ABCs at the Movies: The Doubles Round!

[MaineWriter]

==written by Ron Oliver at IMDb==

ZOUZOU, a young, vivacious Creole laundress impresses all around her with her talent & wit. Longing for the love of her handsome adopted brother, she instead finds the possibility of enormous success in the musical theater...

The marvelous Joséphine Baker is perfectly cast in the title role in this very enjoyable French film. With her enormous eyes & infectious smile, she connects with the viewer's heartstrings immediately. Her over-sized personality & obvious joy of performing make her a pure pleasure to watch. Here, Baker makes us care about what's happening to poor Zouzou, during her trials & triumphs.

Gallic star Jean Gabin is effective as Zouzou's seaman brother, but this is really Baker's time to shine, and he nicely underplays his scenes.

The film is well made, looking a little reminiscent of Busby Berkeley movies being produced at the same time in America - although unlike American films of this period, ZOUZOU hasn't any racism. It should be pointed out that there was no Hays Office or Production Code in France. Some of the dialogue & action is rather provocative, but it must be admitted that seeing Baker, strategically covered with tiny white feathers, sitting on a swing singing 'Haiti,' is one of the cinema's more memorable moments.

Joséphine Baker was born in St. Louis in 1906, into a very poor family. Her talent & driving ambition, however, soon pushed her into moving East and she was briefly a cast member of the Ziegfeld Follies. Realizing that America in the mid-1920's held great limitations for a gifted Black woman, she managed to get herself to Paris, where she eventually joined the Foliés-Bergeres & Le Negre Revue. The French adored her and she became a huge celebrity. A short return to America in 1935 showed Baker that things had not changed for African-Americans. She returned to France, became a French citizen & worked for the Resistance during the early days of the War. Baker relocated to Morocco for the duration and entertained Allied troops stationed there.

After the War, Baker's fortunes began to slide and she faced many financial & personal difficulties. For a while, she was even banned from returning to the United States. Finally, Baker accepted an offer from Princess Grace of Monaco to reside in the Principality. Joséphine Baker was on the verge of a comeback when she died of a stroke in 1975, at the age of 68.

Having appeared in only two decent films - ZOUZOU & PRINCESSE TAM TAM - Baker is in danger of becoming obscure. But she deserves her place alongside Chevalier, Dietrich & Robeson as one of her generation's truly legendary performers.

[MaineWriter]

"The best things...happen while you're dancing..."

Let's go for it...a special round dedicated to

MUSICALS...in all their singing and and dancing glory!

Guidelines

Unplayed movies from 1934 to 2007 can be played.

Please include the year when you post your movie.

Wildcard X is in effect.

I don't think I have to define musical, do it? LOL

Have fun!

Leslie
GameMistress

[Meryl]

In 1936, Paramount Pictures filmed the first movie musical version (in black and white) starring Ethel Merman (reprising her role as Reno Sweeney), with Bing Crosby in the (newly renamed) role of Billy Crockett and Ida Lupino and Arthur Treacher in the supporting cast. This version required some lyrical revisions to get Cole Porter's infamously saucy lyrics past Production Code censors.

Only four of Porter's songs were kept in the movie: "Anything Goes, "I Get a Kick Out of You," "There'll Always Be a Lady Fair," and "You're the Top" — and all of them underwent substantial lyrical revision. Bing Crosby also threw his weight around behind the scenes and obtained four new songs from three new songwriters. Aside from "Moonburn," written by Hoagy Carmichael and Edward Hayman, which sold records well for Crosby, most of the replacement score was forgettable. When Paramount sold the film to television, they retitled the movie Tops is the Limit because the 1956 film version of Anything Goes, also from Paramount, was then playing in theatres.

[southendmd]

Judy Holliday is absolutely brilliant in the Hollywood version of her Broadway tour de force.  She sings "I'm Going Back" and"The Party's Over.  Dean Martin is, well, just ok.  I'll never forgive Vincente Minnelli for cutting "Long Before I Knew You".

[MaineWriter]

==comment==

Some folks love this, others hate it, saying it's long and boring, Shirley MacLaine is shrill, and Frank Sinatra looks like he went to Paris by way of New Jersey! I have never been able to watch the whole thing, so I guess I am in the latter camp. Oh well.



Juliet Prowse:

[moremojo]

==comment==

Jacques Demy's follow-up feature to his widely beloved Les parapluies de Cherbourg; also starring Catherine Deneuve and her late sister Françoise Dorléac. Reputedly the only true musical in Demy's oeuvre (and in turn paying homage to many of the classic Hollywood musicals), this is critic Jonathan Rosenbaum's favorite example of the genre.

[BelAir]

A family of rich liberal Upper East Siders are involved in the lessons of life as though it were a musical from the 1930's. The extended family of liberal lawyer Bob includes a do-gooder wife, daughters, son, grandfather, German maid, stepdaughter and even the ex-husband. While the story concerns love and engagements, a number of scenes are set in music to the traditions of the old musicals where lines would lead into songs and dances.  Written by Tony Fontana {[email protected]}

[southendmd]

Hello, Gorgeous!

From IMDb:  Barbra Streisand was, at the time of the film's release, a voting member of AMPAS. When she found she was nominated, she, like any member nominated, voted for herself. If she hadn't, she wouldn't have tied with Katharine Hepburn for the year's Best Actress Oscar.

[oilgun]

I have a feeling that this round will be over by the time I get home from work 

[Pipedream]