Tara L. Vickery - Final Project

For my film paper I would like to discuss how film musicals strayed away from the “typical” film musicals of classical Hollywood.

During the 1960’s screen musicals found hits with Mary Poppins (1964) and The Sound of Music (1965) both starring Julie Andrews. They still are hits today being favorites among many musical fans. As far as musical films go The Sound of Music is the highest grossing film. During the 1950’s there were certainly movie musicals being produced, but none that seemed to compare with The Sound of Music. It seemed the movie musical was born again and that had Hollywood jumping. Other companies tried to “recreate” the film even for straight films. The Sound of Music was catchy, had good actors, and was a nice family film. Unfortunately or fortunately it just couldn’t be redone.

The 1970’s for film was a time of experimentation, of pushing the limits. Many filmmakers were doing it, such as Alan Pakula, Stanley Kubrick, and Sam Peckinpah just to name a few. Hollywood at the start of the 70’s was experiencing artistic and financial depression. However, it became a high point in creativity for the film industry. The “old” Hollywood was starting to diminish, with the restrictions of adult content, sexuality, language and violence loosening up. It seemed the job of filmmakers was to take risks and be freer which resulted in many surprise hits. Directors of movie musicals were no different then the straight films. They took chances and pushed the limits with their films as well. And the films I will talk about were a far cry from “the hills are alive with the sound of music.”

Fiddler on the Roof (1971) directed by Norman Jewison, though not all that controversial, was still relevant for the time period. The themes of change and government fit along nicely with what was going on in the world at the time, the Vietnam War. Even though Fiddler on the Roof was more of a sensitive film and didn’t rock too many boats, except for a few questionable casting choices which turned out ok in the end, the film did start the 1970’s off nicely regarding film musicals.

Bob Fosse's searing version of Cabaret (1972) turned a stage hit into a screen classic. The often harsh story of people caught in the political turmoil that gripped Germany in the early 1930s featured memorable performances by Liza Minnelli as amoral vocalist Sally Bowles and Joel Grey as the leering Emcee.

The film was based on the 1966 Broadway production and earned eight Oscars, including Best Director (Fosse), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Grey), and Best Actress in a Leading Role (Minnelli). The theme regarding sexuality were very controversial for the time period and even for today, though not a badly. Producing a show were the main characters flaunt nudity, being gay or bisexual, taking drugs, and having multiple sexual partners was a risk at time. The characters weren’t thought of as the ideal, people an audience could fall in love with per say. There really wasn’t a hero nor much happiness in the film. But, it was fun. It let people let loose and let their minds wander. To this day the show remains popular and it still takes risks and stretches the limit. The revival of the stage musical in 1998 would have put the movie to shame almost. It pushed the envelop even further, and I think Bob Fosse would have been proud.















Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) also directed by Norman Jewison was a rock opera about the last days of Jesus’ life. JCS starred Ted Neeley and Carl Anderson. The film was shot in Israel (primarily at the ruins of Avdat) and other Middle Eastern locations. Visually it was historically accurate regarding location and some of the costuming. There were some liberties taken in the wearing of bellbottoms and afros by Judas and other characters. The film seemed to have a hippie quality to it. The opening starts off with a bus full of people driving up to start the filming of the movie and it just takes off from there. To this day Jesus Christ Superstar is controversial. Many believe that the story of Jesus shouldn’t be told with rock music. The musical also implies a relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene.

I believe that by producing this film it taught a younger generation the story of Jesus. In a country divided by war and the government, it just took a story and revamped it a little and opened it up for a new group of people.


Most like biggest cult hit of the 1970’s was The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). The film was meant to parody science fiction and horror films and was based on the British musical stage production The Rocky Horror Show. The film stared Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, and Barry Bostwick. Rocky Horror was the first film by a major film studio (20th Century-Fox) to be put in the midnight-movie market. It first debuted at midnight on April 1, 1976 at the Waverly Theatre in New York. Many call this film truly bizarre and I believe that’s why it’s loved so much. Despite a poor critical reception, Rocky

Horror developed a one-of-a-kind cult following. Critics thought it was too cartoonish, and lacked a plot and the sexual nature of the film was too much. Tim Curry’s performance and the music of the film were well received. Still even though the critics didn‘t rave over Rocky Horror, teenagers came back to see the film week after week, singing along, talking back to the screen and enacting scenes in costume. The film became a camp classic. Late night screenings for Rocky Horror buffs continued all across America right into the next century. Again the themes of sexuality and “strangeness” were cause for initial dislike and controversy. But, to this day Rocky Horror remains a cult classic and theatres till play the film and people still dress up and attend. Also, in December of 2005 James H. Billington selected The Rocky Horror Picture Show for preservation in the National Film Registry that has a collection of only 450 films.





















And finally, I can’t discuss film musicals of the 1970’s without mentioning Grease (1978) starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. The film is based on the stage production of 1972. The film stressed more of a love story then the stage version did and the performances of Travolta and Newton-John charmed audiences and helped the film become a pop-culture landmark as well as the highest grossing film musical up to that time.

Musical films of the 1970’s continued the new tradition of pushing the envelope that many directors did during that time period. I believe that Cabaret and The Rocky Horror Picture Show were the most out there regarding content that was controversial and new. That is not meant to diminish the other musicals I talked about and even the ones I didn’t. I just believe that those two films in particular, with their themes of sexuality especially, pushed the envolop and were experimental. They shook things up a bit. And although films like Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, and other classical musicals still remain hits and dear to our hearts, the 1970’s film musicals paved the way for other hits of today and created a new generation of musical films.

Bibliography:

Musicals101.com
IMDB.com
Hollywood Movie Musicals by John Howard Reid

Films:

Fiddler on the Roof
Director Norman Jewison, Writers Sholom Aleichem (book) and Joseph Stein (play)

Cabaret
Director Bob Fosse, Writers Joe Master off (book) and John Van Druten
(play)

Jesus Christ Superstar
Director Norman Jewison, Writers Tim Rice (book) and Norman Jewison (screenplay)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Director Jim Sharman, Writers Richard O’Brien (play) and Jim Sharman

Grease Director Randal Kleiser, Writers Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey (musical), Bronte Woodard (screenplay)