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"
Pal Joey / They Came to Cordura (1957)
Director: George Sidney, Robert Rossen
Starring: Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth, Kim Novak, Gary Cooper, Van Heflin, Tab Hunter
A Rita Hayworth double feature. "Pal Joey" (1957) - Frank Sinatra is the womanising nightclub singer caught between his attraction to chorus girl Kim... Read more
Jailhouse Rock (1957)
6.5/10
Director: Richard Thorpe
Starring: Elvis Presley, Judy Tyler, Mickey Shaughnessy
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
Loving You (1957)
6.5/10
Director: Hal Kanter
Starring: Dolores Hart, Elvis Presley, Lizabeth Scott, Wendell Corey
This better than average Elvis Presley vehicle features him as a small town boy who makes good when his singing ability is discovered. Read more
The Pajama Game (1957)
6.8/10
Director: George Abbott, Stanley Donen
Starring: Doris Day, John Raitt, Carol Haney, Eddie Foy Jr
Snappy choreography from Bob Fosse is only one of the highlights of this effervescent musical starring Doris Day, who has a love-hate relationship wit... Read more
The Revolt of Mamie Stover (Blu-ray) (1956)
6.4/10
Director: Raoul Walsh
Starring: Jane Russell, Richard Egan, Joan Leslie, Agnes Moorehead, Michael Pate
Set in the early '40s, a San Francisco prostitute is run out of town just as the second World War has begun to intensify. Mamie settles down in Hawaii... Read more
Rock Around the Clock (1956)
6.1/10
Director: Fred F Sears
Starring: Bill Haley, The Platters, Tony Martinez, Freddie Bell, Alan Freed, etc ...
The first, and quintessential, rock 'n' roll movie features Bill Haley and the Comets as 'the next big thing', discovered swinging their new beat in a... Read more
Don't Knock the Rock (1956)
5.7/10
Director: Fred F Sears
Starring: Alan Dale, Patricia Hardy, Alan Freed, Pierre Watkin, Bill Haley, Little Richard...
Rocker Arnie Haynes (Alan Dale) takes a much-needed break from touring with his band, only to discover teh mayor of his hometown has banned rock 'n ro... Read more
Shake, Rattle and Rock! (1956)
5.1/10
Director: Edward L Cahn
Starring: Fats Domino, Sterling Holloway, Touch Connors, Margaret Dumont
The endearingly awful "Shake, Rattle and Rock!" serves as a showcase for four top rock-and-roll talents of the 1950s. Fats Domino heads the cast as "h... Read more
Carousel (1956)
6.9/10
Director: Henry King
Starring: Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones, Cameron Mitchell
An excellent filmization of Rodgers and Hammerstein's memorable adaptation of Ferenc Molnar's 'Liliom', songs include 'Soliloquy' and 'You'll Never Wa... Read more
Funny Face (1956)
7.1/10
Director: Stanley Donen
Starring: Fred Astaire, Audrey Hepburn, Kay Thomas
Fred Astaire is a fashion photographer, Audrey Hepburn the shy young girl he makes over into a top model in this lavish musical with a winning Gershwi... Read more