Love of an Era: Musicals
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JODIE: 1950s, what an era. Beehive hair-dos, rockabilly dresses and petticoats, and everyone broke out into song and dance… What? They didn’t really do that? But what about An American in Paris?? Okay, well I WISHED everyone broke out into song and dance. What is it about musicals that carries joy over the next 50+ years. My kids enjoy the shows like Mary Poppins and Sound of Music. They are timeless in their plots and have managed to capture people’s imagination generations later. The most noted in the early era is people like Fred Astaire, but my personal fave was Gene Kelly. I sometimes feel like their looks are also timeless, that we’d never see a guy that pulls off that look again. Which is a shame. I loved Singing in the Rain, with the romance, comedy and singing. Who is your favorite leading man, Sid?
SIDNEY: I have a secret. I love musicals, and I’m almost tone deaf. I also can’t remember a name to save my life, so I concentrate on remembering the names of people around me, which means actors are forever relegated to, “That guy with the face and the eyes.” I can’t tell you Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly’s names, but I know their faces, I know their moves and their voices, which I think they would be okay with. There’s something timeless about the male leads of that era. They’re classic, versatile men who could wear many hats. They could be the smooth talking player bound to get caught up with a sweet southern belle, a lucky man who happens onto the path of the woman he will love, the bad boy who just needs the right woman. Not only that, but they sang and danced and wooed their intended’s heart. There is something that makes me sigh and loose myself in the process of falling in love.
JODIE: I agree. Do you think it might be the techno-color? Everyone is rosy cheeked and dresses are brighter, streets are cleaner and props are man-made. And you know, back then they generally had popular pairings. Fred Astaire was known to always act with Ginger Rogers. In fact, you’ll like this clip, Sid, it’s Fred and Ginger dancing on roller-skates in Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dskTypuEXoM&feature=related
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My fave pairing was Rock Hudson and Doris Day. I loved their chemistry on screen and I must admit I have a box set with Pillow Talk, Don’t Send Me Flowers and Lover Come Back. I adore Lover Come Back. It’s about two competing advertisers who want VIP, a product they know nothing about. When Doris mistakes Rock as the scientist to woo, Rock takes advantage and uses it to seduce ideas out of her. But he ends up liking her and you can see where this is going. Nowhere good. LOL It’s also the romance I adore in musicals.
SIDNEY: The romance plays a huge part in the draw of the genre. There’s something sweet about it, how the culmination of the romance is a touch and a kiss. Those gestures become so much more because of it. I’m also a huge sucker for the music, period. The other day, someone tweeted that they were watching Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and I broke out singing “Bless Her Beautiful Hide,” without breaking a beat! The music from that time period and all of the productions that went on have stayed with us. Who doesn’t know a few bars of, “Singing in the Rain,” or , “Don’t Rain on my Parade,” or “White Christmas.” There was a magic quality knowing any moment could bring about another song, a huge dance number or something. I think one of my favorite dance numbers is from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, when all of the brothers are dancing and fighting over the girls. Do you have a favorite, Jodie?
JODIE: I love that movie! I think it’s true, there is some type of magic about that era of film. The way romance is played out by simple gestures, music and body language. I actually don’t have a favorite, since each and every one of them have this sense of wonder about them. The colors and the innocence of the time is so mesmerizing. I love the style and the way they also made realities of a time into fantasies. Like The Harvey Girls with Judy Garland, which featured the very famous Harvey Girls of history. Or Doris Day who plays Callamity Jane who sings and dance.
SIDNEY: Musicals somehow made everything glamorous and innocent. I really like Gigi, which is about a teenage girl being raised to become a courtesan to her best friend. Her entire point in life is to go from man to man, whoever can afford to keep her. Now, of course she goes against the rules and falls in love with her man, and he with her. It breaks all the social rules to fall in love with your Mistress, and yet everyone is smiling and singing these happy songs while they’re unhappy. There’s a line at the end after the two have gone through the wringer about wanting a relationship. Gigi says to Gaston, “I’d rather be miserable with you than miserable without you.” Okay, I might have said that to a boyfriend once when we were going through a rough patch…
Readers, have you ever taken direction from a musical? Because there are moments I wish I hadn’t!
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