Tag Archives: Fats Waller

History of Musicals: First Golden Age

It’s been noted that the form of modern musical theater came from operetta, but its soul came from the music hall. This union of body and soul took place during the first two decades of the 20th century, beginning with … Continue reading

Posted in History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Essential Film Musicals: Yankee Doodle Dandy

“There’s little that’s really original,” Roger Ebert has said of the musical biopic Yankee Doodle Dandy. “The greatness of the film resides entirely in the Cagney performance.” In its 1942 review, Variety similarly noted, “James Cagney does a Cohan of … Continue reading

Posted in History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment