Musicals
As soon as sound was introduced to the movies, the movie musical was born. The musical was one of the most popular movie entertainments from the 1930s through to the 50s, before falling out of favour at the end of the 60s for audiences now being weened on Vietnam, race riots, political assassinations, flower power and psychedelia. The musical still continued onwards, albeit in a different form, with various efforts such as "Cabaret", "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", "Grease", "Hair", "All That Jazz" and "The Blues Brothers" appearing over the next decade. More recently, "Moulin Rouge" and particularly "Chicago" hark back to the glory days of the musical.
Right: Liza Minnelli does "Cabaret"
G.I. Blues (1960)
6.2/10
Director: Norman Taurog
Starring: Elvis Presley, Juliet Prowse, Robert Ivers
For his first movie after serving in the Army, Elvis found himself back in uniform, playing a singing soldier stationed in Germany who makes a bet wit... Read more
Can Can (1960)
6.4/10
Director: Walter Lang
Starring: Frank Sinatra, Shirley MacLaine, Louis Jourdan
1896, Montmartre: the Can-Can, the dance in which the women lift their skirts, is forbidden. Nevertheless Simone has it performed every night in her c... Read more
Expresso Bongo (1959)
6.3/10
Director: Val Guest
Starring: Cliff Richard, Laurence Harvey, Sylvia Syms, The Shadows
Fast-talking promoter Laurence Harvey thinks he's found the next teen singing sensation when he spies bongo-playing troubadour Cliff Richard (in a ro... Read more
The Five Pennies (1959)
7.3/10
Director: Melville Shavelson
Starring: Danny Kaye, Barbara Bel Geddes, Louis Armstrong, Harry Guardino
Danny Kaye stars as jazz great Red Nichols in this excellent biopic chronicling the stormy life of the '20s cornet wizard, including Nichols' domestic... Read more
Go, Johnny Go (1959)
5.9/10
Director: Paul Landres
Starring: Alan Freed, Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, Ritchie Vallens, Jackie Wilson
Jimmy Clanton gets the top billing as Johnny Melody, a young singer trying for Alan Freed's talent show, but the star of this blast from the past is t... Read more
Gigi (1958) / Gigi (1949) ( Blu-ray ) (1958)
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Starring: Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan, Maurice Chevalier
Gigi 1958: Leslie Caron is the bewitching title character in this dazzling musical that won nine Oscars including Best Picture. Maurice Chevalier sing... Read more
Gigi (1958) / Gigi (1949) (1958)
Director: Vincente Minnelli, Jacqueline Audry
Starring: Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan, Maurice Chevalier, Daniele Delorme
Gigi 1958: Leslie Caron is the bewitching title character in this dazzling musical that won nine Oscars including Best Picture. Maurice Chevalier sing... Read more
King Creole (1958)
7/10
Director: Michael Curtiz
Starring: Elvis Presley, Carolyn Jones, Walter Matthau
Elvis Presley stars as a young New Orleans night-club singer who is eventually dragged into the criminal underworld. This was the King's own personal... Read more
South Pacific (1958)
6.9/10
Director: Joshua Logan
Starring: Rossano Brazzi, Mitzi Gaynor, John Kerr, Ray Walston, Juanita Hall, France Nuyen
An enchanting adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, based on James Michener's 'Tales of the South Pacific'. With Mitzi Gaynor and Rossano... Read more
Jailhouse Rock ( Blu-ray ) (1957)
6.5/10
Director: Richard Thorpe
Starring: Elvis Presley, Judy Tyler, Mickey Shaughnessy, Dean Jones, Jennifer Holden
Elvis Presley goes to prison for accidentally killing a man in a bar fight, and is signed to a musical contract following his performance on a TV show... Read more