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"
The Phantom of the Opera, Andrew Lloyd Webber's (2004)
Director: Joel Schumacher
Starring: Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson, Minnie Driver
Musical Drama based on Andrew Lloyd Webber's celebrated musical phenomenon, which was adapted from the novel by Gaston Leroux. "The Phantom of the Ope... Read more
The Pin-Up Girl (1944)
Director: H Bruce Humberstone
Starring: Betty Grable, John Harvey, Martha Raye, Joe E Brown, Eugene Pallette
Betty Grable stars in this flag-waving musical comedy as Lorrie Jones, a military canteen worker during World War I, who dreams of fame entertaining t... Read more
The Pirate (1948)
7/10
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Starring: Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Walter Slezak, Gladys Cooper, Reginald Owen
A rollicking musical about a girl (Judy Garland) who is engaged to the local toff, but is infatuated with the famed pirate, Macoco (Gene Kelly) - but... Read more
The Pirate Movie (1982)
5.1/10
Director: Ken Annakin
Starring: Christopher Atkins, Kristy McNichol
A parody pastiche of Hollywood's finest films, this musical comedy puts a pop music spin on Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance." When pla... Read more
The Pirates of Penzance (1983)
7.2/10
Director: Wilford Leach
Starring: Angela Lansbury, Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt, Rex Smith, George Rose
Frederic (Rex Smith), who has spent his formative years as a junior pirate, plans to mark his 21st birthday by breaking free from the Pirate King (Kev... Read more
The Princess and the Frog (2009)
7.1/10
Director: John Musker, Ron Clements
Starring: John Goodman, Keith David, Oprah Winfrey, Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Terrenc...
Discover what really happened after the princess kissed the frog in an inspired twist on the world's most famous kiss. In early 1900s New Orleans, Pri... Read more
The Producers (2005)
6.4/10
Director: Susan Stroman
Starring: Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman, Will Ferrell, Eileen Essell, David...
Nathan Lane hams it up as Max Bialystock, a down-on-his-luck Broadway producer whose accountant Leo Bloom (Matthew Broderick who, with Lane, starred i... 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
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
7.4/10
Director: Jim Sharman
Starring: Barry Bostwick, Tim Curry, Meat Loaf, Susan Sarandon, Richard O'Brien, Patricia...
This camp musical sci-fi horror movie spoof has become - thanks to elaborate audience participation on the midnight movie circuit - the definitive cul... Read more
The Rocky Horror Picture Show ( Blu-ray ) (1975)
7.4/10
Director: Jim Sharman
Starring: Barry Bostwick, Charles Gray, Richard O'Brien, Susan Sarandon, Tim Curry, Meat L...
This camp musical sci-fi horror movie spoof has become - thanks to elaborate audience participation on the midnight movie circuit - the definitive cul... Read more