Best Cast of a movie musical ever, what's your favorite?- Page 2

[Jarethan]

Posted: 7/2/20 at 7:29pm

The things that come to mind for me are:

-- Chicago (Zellweger, Zeta-Jones, Gere, Latifah, Reilly, and down to most of the very small roles)

-- The Bandwagon (Astaire, Charisse, Buchanan, Levant, Fabray)

-- 1776 (no stars, but perfect casting)

-- The Music Man cast, including Shirley Jones, even if I don't love the movie

-- Gigi (Caron, Chevalier, Jourdan, Gingold, Jewell)

-- (cheating) That's Entertainment

Interestingly, Cabaret may have won more Oscars for acting than any other movie musical, but I don't include it. Other that Minelli and Gray, and maybe York, none of the other roles were interesting to me or the actors particularly memorable.  I also have to admit that, almost 50 years later, I periodically cringe at Minelli's performance.

 

 

Updated On: 7/4/20 at 07:29 PM

[Joshua Rosenthal]

Posted: 7/2/20 at 7:59pm

First that comes to mind is Hairspray (2007). Maybe I’m biased bc I grew up on this movie but now after seeing many bootlegs I find myself drawn to the movie more regardless, however everyone in any cast is amazing. I just think that the movie cast is so great And well-casted. And this may be an unpopular opinion, but John Travolta is actually my favorite Edna.

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 7/2/20 at 8:47pm

The Last Five Years. I mean, there's only two of them, but it's Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan, two of the best singing voices in film right now. They have amazing chemistry too.

[The8re phan]

Posted: 7/2/20 at 9:11pm

Singing in the Rain

[David10086]

Posted: 7/2/20 at 11:03pm

For me it’s a three way tie:

Funny Girl
Hello Dolly
On A Clear Day...

Superb casting starting with Streisand!

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 7/2/20 at 11:13pm

massofmen said: "Annie 1982 version

Albert Finney
Bernadette Peters
Tim Curry
Carol Burnett
Ann Reinking
 

A really great cast in what is largely a mediocre film, and yet I can sit through it because aside from the atrocity that is "Dumb Dog" and the severely overlong and overblown "Let's Go To The Movies" that replaced the far, far superior "N.Y.C." I really do love the musical numbers - - - Reinking's on fire in the "We Got Annie" number...but relegating the show's most famous number to over the main titles and as a mere footnote in the movie proper was a questionable move.

I will add that Richard Beymer aside - they did a great job casting "West Side Story" - - - and do not @ me in regards to Natalie Wood's casting (she didn't sing her songs, she wasn't Latinx)  - - - well, it was a different era back then. She wasn't the first actor be dubbed in a movie musical and she wasn't the first actor to play outside of their race. She was one of the most promising young actresses of her time and they needed a name to attract people and she was it and she more than rose to the occasion. Singing and nationality aside she was just "right" for the role and she more than did it justice. Her performance in it is iconic and it made her a bona-fide superstar. 

Sorry, every time I mention West Side I feel the need to defend Natalie and her performance in it. So many are so quick to write it off these days. 

 

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 7/2/20 at 11:22pm

CarlosAlberto said: "Sorry, every time I mention West Side I feel the need to defend Natalie and her performance in it. So many are so quick to write it off these days."

 

Not me.  She's the reason I return to the movie over and over again.  There is a recent documentary, "Natalie Wood:  What Remains Behind," available now on HBO.  Inreresting, but ultimately sad.

 

 

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 7/2/20 at 11:28pm

Highland Guy said: "CarlosAlberto said: "Sorry, every time I mention West Side I feel the need to defend Natalie and her performance in it. So many are so quick to write it off these days."



Not me. She's the reason I return to the movie over and over again. There is a recent documentary, "Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind," available now on HBO. Inreresting, but ultimately sad.


Well, that was quite a refreshing response in regards to Natalie in West Side. Not to sidetrack the nature of this thread but since you did mention the Natalie doc on HBO I will say that I am glad it was made. It was long over due. Natalie Wood's contributions to cinema, as an actress and a genuine icon had become severely overshadowed by the circumstances of her mysterious death. Who she was got lost in all that nonsense. 

 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 7/3/20 at 12:52am

David10086 said: "For me it’s a three way tie:

Funny Girl
Hello Dolly
On A Clear Day...

Superb casting starting with Streisand!"

You mustn't see many movie musicals.  On A Clear Day: I still remember the audience laughing out loud when Yves Montand sang Come Back To Me.  Hello, Dolly.  Really!!  Funny Girl: Omar Sharif?? Anne Francis?? Walter Pidgeon??  Who else was there besides Streisand, who is clearly the common thread.

Streisand in a movie does not make the movie automatically eligible for Best Movie Musical Cast Ever.  

Either that or you need to see more movie musicals that don't star Barbra Streisand.

Updated On: 7/4/20 at 12:52 AM

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 7/3/20 at 1:20am

Can't believe I forgot: the 1936 Show Boat. Paul Robeson, Helen Morgan, Irene Dunne ... it doesn't get much better than that.

[massofmen]

Posted: 7/4/20 at 10:35am

Jarethan said: "David10086 said: "For me it’s a three way tie:

Funny Girl
Hello Dolly
On A Clear Day...

Superb casting starting with Streisand!"

You mustn't see many reasons. On A Clear Day: I still remember the audience laughing out loud when Yves Montand sang Come Back To Me. Hello, Dolly. Really!! Funny Girl: Omar Sharif?? Anne Francis?? Walter Pidgeon?? Who else was there besides Streisand, who is clearly the common thread.

Streisand in a movie does not make the movie automatically eligible for Best Movie Musical Cast Ever.

Either that or you need to see more movie musicals that don't star Barbra Streisand."

Yes Hello dolly. Streisand and Matthau (sp?) alone make that casting practically perfect. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 7/4/20 at 3:51pm

massofmen said: "Jarethan said: "David10086 said: "For me it’s a three way tie:

Funny Girl
Hello Dolly
On A Clear Day...

Superb casting starting with Streisand!"

You mustn't see many reasons. On A Clear Day: I still remember the audience laughing out loud when Yves Montand sang Come Back To Me. Hello, Dolly. Really!! Funny Girl: Omar Sharif?? Anne Francis?? Walter Pidgeon?? Who else was there besides Streisand, who is clearly the common thread.

Streisand in a movie does not make the movie automatically eligible for Best Movie Musical Cast Ever.

Either that or you need to see more movie musicals that don't star Barbra Streisand."

Yes Hello dolly. Streisand and Matthau (sp?) alone make that casting practically perfect."

We all have different tastes and that is fine.  For my money, Streisand and Matthau had no chemistry; Marianne McAndrew and Michael Crawford were both pretty bad.  I have liked MC in obscure British movies before HD, but his mugging was awful to me.  Ironically, I did not hate the movie...just thought it didn't really work.  The highlight for me was So Long, Dearie...just Streisand singing a terrific show song in a dark shot.

Again, iMO On A Clear Day was actually BADLY cast.  And with Funny Girl, who actually cared about anyone in the cast but Streisand...no one had anything to do and Sharif was cringe-worthy a couple of times.

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 7/4/20 at 4:03pm

David10086 said: "For me it’s a three way tie:

Funny Girl
Hello Dolly
On A Clear Day...

Superb casting starting with Streisand!"

 

Great choices!  Sreisand and wonderful casts in memorable movies.  All three I watch often.

[NoName3]

Posted: 7/4/20 at 5:55pm

Seconding poisonivy. The 1936 Show Boat. What a treasure due to its cast, most of whom were repeating roles they had played on Broadway in either the 1927 original or its 1932 revival, and director James Whale. And Hattie McDaniel and Allan Jones had played Queenie and Ravenal in a 1933 LA stage version of the original. Updated On: 7/4/20 at 05:55 PM

[David10086]

Posted: 7/4/20 at 6:11pm

Jarethan said: "David10086 said: "For me it’s a three way tie:

Funny Girl
Hello Dolly
On A Clear Day...

Superb casting starting with Streisand!"

You mustn't see many reasons. On A Clear Day: I still remember the audience laughing out loud when Yves Montand sang Come Back To Me. Hello, Dolly. Really!! Funny Girl: Omar Sharif?? Anne Francis?? Walter Pidgeon?? Who else was there besides Streisand, who is clearly the common thread.

Streisand in a movie does not make the movie automatically eligible for Best Movie Musical Cast Ever.

Either that or you need to see more movie musicals that don't star Barbra Streisand."

I disagree. Omar Shariff played the perfect Nicky Armstrong for Streisand’s Fanny to fall in love with. 

Same with Matthau and Streisand. The rest of the casts were strong supporters in both films. 

I didn’t mind Yves Montand either. Great chemistry between the two and he let Streisand shine. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 7/4/20 at 6:17pm

As I have often posted, we can agree to disagree.  Just giving my opinion.  I have to admit that I can't even watch On A Clear Day...I didn't even like Streisand (but I had seen Barbara Harris in the stage musical twice, and she was unique).

[Elfuhbuh]

Posted: 7/4/20 at 8:00pm

Chicago’s cast was phenomenal.

[bear88]

Posted: 7/5/20 at 5:10am

I'm very partial to Singin' In the Rain. Aside from Gene Kelly in his greatest and most classic role, you get Donald O'Connor and the totally charming Debbie Reynolds who, mercifully, doesn't look quite as young as she actually was at the time. And even if it's a bit self-indulgent, the big fantasy dance sequence features Cyd Charrise. And there's even Rita Moreno in a small role. But what put this cast over the top, for me, is Jean Hagen as Lina Lamont. Hagen steals every scene.

Updated On: 7/5/20 at 05:10 AM

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 7/5/20 at 8:54am

SINGIN'  IN THE RAIN...

Updated On: 7/5/20 at 08:54 AM

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/5/20 at 9:04am

Singin' In The Rain

Sound of Music

Mary Poppins

Chicago

[Paul Skeen]

Posted: 7/5/20 at 7:01pm

Singin' in the Rain

1776

Hedwig and the Angry Inch ( I thought the movie was overlooked at the Academy Awards and better than Chicago)

[jwsel]

Posted: 7/5/20 at 8:39pm

I echo several of the ones already mentioned - 1936 Showboat and Singin' in the Rain - and would add the 1999 Annie (if it counts as a movie musical) and All That Jazz, which is often overlooked in discussions of movie musicals. 

[DigificWriter]

Posted: 7/7/20 at 3:00am

Three that haven't been mentioned yet:

* Sweeney Todd

* Les Miserables

* The Greatest Showman

 

[jo]

Posted: 7/7/20 at 8:05am

DigificWriter said: "Three that haven't been mentioned yet:

* Sweeney Todd

* Les Miserables

* The Greatest Showman

"

 

[KJ4]

Posted: 7/8/20 at 12:09pm

Newsies, the film version cast. I love Jeremy and Kara.