Carousel (1956)
| Director: | Henry King |
| Actors: | Shirley Jones, Gordan MacRae |
Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones experience the miraculous powers of love in this inspiring Rodgers and Hammersmith masterpiece. Gordon MacRae is Billy Bigelow, a smooth-talking carny baker who falls in love with a mill-worker on the colourful coast of Maine. Filmed on location, with a beautiful seaside setting as a backdrop and a thrilling score for accompaniment, their romance unfolds. But right before the birth of his daughter, Billy is killed while committing a robbery. Now in heaven, years later, he returns to earth for one day to attend his daughter's high school graduation and teach her one very important lesson.
Featuring classics like "If I Loved You" and the inspirational "You'll Never Walk Alone", Carousel is the most poetic and lyrical of all the Rodgers and Hammersmith musical.
| Status: | Normal |
|---|---|
| Run time: | 128mins |
| Origin: | UNITED STATES |
| Aspect Ratio: | 2.35:1 |
Carousel
by Jess Lomas, 5/10/2011 2:48:00 PM
If all you can think of when you hear the names Rodgers and Hammerstein is Maria frolicking around the mountains in The Sound of Music, then get ready for Carousel! The 1956 film adaptation of the stage musical was directed by Henry King (The Song of Bernadette, Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing) and starred Gordon MacRae (On Moonlight Bay) as Billy Bigelow and Shirley Jones (The Partridge Family, The Music Man) as Julie Jordan. The film tells the story of two lovers (Billy and Julie) who society dictates should not be together; him a burly carnival worker and her, the petite millworker. The two marry and are expecting a child when the stress of unemployment sees Billy agree to assist in a robbery. Things don’t go to plan and Billy, attempting to escape the police, falls onto his own knif...
If all you can think of when you hear the names Rodgers and Hammerstein is Maria frolicking around the mountains in The Sound of Music, then get ready for Carousel!
The 1956 film adaptation of the stage musical was directed by Henry King (The Song of Bernadette, Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing) and starred Gordon MacRae (On Moonlight Bay) as Billy Bigelow and Shirley Jones (The Partridge Family, The Music Man) as Julie Jordan.
Things don’t go to plan and Billy, attempting to escape the police, falls onto his own knife and dies. This isn’t a spoiler – trust us – but is in fact essential to establish the film for Billy’s return from Heaven to Earth fifteen years later to make amends.
The core of this film is the relationship between Billy and Julie, and neither being able to be entirely honest about their love for one another. The film showcases some of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most romantic and complex music; songs such as The Carousel Waltz, If I Loved You and perhaps the most famous, You’ll Never Walk Alone. Sung skillfully by MacRae and Jones, the famous controversy surrounding this film involved Ol’ Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra.
Sinatra was originally cast as Billy, even going as far as to record all of his songs prior to filming. The trouble arose when he arrived on set to discover each scene was being filmed twice, once each for different film formats. He left the set saying, “You’re not getting two Sinatras for the price of one!”
Carousel is without a doubt one of the most romantic musicals from the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein period. Trade in Maria and King Mongkut of Siam (The King and I) for Billy and Julie, and don’t forget your tissues!
4/5
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Member Reviews (7)
7 Member
Reviews
msaileen_j@optusnet.com.au
says
Carousel is a movie I had not seen before, fancy Howard Keel being so young! It was really good, but then anything with Howard Keel in singing has to be good. Thank you,
Aileen Susan Jeffery.
JudyDoll
says
Another oldie that has stood the test of time. Great thrill to see it again.
Elizabeth M.
says
Mike J.
says
Should be more films like this
Christiaan P.
says
Alfred S.
says
I love all of the Rodger's & Hammerstein musicals but Carousel is nowhere near one of their best. I found the acting awkward throughout and the dark moments in the plot embarrasing, but the biggest letdown was the music itself. Apart from some showstoppers like "You'll Never Walk Alone" and the waltz I found the songs quite boring and at times often tedious.
If you want to watch a great Rodgers & Hammerstein film there are many to choose from but perhaps you should consider Carousel a last resort.
Michael P.
says
Singing great, diction good, settings terrific.