As a cinephile who has spent countless hours immersed in the world of film, I must say that the evolution of musical films from ‘The Sound of Music’ to ‘Chicago’ is nothing short of captivating. Each film showcases a unique blend of talent, creativity, and storytelling that transports us to different eras and stories.
Over a span of about 96 years, ten musical films have been awarded the Academy’s highest honor, Best Picture. This tradition began with the first recipient, “The Broadway Melody” in 1929, and continues up to the latest winner, “Chicago”, which was honored in 2002.
During the 1950s and ’60s, musicals were particularly beloved, with six of them winning the prestigious best picture award during those two decades. Notable among these winners were timeless classics like “West Side Story,” “My Fair Lady,” and “The Sound of Music.
In summary, the Academy has put forward several popular musicals for the Best Picture award throughout its history, such as The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, and Funny Girl, which are now regarded as timeless classics. However, it’s worth noting that these three films did not win the top prize. The Wizard of Oz was surpassed by Gone With the Wind, while Mary Poppins and Funny Girl lost out to My Fair Lady and Oliver! respectively.
In the past two decades, a musical hasn’t won the Best Picture Oscar, but that doesn’t mean the genre has been overlooked by the Academy. For instance, Bradley Cooper’s remake of “A Star Is Born” was nominated for an award as recently as 2019.
Is it possible that another musical could take home the Best Picture award at the 2025 Oscars? Among the promising musical contenders this year are “Wicked”, “Emilia Pérez”, “Better Man”, “The End”, “Kneecap”, and “Mufasa: The Lion King” along with “Mean Girls”.
Below, take a look at the 10 movie musicals that have won best picture at the Oscars.
‘The Broadway Melody’ (1929)
As a devoted cinema enthusiast, I find myself drawn to the captivating tale of the Mahoney sisters, portrayed by Anita Page and Bessie Love. These dynamic performers are part of a vaudeville act aiming for stardom on Broadway. Yet, the plot thickens as they both fall for the same man, charmingly played by Charles King. This film was among the pioneers in musical cinema, boasting a Technicolor sequence, alas, all those prints have vanished, leaving us to relish it in black and white nowadays. The Broadway Melody, released in 1929, reigned supreme at the box office and even garnered Oscar nominations for Best Actress (Love) and Best Director (Harry Beaumont).
‘The Great Ziegfeld’ (1936)
The movie titled “The Great Ziegfeld” is a dramatized portrayal of the life of Flo Ziegfeld Jr., played by William Powell, as he established and thrived with his revue. This narrative takes us through his latter years. Actresses Luise Rainer and Myrna Loy portrayed fictionalized versions of Anna Held and Billie Burke in the film, with Burke also serving as an advisor on set. Performers from the actual “Ziegfeld Follies,” such as Fanny Brice and Harriet Hoctor, appeared in the movie in their real-life roles. The film was one of the most successful productions of the 1930s, boasting extravagant costumes, sets, and choreography. It won Oscars for Best Actress (Rainer), Best Dance Direction (Seymour Felix), and was nominated in four other categories: Best Director (Robert Z. Leonard), Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, and Best Writing, Original Story. MGM produced two more movies under the “Ziegfeld” banner, “Ziegfeld Girl” from 1941 with James Stewart and Judy Garland, and “Ziegfeld Follies” in 1946, directed by Vincente Minelli.
‘Going My Way’ (1944)
In the movie “Going My Way,” Bing Crosby portrays a young priest named Father O’Malley, who is relocated from a church in East St. Louis to one in New York. His approach conflicts with that of the seasoned priest, Father Fitzgibbon, played by Barry Fitzgerald. This film, released in 1944, was a massive box office success and won an impressive seven Oscars: best picture, best director (Leo McCarey), best actor (Crosby), best supporting actor (Fitzgerald), best screenplay (Frank Butler and Frank Cavett), best original motion picture story (McCarey) and best song for “Swinging on a Star” (Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke). Notably, Fitzgerald was nominated in both the best actor and best supporting actor categories for his performance; as a result, the Academy modified its rules to prevent such occurrences from happening again. Additionally, “Going My Way” earned nominations for best cinematography (Lionel Lindon) and best film editing (Leroy Stone).
‘An American in Paris’ (1951)
This movie features Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron, making her first appearance in films, as they portray three American characters searching for jobs in Paris. Two of these characters develop feelings for the same woman, played by Caron. The music was composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics penned by his brother Ira, while Johnny Green and Saul Chaplin also contributed to the music direction. Notably, a 17-minute dance sequence, without dialogue, was included, choreographed to the film’s title song, which cost a substantial $450,000 to produce in the 1950s. This movie garnered six Oscars: best story and screenplay (Alan Jay Lerner), best art direction in color (Cedric Gibbons, E. Preston Ames, Edwin B. Willis and F. Keogh Gleason), best cinematography in color (John Alton and Alfred Gilks), best costume design in color (Orry-Kelly, Walter Plunkett, and Irene Sharaff), and best scoring of a musical picture (Saul Chaplin and Johnny Green). Additionally, an honorary Oscar was awarded to Kelly that same year. Further nominations included best director (Vincente Minnelli) and best film editing (Adrienne Fazan).
‘Gigi’ (1958)
In the movie Gigi, Leslie Caron plays a young woman learning the ways of courtesanship who encounters a wealthy playboy named Louis Jourdan. This film, directed by Vincente Minnelli, was a remarkable success, winning in every one of its nine nominated categories – a record at the time. Not only did it win for Best Picture, but also for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, and Best Original Song for “Gigi.” The latter was written by Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner.
‘West Side Story’ (1961)
This screen adaptation of the stage musical, originally conceptualized by Jerome Robbins and featuring music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents, was directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, with a screenplay by Ernest Lehman. Set in 1957 New York City, it focuses on two rival teenage gangs – the Jets and the Sharks – and their tragic love story involving Tony, an ex-Jet who falls for Maria, sister of the Sharks’ leader. The film, which was the highest-grossing movie in 1961, garnered multiple Oscars, including best director (Robert Wise), best supporting actor (George Chakiris), best supporting actress (Rita Moreno), art direction – color, cinematography – color, costume design – color, film editing, scoring of a musical picture, and sounds. A new adaptation of the musical was released in 2021 by Steven Spielberg, based on a screenplay by Tony Kushner, and received seven Oscar nominations, with Ariana DeBose winning best supporting actress.
‘My Fair Lady’ (1964)
Over the years, several adaptations of this musical have been made, but the version we’re discussing was originally developed from the 1956 stage musical by lyricist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe. This version was inspired by George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 play Pygmalion. The film, penned by Alan Jay Lerner and directed by George Cukor, features Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle, a humble flower seller with a Cockney accent who captures the interest of phonetics professor Henry Higgins, portrayed by Rex Harrison. Intrigued, Higgins wagers that he can teach her to speak proper English. The movie was the top-earning film in 1964 and garnered several awards, including best director (George Cukor), best actor (Rex Harrison), best art direction in color, best cinematography in color, best costume design in color, best scoring of music – adaptation or treatment, and best sound.
‘The Sound of Music’ (1965)
The movie “The Sound of Music,” as depicted in Maria von Trapp’s 1949 memoir, revolves around Maria (portrayed by Julie Andrews), a woman contemplating becoming a nun, who takes on the role of nanny for a family of seven children. As the story unfolds, she develops affection for the children’s father, Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer, in his role). With the Captain ordered to join the German navy, the family decides to escape Austria instead of aligning with the Nazis. The film was directed by Robert Wise and adapted for the screen by Ernest Lehman, based on the 1959 stage musical that was musically composed by Richard Rodgers and lyrically written by Oscar Hammerstein II. Released in 1965, it was the highest-grossing film of the year. It also garnered awards for best direction (Robert Wise), best film editing (William H. Reynolds), best scoring (Irwin Kostal) and best sound (James Corcoran and Fred Hynes).
‘Oliver!’ (1968)
Under the direction of Carol Reed from a script by Vernon Harris, the film Oliver! was inspired by Lionel Bart’s 1960 stage musical, which was in turn based on Charles Dickens’ 1838 novel Oliver Twist. The story revolves around a band of orphans, among them Oliver (played by Mark Lester), who plead for their meals (“Please, sir, I want some more”). After being sold and then escaping to London, Oliver’s journey unfolds on the big screen. Notably, this film garnered Oscars for best direction (Carol Reed), best art direction (John Box, Terence Marsh, Vernon Dixon, and Ken Muggleston), best score of a musical picture – original or adapted (Johnny Green), best sound (Buster Ambler, John Cox, Jim Groom, Bob Jones, and Tony Dawe), and an honorary Oscar for Onna White.
‘Chicago’ (2002)
Thirty-four years after “Oliver!” was awarded the Best Picture, another musical earned this prestigious title with “Chicago”. Directed by Rob Marshall and starring Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere, it was an adaptation of Bob Fosse’s Broadway musical, which itself had been based on Maureen Dallas Watkins’ original play. Bill Condon crafted the screenplay, focusing on a pair of murderesses (Zellweger as a housewife and Zeta-Jones as a vaudeville star) who find themselves in prison, going on trial, and seeking fame. The film garnered Oscars for Best Supporting Actress (Zeta-Jones), Best Art Direction (John Myhre and Gordon Sim), Costume Design (Colleen Atwood), Film Editing (Martin Walsh), and Sound (Michael Minkler, Dominick Tavella, and David Lee).
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2024-10-22 00:55