Singin' and Dancing Back in Time.: South Pacific - The first Rodgers and Hammerstein Musical I ever saw

Monday, January 10, 2011

South Pacific - The first Rodgers and Hammerstein Musical I ever saw

Me and Dawn decided the theme for this month on Singin and Dancing would be the musicals of Rodgers and Hammerstein and I thought of this story to share. My first Rodgers and Hammerstein musical that I saw was South Pacific (1958) starring Rossano Brazzi, John Kerr, Juanita Hall, and the unforgettable Mitzi Gaynor as Ensign Nellie Forbush. I was around 17 or 18 I believe and my mom bought it from the Columbia Video Club on VHS. It came in as a two tape set since it was early 3 hours long. I remember watching as soon as I got it in the mail and I was amazed. It seems strange that while my buddies was out playing football and video games, I was watching classic movies. But that was me, and I loved it. I still love watching classic movies. Anyway South Pacific was a terrific movie with a star making performance by Mitzi Gaynor. Her rendition of I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair is a show-stopper. I still have the movie after all these years. I will need to re-watch again now, but from my memories I know it's a good movie. How does it compare to the other R&S musicals like Oklahoma, State Fair, The King and I, and Carousel? That's why I need to see it again, because it's been so long. Anyway, I just wanted to share this little story with everyone. And I will be posting more stuff on R&S films the whole month.

2 comments:

Irene PalfyJanuary 10, 2011 at 10:06 AM
I love that film very much! :") My first Rosgers and Hammerstein musical was State Fair. :")
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DawnJanuary 11, 2011 at 6:19 AM
Monty, I think my first Rodgers and Hammerstein film was, Oklahoma!
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Bob Fosse

Was a musical theater choreographer and director, screenwriter and film director. He won an eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction. He was nominated for an Academy Award four times, winning for his direction of Cabaret. He was identified with his third wife, Gwen Verdon. She was both the dancer/collaborator who he choreographed much of his work and, together with dancer/choreographer Ann Reinking, a guardian of the Fosse legacy after his death. Fosse is considered to be one the most influential coreographers of the 20th Century.

Esther Williams.

JANE POWELL

After rising to fame as a singer in her home state of Oregon, Powell was signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer while still in her teens. Once there, the studio utilized her vocal, dancing and acting talents, casting her in such musicals as Royal Wedding, with Fred Astaire, A Date with Judy, with friend Elizabeth Taylor and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, with Howard Keel. In the late 1950s, her film career slowed, only to be replaced with a busy theater and television career.Click picture to enter websight.

Jeanette MacDonald

Singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (Love Me Tonight, The Merry Widow) and Nelson Eddy (Naughty Marietta, Rose-Marie, and Maytime). During the 1930s and 1940s she starred in 29 feature films, four nominated for Best Picture Oscars (The Love Parade, One Hour With You, Naughty Marietta and San Francisco), and recorded extensively, earning three gold records. She later appeared in grand opera, concerts, radio, and television. MacDonald was one of most influential sopranos of the 20th century. Click picture to view fan website.

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Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Richard Rodgers (1902 – 1979) and Oscar Hammerstein II (1895 – 1960) the songwriting duo, on our musical page. They created many popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age. With Rodgers composing the music and Hammerstein writing the lyrics, five of their shows, Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music. They won thirty-four Tony Awards, fifteen Academy Awards, the Pulitzer Prize, and two Grammys. Click picture to read movie reviews.

Cab Calloway

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