Singin' and Dancing Back in Time.: September 2011

Friday, September 30, 2011

Singin' In The Rain wins the 50's era and lands a spot in the Final Four of the Favorite Classic Musical Film Tournament

Singin in the Rain became the first top seed to advance to the Final Four of the Favorite Classic Musical Film Tournament as it crushed 3rd seed White Christmas 21-4. I figured this would be a much closer match but I guess more people love Rain than Christmas. Regardless Rain grabs spot number three and joins 30's era champion Swing Time and 40's era champion Meet Me In St. Louis. They must now wait on what film will win the 60's era which will be decided over the next few days. This is so exciting.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Round 2 of the 60's Era begins....

No upsets occurred in the first round of the 60's era so we can jump right in with round 2. Here are the scheduled matches which will run thru Sunday 7pm EST.

1 THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)

VS

8 VIVA LAS VEGAS (1964)

-----------------------------------

4 WEST SIDE STORY (1961)

VS

5 FUNNY GIRL (1968)

---------------------------------

2 MY FAIR LADY (1964)

VS

7 BYE BYE BIRDIE (1963)

--------------------------------

3 MARY POPPINS (1964)

VS

6 THE MUSIC MAN (1962)

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

It's SINGIN' IN THE RAIN vs WHITE CHRISTMAS for a spot in the Final Four

Top seed Singin' In The Rain ripped through 5th seed Seven Brides for Seven Brothers 12-3 while 3rd seed White Christmas edged by An American in Paris 9-6, setting up an intriguing final match. Rain will battle White Christmas for the third spot in the final four of the favorite classic musical tournament. Poll begins immediately and runs through Friday 8pm EST. Good luck to both films.

50'S ERA CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

1 SINGIN IN THE RAIN (1952)

3 WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954)

Ready to begin the 60's Era...

Ahhh, the groovy 60's are now on display for this round in the favorite musical fim tournament. Starting this morning and run thru Thursday 8 pm EST. Top seed The Sound of Music looks primed to run thru the
field, but it won't be easy as there are several other notable films competing as well. My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, West Side Story, and Funny Girl just to name a few. Here are the scheduled matches. Good luck to all competing films.

1 THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)

VS

16 GYPSY (1962)

----------------------------------------

8 VIVA LAS VEGAS (1964)

VS

9 BEACH BLANKET BINGO (1965)

----------------------------------------

4 WEST SIDE STORY (1961)

VS

13 HELLO DOLLY! (1969)

-----------------------------------

5 FUNNY GIRL (1968)

VS

12 THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT (1967)

--------------------------------------------

2 MY FAIR LADY (1964)

VS

15 THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (1967)

--------------------------------------------

7 BYE BYE BIRDIE (1963)

VS

10 OLIVER! (1968)

------------------------------------

3 MARY POPPINS (1964)

VS

14 BELLS ARE RINGING (1960)

-----------------------------------

6 THE MUSIC MAN (1962)

VS

11 CAN-CAN (1960)

Sunday, September 25, 2011

The 50's Era Semi-Final Matches are set...

Three of the top four seeds in the 50's era has advanced along with a 5th seed to reach the semi-final matches. Top seed Singin In The Rain had little trouble in beating Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 19-3. 2nd seed An American In Paris squeaked by 7th seed South Pacific 9-7. 3rd seed White Christmas handily defeated A Star is Born 16-4, ending another potential Judy Garland film to reach the final four. Garland's Meet Me in St. Louis won the 40's era round. And 5th Seven Brides For Seven Brothers edged out Show Boat 10-7. So now we are set for the semi-final matches to begin immediately and run thru Tuesday night 8 pm EST. Good luck to all four films.

1 SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)

5 SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (1954)

----------------------------------------------------------

2 AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)

3 WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954)

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Round 1 of the 50's Era has no surprises as most of the favorites win...

Round 1 of the 50's era for the favorite classic musical film tournament has just ended with no real major surprises. Top seed and heavy favorite Singin In The Rain just destroyed Silk Stockings 16-5. But believe it or not, that was not the biggest blow-out. That took place in the battle of Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, as South Pacific just crushed The King and I, 16-2. The other Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Oklahoma got edged out by Show Boat 11-9 in the round's closest match. One of the most surprising matches had to be 15th seed Carmen Jones hanging tough with 2nd seed An American In Paris before losing 12-7. 3rd seed White Christmas was all over Guys and Dolls 16-3. A mild upset occurred when 11th seed A Star is Born (hey its Judy again) beat 6th seed Royal Wedding 11-6. And one of my personal favorites, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes defeated Gigi 16-5.

Round 2 now begins tonight and will run thru Sunday 8pm EST. Here are the scheduled matches.

1 SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)

VS

9 GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (1953)
Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe

-------------------------------------------------------

5 SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (1954)
seven wives for seven brothers

VS

13 SHOW BOAT (1951)

----------------------------------------------

2 AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)

VS

7 SOUTH PACIFIC (1958)

----------------------------------------------------------

3 WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954)

VS

11 A STAR IS BORN (1954)

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS beats EASTER PARADE by one vote to land a spot in the final four....

I doubt Judy Garland would complain but sentimental favorite Meet Me In St. Louis beat Easter Parade 12-11 to take the second spot in the final four of the favorite classic musical film tournament. It was back and forth for the entire match as Parade jumped out to an early lead, then St. Louis came back to tie and then pull ahead by 3 votes. Easter Parade made a strong rally that fell just one vote shy. Regardless, we have our second film set for the finals and now must wait on the 50's and 60's eras to play out. Congrats to all the fans of Meet Me In St. Louis who voted for that film to win. Side note: Meet Me in St. Louis also prevented Fred Astaire from placing his second film in the final four. Swing Time won the 30's era last week and had Easter Parade won, they would have been going to the dance together. Oh well.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Debbie Reynolds Helps Kick Off The 50's Era of The Favorite Classic Musical Film Tournament...

Here's Debbie Reynolds to help kick off the 50's era of our favorite musical film tournament. This round will run through Thursday 8 pm EST as we have some notable matches. We have two Rodgers and Hammerstein films facing off against one another in 7th seed South Pacific and 10th seed The King and I. Me personally, I'm going with South Pacific on that one. 4th Oklahoma! squares off against 13th seed Show Boat which should be an exciting match. And another good match sees 8th seed Gigi battle 9th seed Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Sorry Gigi, but I gotta go with Marilyn and Jane in that one. And of course Debbie's little film called Singin' in the Rain will be competing as the top seed of this era against 1957's Silk Stockings. So everyone please stop by to vote as we continue to dance our way to the Final Four.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

It's MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS vs EASTER PARADE for a spot in the FINAL FOUR (40's Era)

As expected Meet Me In St. Louis beat For Me and My Gal 18-3 and Easter Parade defeated The Harvey Girls 11-6 to set up one heck of a finals match of the 40's Era. The winning film earns a trip to the Favorite Classic Musical Film Tournament Final Four, where Swing Time is waiting as the winner of the 30's era. Judy Garland dominated the 40's era like no one else with all four of her films making it to the semi-final matches. And guaranteeing that a Judy Garland would be present in the final four. So Meet Me In St. Louis faces off against Easter Parade which should make for an exciting match. Starts immediately and runs through Tuesday night 8 pm EST.

1940'S ERA CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

3 MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944)

4 EASTER PARADE (1948)

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Favorite Classic Musical Film Tournament (50's Era) Matches

As the 40's era competition winds down with Judy Garland battling herself 4 times over, I thought I would go ahead and list the 50's era matches which will have round one starting next week on Tuesday. Looks like Gene Kelly will be the man to beat as he has three films competing in this era. There are also three Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals competing. Two Leslie Caron films, two Jane Powell films, 2 Fred Astaire films and one more from 40's queen Judy Garland. Looks to be an exciting era.

1 SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)

VS

16 SILK STOCKINGS (1957)

Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse

---------------------------------------

8 GIGI (1958)

Louis Jourdan and Leslie Caron

VS

9 GENTLEMENT PREFER BLONDES (1953)

Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe

----------------------------------------

4 OKLAHOMA! (1955)

Gloria Grahame and Shirley Jones

VS

13 SHOW BOAT (1951)

------------------------------------

5 SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (1954)

seven wives for seven brothers

VS

12 LES GIRLS (1957)

-----------------------------------------------

2 AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)

Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron

VS

15 CARMEN JONES (1954)

Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte

--------------------------------------

7 SOUTH PACIFIC (1958)

VS

10 THE KING AND I (1956)

Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner

-----------------------------------

3 WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954)

White Christmas Poster

VS

14 GUYS AND DOLLS (1955)

----------------------------------

6 ROYAL WEDDING (1951)

lobby card

VS

11 A STAR IS BORN (1954)

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.

Joan Crawford.

Click picture to view website. Joan Crawford, born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre. Starting as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway, Crawford was signed to a motion picture contract by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1925. Initially frustrated by the size and quality of her parts, Crawford began a campaign of self-publicity and became nationally known as a flapper by the end of the 1920s. In the 1930s, Crawford's fame rivaled MGM colleagues Norma Shearer and Greta Garbo. Crawford often played hardworking young women who find romance and financial success. These "rags-to-riches" stories were well-received by Depression-era audiences and were popular with women. Crawford became one of Hollywood's most prominent movie stars and one of the highest paid women in the United States, but her films began losing money and by the end of the 1930s

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

Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the United States' most popular African American big bands from the start of the 1930s through the late 1940s. Calloway's band featured performers including trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Leon "Chu" Berry, New Orleans guitar ace Danny Barker, and bassist Milt Hinton. Calloway continued to perform until his death in 1994 at the age of 86 .Click picture to view official website.