Top Five Movie Musicals

By Jemiah Jefferson

Find out how to win a copy of the soundtrack to Nine at the end of this article! The contest has now ended.

In light of the upcoming release of Nine (on December 18), starring everybody and Fergie, it’s time for a small countdown of my particular favorite movie musicals. Of course, this list probably won’t line up with yours (although you should remember to check the lists of runners-up at the bottom!), but these five films were instrumental in transforming me from a scowling punk who had nothing but contempt for movie song-and-dance to a glitter-afro-wearing, Twyla-Tharp-worshipping show tune queen.

Jesus Christ Superstar, 1973

To simplify, I eliminated movies that seemed more like movies with songs added in (the structure of a lot of movies geared towards children, so no Muppet Movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, or Nightmare Before Christmas. . . sorry), rock-band musicals (no Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter or A Hard Day’s Night!) or concert films (no Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii). Harsh, I know.

Upon further reflection, I realized that have always loved certain musicals; I just didn’t think they were musicals, merely good movies. The films listed below absolutely fit the bill.

Cabaret, 1972

This wasn’t the first Bob Fosse musical I’d ever seen (that honor goes to runner-up All That Jazz) but it absolutely rocked my world on the very first viewing, and made me into a life-long, raging fan of both Fosse and Liza Minelli. Cabaret isn’t just a brilliant musical, it’s also an exceptional example of the 1970s “beautiful bummer cinema” along with feel-bad gems like The Day of the Locust, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Glee-worthy tunes, superb performances, and dance sequences so sexy that Madonna stole them lock, stock, and barrel.
Similar runners-up: All That Jazz, Sweet Charity, The Boy Friend

Jesus Christ Superstar, 1973

No, seriously! My Easter Sunday sing-a-long mainstay isn’t just a musical, and doesn’t just feature iconic hippies with some freaky dance moves; it is essentially an opera (with no spoken dialogue) as conceived by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice back when they seemingly dropped acid and read the Bible for fun. The music is incredible and deliciously complex—imagine if Miles Davis, Parliament, and Stereolab had a baby—and the line between funky reverence and existentialist sacrilege gets well-blurred. And just imagine if Micky Dolenz had been cast as Jesus!
Similar runners-up: Hair, Tommy, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, West Side Story

Singin’ In The Rain, 1952

Usually tops the list of just about everyone. Yes, it really is that good. If you’ve never seen it, it’s time; if you haven’t seen it in a while, it’s time to watch it again. Bright, witty, self-aware, sexy, and dreamy, it doesn’t just have Gene Kelly at the height of his sex-god dance powers (I do hope that someone cast his flawless ass in bronze while they had a chance), it shows that Debbie Reynolds was a hot little number with an exceptional voice, and introduced me to the magic that is Donald O’Connor. The guy’s got to be a great dancer to make me forget Gene, but O’Connor is one of the best ever. Great songs AND Cyd Charisse AND Rita Moreno? C’mon. Good mornin’, good mornin’!
Similar runners-up: An American In Paris, Cover Girl, Xanadu

Stormy Weather, 1943

If I ever run across this while channel-surfing, I drop everything and watch it to the end. Stormy Weather is a remarkable movie in so many ways—not just the groundbreaking all-black cast featuring Miss Lena Horne and Bill Robinson, but the excellent storyline, and of course, the music and dancing. Katherine Dunham! Fats Waller! Cab freakin’ Calloway! Additionally, this film marks the longest filmed dance sequence of the Nicholas Brothers, who everyone should know and revere as the greatest dancers of all time. Fred Astaire wishes that he could have floated the way those two cats did.
Similar runners-up: The Wiz, Lady Sings the Blues, Purple Rain

Gold Diggers Of 1935, 1935

They got up to a lot of sneaky, naughty stuff back in the 1930s. I chose this over the arguably better film Gold Diggers Of 1933 (even though this one doesn’t have Ruby Keeler) for the superior songs alone. This is definitely the showcase for Dick Powell. I’m in love with him. I don’t care if nobody else digs him; more for me. He’s got that gee-whiz-Opie face and bright smile, and his voice is like the sun breaking through clouds and alighting on a giant pot of money. 1935 makes a great entree for those new to the glories of choreographer-god Busby Berkeley; “The Lullaby of Broadway” will burn itself through your retinas and take up permanent residence in your soul. Plus, it’s so much fun!
Similar runners-up: Million-Dollar Mermaid, 42nd Street, Meet Me In St. Louis

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