What is a musical film?

A musical film is a motion picture that integrates musical numbers within the plot. Though often thought of as an American genre, musical films have come from Japan, Italy, France, Great Britain, and Germany. The first musical film was The Jazz Singer (1927), which ushered in the sound era of motion pictures. Musicals typically have sentimental or humorous themes and consist of dialogue and musical numbers based on a unifying plot.

How is a musical film different from other types of movies?

A musical film integrates musical numbers into the plot. Though often considered an American genre, musical films have come from Japan, Italy, France, Great Britain, and Germany. Unlike other movies, musical films emphasize music as a basic element, rather than just using it to heighten the emotional expression or intensify the local color. Musical films consist of musical numbers and dialogue based on a unifying plot, typically of a sentimental or humorous nature.

What kinds of stories are often told in musical films?

Musical films present a diverse array of narratives, from lighthearted romances to more serious, socially conscious stories. Often adapted from Broadway hits, many explore themes like love, ambition, and overcoming adversity, using song and dance to express emotions and advance the plot. Some delve into social and political issues, such as anti-Semitism or the AIDS epidemic, while others focus on historical events or cultural experiences. Animated musicals, like those produced by Disney, frequently tell fairy tales or heroic adventures. The flexibility of the genre allows for a broad spectrum of storytelling, ranging from pure entertainment to thought-provoking commentary.

Why do characters in musical films often sing and dance?

In musical films, characters often sing and dance to heighten the experience for the audience and to emphasize the drama already inherent in the choreography. Dance, music, drama, and spectacle have been equally inseparable. Notably: * Music helps to determine the rhythm of the dance, give it emphasis, or help the dancers maintain the same beat. * Singing and dancing can intensify the dance’s emotional power. * Dance is an essential ingredient along with song, acting, and spectacle. * Innovative choreographers, such as Agnes de Mille, used dances to advance the plot.

What are some famous musical films, and what makes them special?

Musical films integrate plot and musical numbers and have come from countries including the United States, Japan, Italy, France, Great Britain, and Germany. The Jazz Singer (1927) was the first musical film. Singin' in the Rain (1952) is considered by many to be the greatest Hollywood musical. It stars Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O’Connor and capitalizes on the transition to sound in the film industry through memorable musical and comedic sequences. Many stage musicals have been adapted into films, such as West Side Story (1961), which won 10 Academy Awards, making it the most-awarded musical in Oscar history.

How have musical films changed over time, and what influences their style?

Musical films have evolved significantly since The Jazz Singer in 1927, which ushered in the sound era. Early musicals aimed to capitalize on the novelty of sound, but the genre soon expanded, incorporating varied styles such as rock and roll, social commentary, and spectacle. The mid-20th century saw the rise of singing and dancing teams like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, as well as film adaptations of Broadway hits like Oklahoma! and West Side Story . Experimentation grew, with musicals exploiting popular music stars like Elvis Presley and bands such as the Beatles. By the 1980s, spectacular musicals with grand sets and special effects, such as Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, gained prominence. Influences on musical film styles include technological advancements, popular music trends, and social and political themes.

musical film

Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta dance together in a decorated gymnasium during a scene from Grease (1978), with a crowd of people watching in the background.

Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Jack Haley as the Tin Man, Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, Judy Garland as Dorothy, and Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch in a stone-walled room from The Wizard of Oz.

Judy Garland and Fred Astaire dance energetically together on stage in a scene from the 1948 film Easter Parade, with an audience seated in the background.

Gene Kelly as Don Lockwood in Singin' in the Rain, joyfully hanging from a lamppost with an umbrella during a nighttime rainstorm on a city street.

Julie Andrews as Maria stands on a grassy hill with arms outstretched, wearing a black blouse and striped apron dress, in The Sound of Music.

Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey perform on stage in Cabaret (1972), with Minnelli in a flapper dress and headpiece and Grey in a tuxedo and top hat, standing before a blue curtain with large currency symbols.

Catherine Zeta-Jones, in a black fringed dress, performs a dance number on stage surrounded by backup dancers in a scene from the film Chicago.

Quick Facts

Key People:: Michael Jackson; Vincente Minnelli; George Gershwin; Norman Taurog; George Marshall

Related Topics:: film; theatre music; musical; Today in History—October 6: The Jazz Singer Upends the Movie Industry; genre

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*Grease* Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta performing in the high-school dance scene in *Grease* (1978).

musical film

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Top Questions

What is a musical film?
A musical film is a motion picture that integrates musical numbers within the plot. Though often thought of as an American genre, musical films have come from Japan, Italy, France, Great Britain, and Germany. The first musical film was The Jazz Singer (1927), which ushered in the sound era of motion pictures.

Musicals typically have sentimental or humorous themes and consist of dialogue and musical numbers based on a unifying plot.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How is a musical film different from other types of movies?
A musical film integrates musical numbers into the plot. Though often considered an American genre, musical films have come from Japan, Italy, France, Great Britain, and Germany.

Unlike other movies, musical films emphasize music as a basic element, rather than just using it to heighten the emotional expression or intensify the local color. Musical films consist of musical numbers and dialogue based on a unifying plot, typically of a sentimental or humorous nature.
6 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What kinds of stories are often told in musical films?
Musical films present a diverse array of narratives, from lighthearted romances to more serious, socially conscious stories.

Often adapted from Broadway hits, many explore themes like love, ambition, and overcoming adversity, using song and dance to express emotions and advance the plot. Some delve into social and political issues, such as anti-Semitism or the AIDS epidemic, while others focus on historical events or cultural experiences. Animated musicals, like those produced by Disney, frequently tell fairy tales or heroic adventures. The flexibility of the genre allows for a broad spectrum of storytelling, ranging from pure entertainment to thought-provoking commentary.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why do characters in musical films often sing and dance?
In musical films, characters often sing and dance to heighten the experience for the audience and to emphasize the drama already inherent in the choreography. Dance, music, drama, and spectacle have been equally inseparable.

Notably:
* Music helps to determine the rhythm of the dance, give it emphasis, or help the dancers maintain the same beat.
* Singing and dancing can intensify the dance’s emotional power.
* Dance is an essential ingredient along with song, acting, and spectacle.
* Innovative choreographers, such as Agnes de Mille, used dances to advance the plot.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are some famous musical films, and what makes them special?
Musical films integrate plot and musical numbers and have come from countries including the United States, Japan, Italy, France, Great Britain, and Germany. The Jazz Singer (1927) was the first musical film.

Singin' in the Rain (1952) is considered by many to be the greatest Hollywood musical. It stars Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O’Connor and capitalizes on the transition to sound in the film industry through memorable musical and comedic sequences.

Many stage musicals have been adapted into films, such as West Side Story (1961), which won 10 Academy Awards, making it the most-awarded musical in Oscar history.
5 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How have musical films changed over time, and what influences their style?
Musical films have evolved significantly since The Jazz Singer in 1927, which ushered in the sound era. Early musicals aimed to capitalize on the novelty of sound, but the genre soon expanded, incorporating varied styles such as rock and roll, social commentary, and spectacle.

The mid-20th century saw the rise of singing and dancing teams like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, as well as film adaptations of Broadway hits like Oklahoma! and West Side Story. Experimentation grew, with musicals exploiting popular music stars like Elvis Presley and bands such as the Beatles.

By the 1980s, spectacular musicals with grand sets and special effects, such as Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, gained prominence. Influences on musical film styles include technological advancements, popular music trends, and social and political themes.
6 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

musical film, motion picture consisting of a plot integrating musical numbers. Although usually considered an American genre, musical films from Japan, Italy, France, Great Britain, and Germany have contributed to the development of the type. The first musical film, The Jazz Singer (1927), starring Al Jolson, introduced the sound era of motion pictures. It was followed by a series of musicals hastily made to capitalize on the novelty of sound. One of the few outstanding films of this early period was Broadway Melody (1929), which won the Academy Award for best picture of 1928–29.

In the early 1930s the German director G.W. Pabst presented a serious musical film, The Threepenny Opera (1931; Die Dreigroschenoper), from the ballad opera by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill. The most popular films of this period, though, were the extravagantly imaginative U.S. films of Busby Berkeley (1895–1976), a former Broadway dance director who presented elaborately staged dance sequences within the framework of well-worn stories. The Berkeley spectaculars such as the Gold Diggers productions (1933–37), Footlight Parade (1933), and Forty-second Street (1933) often starred Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, or Dick Powell, all of whom became well-known musical performers.

(Read Martin Scorsese’s Britannica essay on film preservation.)

Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, with her dog, Toto, from the motion picture film The Wizard of Oz (1939); directed by Mervyn LeRay. (cinema, movies)

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Classic Closing Lines

*Rose-Marie*Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald in *Rose-Marie* (1936).

The films of the singing or dancing teams of the mid-1930s—including Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (The Gay Divorcee, 1934; Top Hat, 1935; and others) and Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald (Naughty Marietta, 1935; Rose Marie, 1936; and others)—gradually came to replace the Berkeley spectacles in popularity.

scene from The Wizard of Oz — scene from *The Wizard of Oz*(From left) the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), the Tin Man (Jack Haley), the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), Dorothy (Judy Garland), and the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) in *The Wizard of Oz* (1939).

Judy Garland and Fred Astaire in Easter Parade — Judy Garland and Fred Astaire in *Easter Parade*Judy Garland and Fred Astaire in *Easter Parade* (1948).

Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain — Gene Kelly in *Singin' in the Rain*Gene Kelly in *Singin' in the Rain* (1952), directed by Kelly and Stanley Donen.

The musicals of the late ’30s and early ’40s, including The Wizard of Oz (1939), Babes on Broadway (1941), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), all starring Judy Garland; Cover Girl (1944), starring Gene Kelly and Rita Hayworth; and the sentimental Going My Way (1944), starring the popular singer Bing Crosby, showed evidence of the trend toward greater unification of plot and music. Well-remembered films from the immediate post-World War II period are Easter Parade (1948); An American in Paris (1951) and Singin’ in the Rain (1952), both starring Gene Kelly; and Kiss Me, Kate (1953).

By the mid-1950s the demand for original musical films was declining, although film adaptations of a number of Broadway hits such as Oklahoma! (1955), Guys and Dolls (1955), South Pacific (1958), The King and I (1956), West Side Story (1961), My Fair Lady (1964), The Sound of Music (1965), Camelot (1967), and Hello, Dolly! (1969) were great box office successes.

*Cabaret*Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey in *Cabaret* (1972), the film version of a Kander and Ebb musical.

scene from Chicago — scene from *Chicago*Catherine Zeta-Jones in *Chicago* (2002).

There was also a growing subtlety in musicals, as in the French film The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964; Les Parapluies de Cherbourg); a tendency to use the musical to exploit the appeal of a popular singing star, as in the many films of Elvis Presley; and experimentation with the merging of innovative popular music and filmmaking techniques, as in the pictures of the English singing group the Beatles. In the late 1960s and early ’70s the musical suffered a decline in both popularity and artistry, despite the occasional success of such films as Bob Fosse’s Cabaret (1972). Later it was the music itself—rock, disco, or classical—that inspired the production of such films as Saturday Night Fever (1978), Grease (1978), Flashdance (1983), and Amadeus (1984). See also musical.

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