Remakes of Musicals in general

[Im4movies2]

I'll make a shocking statement and say that some of our long beloved musical films should be remade. Yes why not apply new technical advances and newer approaches with new young talent to redo some classics like: Singing In The Rain and even The Sound of Music. Although pretty perfect as they are now the way they were originally made come on now, it's been over fifty or sixty years and there isn't a fresh approach?

 

Edited by: Im4movies2 on May 16, 2010 11:28 PM

[olemusicalfan]

One movie I can heartily agree should be remade is "Words and Music". The musical numbers were all very good but the screenplay was one of the most distorted I've ever seen. It seemingly protrays the life of Rogers and Hart and their time together. I suppose the time frame in which the movie was made probably had something to do with it, but even Rodger's wife said it was awful.

[Arturo]

*Although pretty perfect as they are now the way they were originally made . . . *

 

Nuff said!

[DownGoesFrazier]

You seem to be implying that virtually every great movie should be remade, using a fresh approach.

[cujas]

I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to find a new and improved Fred Astaire. Afterall, there wasn't anthing much unique about him anyway. (not!)

 

Techniques change, but genius can't be duplicated.

 

Edited by: cujas on May 19, 2010 5:59 PM

[NZ]

Remakes in general are a bad idea. However, the movies you should remake are the bad ones in the hopes of improving on them - not the timeless classics like Singin' In The Rain or The Sound of Music which will never be duplicated or even challenged in all their resplendent charm and glorious Technicolor or (in music's case) Color by DeLuxe.

[Arturo]

NZ wrote:

*Remakes in general are a bad idea. However, the movies you should remake are the bad ones in the hopes of improving on them - not the timeless classics like Singin' In The Rain or The Sound of Music which will never be duplicated or even challenged in all their resplendent charm and glorious Technicolor or (in music's case) Color by DeLuxe.*

 

Amen to that! Mention of Technicolor and Deluxecolor reminds me of the many feeble attempts in the 50s to remake/update timeless classics from the 30s, often as musicals and using color and widescreen. Almost none were even close to the originals, except for Show Boat and A Star Is Born, maybe Mogambo. Even An Affair To Remember, although beloved by today's audiences, is still inferior than the original Love Affair. And let's NOT mention the many remakes June Allyson did; she definitely showed one and all how outclassed and out of her league in general she was compared the the great 30s comediannes.

[precoder]

I take it June Allyson doesn't favor very highly in Arturo's world ...

[DownGoesFrazier]

...nor in mine.

[johnm001]

Would you like to give specifics of the "technical advances" which would improve upon existing musicals? The most recent musicals utilize the annoyingly excessive quick cuts, for their musical numbers. Films now look like MTV videos, where someone with zero ability to dance, can be made to look like they are doing something. Not such an advancement to my way of thinking. Not to say that I don't feel some musicals should be remade, but not for the reasons you state.

[precoder]

Face it, movie musicals are a lost idiom. I was always amazed that Lawrence Welk held on as long as he did featuring singing and dancing routines popular in times past. It's just not the thing to do anymore probably because today's youngsters are into rock, rap, hip hop and junk like lady gaga. Gone are the days when the girl would just stand there on the screen and sing the song and that was enough. Now they'd have to do it with an emo or goth look, half her clothes falling off, and dancing like a stripper. The songwriting would be terrible too ...

[DownGoesFrazier]

I didn't think that the stuff on Welk was popular at ANY time.

[johnm001]

He show was extremely popular, for many, many years. In fact, it still is. That's why PBS continues to show it.

[Arturo]

*I take it June Allyson doesn't favor very highly in Arturo's world ...*

 

Brave maybe . . . from taking on Kate Hepburn (Little Women), to Claudette Colbert (It Happened One Night/You Can't Run Away From It), to Norma Shearer (The Women/The Opposite Sex) to various others, June Allyson could not compare with her predecessors when taking on their roles in these misguided (to be most generous) attempts to remake/update some classic 30s films.

[johnm001]

Frankly, I prefer June to Kate and Norma. Claudette, no. My mother couldn't stand her, and always claimed that Donna Reed or Gloria DeHaven should have gotten all the June Allyson roles.

[DownGoesFrazier]

If you prefer June to Kate, you probably also prefer Lawrence Welk to Tommy Dorsey. (just kidding)

[precoder]

Aw June Allyson's alright. I can't claim that she ever really ruined a movie for me. At the same time she's not a super favorite either; just sorta 'there'. Her face resembles an animal's. Of hand, I can't think of exactly what animal, but something that lives in trees; something not entirely human. She's not very attractive to thine eyes but she's okay. I'll take little Jane Powell over June anytime. The one musical lady I cannot stand in anything was fruit-head Carmen Miranda. Heres' a woman who simply makes me wanna puke ...

[DownGoesFrazier]

deleted

 

Edited by: finance on May 28, 2010 10:39 AM

[DownGoesFrazier]

deleted

 

Edited by: finance on May 28, 2010 10:40 AM

[DownGoesFrazier]

Allyson's voice also resembles an animal's.......Have to disagree with you on Miranda (and so would Woody Allen). Her recording of "Down South America Way" was the highlight of RADIO DAYS.

[Bablefish]

I hate to say The Producers I love the original film with Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, but that remake was horrible.

[johnm001]

Yes, it was horrible.

[cujas]

Say what you will, but the tap dancing that Welk promoted was alone and among the best on live TV.

[cujas]

Say what you will, but the tap dancing that Welk promoted was alone and among the best on live TV.

[cujas]

Say what you will, at the time, his show was the only one to employ top rate tap dancers. They made a living, entertained people and promoted tap.