All in Stage To Screen

Top-Ten Underappreciated Movie Musicals

Top-Ten Underappreciated Movie Musicals

Mark Robinson
Stage To Screen, Music That Makes Me Dance, Cinematters

Most of us who love musical theatre cultivated our appreciation for musical storytelling by watching old Hollywood musicals. Let's face it: seeing a Broadway show is expensive and we had to get our song and dance fix somewhere. So, though we prefer live theatre, we found solace in the worlds of MGM, Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, and Gene Kelly. Some movie musicals were spectacular: The Wizard of Oz, The Bandwagon, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Singin' in the Rain and My Fair Lady come to mind. The same titles are always given as "the classics" of the Hollywood Musical, but there are other titles that are solidly entertaining and worth your time. Here is my list for the Top-Ten Underappreciated Movie Musicals that you should make a point to see.

The Most Screwed Up Children’s Animated Movie Musical Ever

The Most Screwed Up Children’s Animated Movie Musical Ever

Mark Robinson
Stage To Screen, Guilty Pleasure

In 1977 my parents took me on my 4th birthday to see the new Raggedy Ann and Andy film that has just opened the day before in movies. For those of us who grew up in 1970s, Raggedy Ann and Andy merchandise was everywhere. It had already been around for decades, as the original Raggedy Ann doll was created in 1915, with Andy introduced to the mix in 1920. For many, these clown-like rag dolls were an affectionate part of your childhood innocence. They were safety blankets, if you will, to hug and hold when the nights got too creepy and the monsters under your bed began to emerge. They were associated with all things good and safe.

On the “Pete’s Dragon” Wagon

On the “Pete’s Dragon” Wagon

Mark Robinson
Stage To Screen, Second Star to the Right, Cinematters

When it was originally released as a film, the Disney movie musical Pete’s Dragon was mostly dismissed by the critics. Many thought the film was too long (it does run 128 minutes) and many found Helen Reddy’s performance as the character “Nora” to be cold and detached (she isn’t the warmest of Disney characters), but her story is about a woman trying to be strong in the face of personal loss, who only begins to melt when a young orphan comes into her life. Seldom has a character in a Disney film been played with such complexity, and even if it does cast an icy pallor on the story, it is appropriate in telling “Nora’s” portion of the story. I have always had a deep affection for Pete’s Dragon and, considering how much I hear it maligned by critics and historians, I come in contact with a lot of people who also grew up loving this film.  

The Last Five Minutes - A Review of the Film The Last Five Years

The Last Five Minutes - A Review of the Film The Last Five Years

Mark Robinson
Stage To Screen, Cinematters

For me, there has been no more exciting composer-lyricist regularly represented on Broadway in the last ten years than Jason Robert Brown. Every project he touches drips with a fierce honesty and lyrical poetry that sets him apart from just about everyone writing these days (save Adam Guettel). There is something inherently theatrical about the premise of each piece, which is probably why they register so beautifully on the stage. I admit that I was skeptical about how a film version of Brown's The Last Five Years would play. It turns out that my concerns were well-warranted.

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