make a Man Out of You,” finding Mulan faced with the fear of not being tough enough to survive in this world. It’s the ultimate montage song, finding incredible growth in a matter of minutes full of these great character beats. While the back half lacks music, it doesn’t keep everything from flowing like a good melody. Mulan as a character becomes something triumphant by the end and finds that harmony of her reflection finally showing herself as she wants to be.
4. West Side Story (1961)
If you need an entry point into the Classic Hollywood Era movie musicals, please start here. This update of “Romeo & Juliet” finds an enjoyable narrative of two rival gangs fighting each other. Symbolically, it’s designed to be a commentary on race relations with musical motifs reflecting the orchestra battling it out with jazz riffs and Latin flavor. Songs like “America” seek to explore the struggles of being an immigrant, feeling like the world will never accept them. It’s jubilant, full of life, and made better by an inimitable Rita Moreno.
The whole story has a vibrancy that is movie magic, even to the point that when a remake was announced, many grew skeptical. Who would dare mess with the masterpiece? While it’s flawed (Natalie Wood sure ain’t Puerto Rican), it has everything in place, of a team putting in the extra effort to make the songs more vibrant, the direction (thanks to choreographer Jerome Robbins) is vibrant as it swirls gritty set-pieces with colorful motifs in-between the symbolic jail bars of the stairwells. Everything about the film is alive, and it helps that everyone here clearly put in the extra effort to learn dances that remain some of the medium’s best.
You almost forgive the flaws for how committed everything is to bringing a spectacle to the forefront. There’s a reason that this has continued to endure for almost 60 years, finding few that could even compare to the genuine spectacle that director Robert Wise created. The way that reality and fantasy at times blur together is a pure cinematic achievement. By the time that “Tonight” kicks in, you’re invested in the soap opera of this teenage love, forgiving the fact that they barely know each other. It’s the perfect embodiment of young love and one that ends by asking the world to treat each other better. It’s a pretty good message if you ask me.
5. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Compared to just about every other movie musical on this list, this has a lo-fi quality that may turn some off. The journey into The Chocolate Factory may at times feel like the camera is cutting around corners with cheap set-pieces. Even then, there is magic to be had with this story that has become part of the vernacular. Who can forget Gene Wilder’s memorable performance or the Oompa Loompas breaking out into parable songs? This is a world unlike any other, and the fact that it continues to inspire conspiracy theories as to what it symbolizes (Drugs? Murder? Anti-Capitalism?) only makes it a wonderful world to visit – and not just because Cabaret (1972) was shot in the same town.
Of course, it helps that Mel Stuart is someone who was critical of marketing and used it sarcastically to add style to this story of, ahem, marketing to kids. “The Candyman Song” in particular is one long commercial of salivating over lollipops and chocolate bars. Other moments feature stylized words appearing on screen, followed by Oompa Loompas criticizing their use to numb the world. There’s so much subversion in the fray that it may be easy to miss. Still, it all works because Wilder’s growing nonchalance towards his guests only adds to the question: does any of this matter? It’s hard to say, but the ride sure was fun.
Honorary Mention
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
While one could argue that the later work of director Brian Hensen (son of Jim) featured a steep decline, his first outing since his father died may have been the most reverent take on the characters imaginable. Considering that The Muppets were used for pastiches, taking on a holiday classic felt obvious. Even then, there were no expectations for what they would create here, finding their puppetry coming out in top form (how did they shoot “Marley & Marley”?) and the songwriting producing some of their catchiest, most heartfelt music. There’s a good reason that this became a holiday standard over the past 25 years. It’s funny, interesting, and finds Michael Caine making a strong case for the best Ebenezer Scrooge. Nothing is lost in this translation, and that in itself is a miracle.
What are your favorite movie musicals?
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