Musicals have been around since the dawn of talkies. The colorful and energetic genre reached its undisputed height during Hollywood’s Golden Age, with many of American cinema’s most timeless and iconic musicals coming out between 1930 and 1950. Still, the genre survived and kept on thriving, with many worthy musicals coming out during the New Hollywood and modern eras.
As part of its annual celebration of cinema, the American Film Institute named its 25 best musicals in 2006. From bonafide classics to more modern offerings, these musicals are integral to the motion picture industry and its rich legacy.
10’Meet Me In St. Louis' (1944)
Judy Garlandmakes the first of three appearances in the AFI’s list for best musicals with her charming Christmas classicMeet Me in St. Louis. Set in the years before the 1904 World’s Fair, the plot follows the Smith family, especially the second-eldest daughter, Esther, who harbors a crush on the boy next door.
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Meet Me in St. Louisis a charming celebration of family through a healthy dose of music and dance. Powered by one of Garland’s most effortless, enchanting performances,Meet Me in St. Louisis a triumphant picture and the perfect proof that musicals have an unparalleled power to transport audiences to a world where everything can be solved through a good, old-fashioned song.
9’An American In Paris' (1951)
Like Garland, the nonpareilGene Kellywas a defining figure in Golden Age’s musicals.Kelly’s famous dance abilitiesbuilt his reputation as a song-and-dance man, perhaps best showcased in the 1951 classicAn American in Paris. The plot revolves around Jerry, a former GI and aspiring artist in post-war Paris and his romantic entanglements with two very different women.
An American in Parissoars thanks to Kelly’s passionate, charming performance. Aided by an equally impressiveLeslie Caron, Kelly delivers a performance so iconic and passionate that it should be enough to make audiences forget how problematic the plot is. Colorful, enthusiastic, and endlessly entertaining,An American in Parisis amongVincente Minnelli’s greatest.
8’My Fair Lady' (1964)
The one and onlyAudrey Hepburnstars in Warner Bros. 1964 adaptation of the hit musicalMy Fair Lady. An adaptation of the classicPygmalion, the film tells the story of Professor Henry Higgins, who takes Cockney flower salesgirl Eliza Doolittle under his wing, promising to turn her into a proper English lady.
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Hepburn might seem a tad out-of-place as a poor Cockney salesgirl, but her incessant and ridiculously contagious charm is more than enough to pull audiences into the illusion.My Fair Ladyis an elegant and lively musical romp, and although the plot might seem questionable under the modern gaze, the music and Hepburn should make audiences forget about their concerns, if only until after the credits roll.
7’A Star Is Born' (1954)
Judy Garland returns to the AFI’s list of best musicals with her seminal, game-changing musicalA Star Is Born. A remake of the 1937 eponymous film,A Star Is Bornfollows aging actor Norman Maine, who meets and falls in love with aspiring singer Esther Blodgett. As his career wanes, hers rises, and the couple must balance their differences to make their relationship work.
A Star Is Bornlives and dies with Judy Garland. Possibly delivering the greatest one-woman show in cinematic history, Garland rises to new heights with her raw, earnest, vulnerable portrayal of Esther. Acting like this is seldom seen, which, coupled with Garland’s legendary booming voice, turnsA Star Is Borninto a heartbreaking masterpiece of musical cinema.
6’Mary Poppins' (1964)
Julie Andrews, who famously originated the role of Eliza Doolittle in the stage version ofMy Fair Lady, was passed over for the film version. However, the actress fought back with the lead role in Walt Disney’s live-action/animation hybridMary Poppins, based on P. L. Travers' novels about a magical English nanny.
To put it simply,Mary PoppinsisDisney’s greatest live-action triumph. Indeed, when people use that elusive phrase, “the magic of the movies,” they are surely talking aboutMary Poppins. The film is dazzling, awe-inspiring, spellbinding, and utterly unforgettable, the movie equivalent of a childhood dream that magically and beautifully comes to life through song and dance.
5’Cabaret' (1972)
Liza Minnellifollowed in the footsteps of her famous mother, Judy Garland, and put her beautiful voice to good use. Minnelli played the role of Sally Bowles inBob Fosse’s 1972 musicalCabaret, based on the eponymous 1966 show. Set in 1930s Berline, the plot centers on a British academic who falls for a cabaret singer while struggling with his sexuality amid the rise of the Nazis in the Weimar Republic.
Cabaretis amongthe best films from the 1970s. Radiant, surprisingly gloomy yet intoxicating, and with a star-making performance by the one and only Liza with a Z,Cabaretis a near-perfect picture. The film revitalized the fading musical genre and confirmed there will always be a place in the audience’s hearts for a well-told tale of music and dance.
4’The Sound Of Music' (1965)
A year afterMary Poppins' overwhelming success, Julie Andrews returned to movie musicals withRobert Wise’s masterpieceThe Sound of Music. The plot centers around Maria, a young Austrian postulant who becomes the governess of Captain Von Trapp’s many children.
Romantic, sweeping, and unabashedly sentimental,The Sound of Musicis a love letter to love itself. The film is visually stunning and melodious, with Andrew’s angelic voice gracefully going from one memorable number to the next.The Sound of Musicmight be overly saccharine for some, but its contagious joy will win over even the most cynical viewers.
3’The Wizard Of Oz' (1939)
Judy Garland’s last appearance in the AFI’s list of best musicals comes courtesy of her most iconic film.Victor Fleming’sThe Wizard of Ozcenters on young Dorothy Gale, a girl transported to the magical land of Oz via a tornado. Joined by three unlikely friends, Dorothy must follow the yellow brick road and reach the splendorous Emerald City to seek the help of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
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The Wizard of Ozis nothing short of a masterpiece. Hopeful, dazzling, and hypnotizing,The Wizard of Ozhas the unique and necessary ability to make audiences believe in magic. Fueled by Garland’s wide-eyed performance and with a cast of colorful supporting characters,The Wizard of Ozis a triumph that many have tried to imitate; alas, no one has been able to recapture its singular delight.
2’West Side Story' (1961)
Robert Wise expertly translated the 1957 stage musicalWest Side Storyonto the big screen. Based on Shakespeare’s seminal playRomeo & Julietand set amid the rising rivalry between two gangs,West Side Storyfollows the blossoming romance between Tony, a white member of the Jets, and Maria, a Puerto-Rican girl and sister of the Sharks' leader.
West Side Storyis an explosion of movement, gracefully staging some of cinema’s most challenging and captivating choreographies. A technical marvel brought to life in glorious technicolor,West Side Storyis a tragic and haunting love story and a groundbreaking achievement in musical cinema.
1’Singin' In The Rain' (1952)
Gene Kelly stars oppositeDebbie ReynoldsandDonal O’Connorin the 1952 musical classicSingin' in the Rain. Set in the hectic transition period between silent films and talkies, the film follows Don and Lina, a long-time acting duo whose partnership is threatened by her inability to sing in an upcoming musical. When Don falls for the chorus girl hired to dub Lina’s single voice, trouble ensues.
Singin' in the Rainis alove letter to the magic of moviesbuoyed by Kelly’s irresistible and seemingly inexhaustible charm. His now-iconic performance of the titular number is arguably the most celebrated and beloved sequence in movie musical history, cementingSingin' in the Rainas the greatest movie musical in American cinema.
