Tag Archives: Harold Arlen

Essential Film Musicals: A Star Is Born

In 1950, MGM fired Judy Garland. A year later, Vicente Minnelli and she divorced. At a professional and personal nadir, her personal manager (and eventual third husband) Sid Luft engineered a comeback with concerts at the London Palladium and New … Continue reading

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Essential Film Musicals: An American in Paris

MGM’s Freed Unit, which began creating musical films in 1939 under producer Arthur Freed’s leadership, reached the peak of its creative and critical acclaim in 1951 with An American in Paris, which won the Oscar for Best Picture. Much of … Continue reading

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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

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Essential Film Musicals: The Wizard of Oz

After Disney’s Snow White showed that children’s stories could be profitable, MGM bought the rights to L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, about the adventures of Kansas farm girl Dorothy and her dog Toto in the … Continue reading

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Wonderful Wizard of Song Review Roundup

The Harold Arlen revue The Wonderful Wizard of Song has received mixed notices for its Off-Broadway premiere at St. Luke’s, where it has settled for an open-ended run after a national tour. The creative team includes George Bugatti (concept, book), … Continue reading

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