Funny Girl (1968)

 

Waterloo Bridge (1940)

West Side Story (2021)

 

One From the Heart (1981)

 

The five-year romance of a window dresser and her boyfriend breaks up, as each of them finds a more interesting partner.

From memory: An expensive, audacious, but failed experiment by Francis Ford Coppola, it's visually stunning,  but narrative (and music) are simply not quite from the heart; it's all too obviously artificial.

Halliwell*: "Extraordinarily slim (for its cost) romantic fantasy which makes one wonder why, of all stories in the world, its creator chose this one. It does however boast attractive visuals."

Maltin**: "Lavishly produced but practically plotless romantic comedy...Dean Tavoularis' stylized Las Vegas set and the cinematography by Vittorio Storaro and Ronald V. Garcia are astonishing! Unfortunately, pretty images do not make a film...one of Coppola's most surreal entertainments. A must for the curious - others beware." 

A Star Is Born (2018)

A musician helps a young singer find fame as age and alcoholism send his own career into a downward spiral.

Excellently produced and directed musical melodrama with good music and extraordinary performances throughout, but, all in all, it is simply an old-fashioned tearjerker.

Escucha mi canción (1959)

An orphan takes a job in a gypsies' small circus as a singer so he will be able to travel across Spain and find his mother.

Rocketman (2019)

A musical fantasy about the story of Elton John's breakthrough years.

Well-made musical biography includes both the ups and downs of Elton John's career; the musical bits are good and the performances, especially Taron Egerton's, extraordinary.

The Greatest Showman (2017)

Celebrates the birth of show business and tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.

Top-notch production, excellent cast and good songs all combined for - a musical glorification of a historically dubious character; just like in the heyday of the Hollywood musical, no more, no less.

Quadrophenia (1979)

Jimmy loathes his job and parents. He seeks solace with his mod clique, scooter riding and drugs, only to be disappointed.

From memory: Although a drama set in the early '60s (and made with good period details), this semi-musical is presented with as much verve and anarchic energy generating a punk appeal for the time of its production.

Halliwell (no star): "What passed for a successful musical at the end of the seventies is typified by this violent, screaming and wholly unattractive amalgam of noise, violence, sex and profanity."

Maltin***1/2: "Superior mixture of early '60s "Angry Young Man" drama and rock movie...A real sleeper...Sting makes an impressive acting debut."

Hair (1979)

In New York City for the first time while on his way to enlist in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, an Oklahoma farm hand meets up with a freewheeling group of Central Park hippies.

From memory: First-rate adaptation of the successful 1968 musical is quite entertaining, but was produced way beyond its expiring date.  

Halliwell*: "Slick, vigorous but eventually unsatisfying version of a quickly dated musical frolic with some obvious points to make."

Maltin**1/2: "...hit musical play celebrated the '60s as the Age of Aquarius; unfortunately, it's now a period piece and its impact considerably muffled...has exciting musical moments, but doesn't hang together." 

The Pirate (1948)

A girl is engaged to the local richman, but meanwhile she has dreams about the legendary pirate Macoco. A traveling singer falls in love with her and to impress her he poses as the pirate.

From memory: Superb Hollywood musical may be stage-bound, but is very lively, sumptuously produced with excellent choreography and photographed in wonderful Technicolor.

Halliwell**: "Minor MGM musical with vivid moments and some intimation of the greatness shortly to come; all very set-bound, but the star quality is infectious."

Maltin***: "...lavish costuming, dancing and Cole Porter songs...bolster stagy plot. Kelly's dances are exhilarating, as usual."

Flying Down to Rio (1933)

An aviator and band leader is forever getting his group fired for flirting with the lady guests.

La La Land (2016)

While navigating their careers in Los Angeles, a pianist and an actress fall in love while attempting to reconcile their aspirations for the future.

Meticulously and beautifully crafted reconstruction of a classic Hollywood musical - together with its hollowness, the romance never shows any spark; that said, Damien Chazelle obviously has a serious problem understanding what jazz is.

Gigi (1958)

Weary of the conventions of Parisian society, a rich playboy and a youthful courtesan-in-training enjoy a platonic friendship, but it may not stay platonic for long.

In all departments a top-notch and lively musical production that is a delight to watch, but the plot itself hardly hold's one interest.

Halliwell***: "Laundered and musicalized version; delightfully set, costumed and performed, but oddly lacking dance numbers."

Maltin****: "Joyous turn-of-the-20th-century musical...Exquisitely filmed, perfectly cast..."

The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953)

The bane of adolescent Bart Collins' existence is the piano lessons he is forced to take under the tutelage of Dr. Terwilliker, the only person he admits he detests because of his dictatorial nature.

Fascinatingly imaginative and bizarre musical produced with much finesse, but (literally) a child's nightmare obviously not suitable for the intended audience.

Halliwell*: "Badly scripted fantasy with gleaming sophisticated dream sequences which deserve a better frame. A real oddity to come from Hollywood at this time, even though Dr. Seuss's were and are bestsellers."

Maltin***: "Imaginative fantasy conceived by Dr. Seuss with clever songs by Seuss and Frederick Hollander. Major weakness: conventional "grown-up" leads played by then-popular performers Healy and Hayes."

 Psychotronic/Michael Weldon: "...one of the best surrealistic fantasies ever made."