Why was the film version of Brigadoon controversial for some viewers?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Vincente Minnelli, seated at right, discusses a storyboard with actress Lana Turner, seated at left in costume, on the set of The Bad and the Beautiful. — Vincente Minnelli Vincente Minnelli (right) with Lana Turner (left) during the filming of *The Bad and the Beautiful* (1952).

The film version of Brigadoon (1954) faced controversy primarily due to the decision to replace the original stage choreography by Agnes de Mille. Gene Kelly, who starred in the film, chose to drop her work, a move that many viewers and critics felt contributed to the film's inability to recapture the magic of the original stage production.1

Additionally, while the story is set in the Scottish Highlands, the studio (MGM) required director Vincente Minnelli to film the production entirely within a studio setting rather than on location, which further distanced the film from the authentic atmosphere intended by the creators, Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe.1