Musicals

Why do you like to watch movies??? Is it the drama? Action? Suspense? Music? Special effects? To be honest I’m not huge fan of watching movies, and I don’t normally care for the ones coming out these days. However, there is a genre of movies that I can’t seem to get enough of…. the ones that were made around the 1940’s, 50’s, and 60’s. I love them so much that I spent a whole summer just watching old movies. I probably watched twenty plus old movies, and most of them were musicals.

I don’t watch movies for the action or special effects, but I watch primarily for the costumes, music, songs, and occasionally actors. Yes, I’m one a person who was obsessed with Hayley Mills, Doris Day, Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, etc. at one point in my life. Through that one summer in which I watched a bunch of old movies I discovered some of my favorites. They became my favorites because of the songs that were sung and the actors who sang them!

 

The first one is Summer Stock, a movie not many people know about, but is well known for its songs. The song “Get Happy” sung by Rudy Garland became famous through it, but for me that was not the star of the movie. “Happy Harvest”, “If You Feel Like Singing, Sing”, and Dig-dig-dig-dig for Your Dinner” are the upbeat, snap-your–fingers type of songs.  There are also some slower songs like “Friendly Star” and “You Wonderful You” that are so beautiful sung by Judy Garland. Yes, these songs are pretty old-fashioned, but I’m certain that they will get stuck in your head. They have mine, but I absolutely love them so I don’t mind that much!

 Another movie with excellent music and singing is By the Light of the Silvery Moon. I was a little skeptical about this one just because of the title, but it turned out to tie in first place with Summer Stock. I loved the songs, acting, and singing in this movie so much that I decided to re-watch it about four times before I had to return it! Doris Day and Gordon McCray are amazing singers, and they are even better together! My absolutely favorite songs from this movie would have to be “Ain’t We Got Fun?” and “Your Eyes Have Told Me So” I adore these songs because of the way she sings them and the way her voice just effortlessly glides over the notes in a way that leaves me very impressed. It has defiantly become one of my favorites!

I’ll leave you with this quote from “If You Feel like Singing, Sing!”: “If you feel like singing, sing! Tra-la-la your cares away! There’s something about giving out with a song, makes you belong, helps you to find a piece of mindful day! If you feel like humming, hum. Fiddle-dee-dee-didy-dum! Just look in the mirror and do a duet, and raise your voices along! Tell your friends to go places if they start making faces, if you feel like singing, sing!!”