Movie musicals hit the peak of their popularity in the fifties. Major studios created an active production schedule and during the early and mid-fifties more than two dozen musicals were turned out each year. A new musical was released every two weeks!
MGM was the most productive and innovative in story, music, and dance and their 1952 film ‘Singing in the Rain’ is considered the quintessential Hollywood musical movie. Here are fifty of the best Hollywood musicals of the decade:
Annie Get Your Gun MGM 1950
Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Keenan Wynn, Louis Calhern
Music & lyrics by Irving Berlin
There’s No Business Like Show Business (Hutton, Keel, Wynn, Calhern).
Summer Stock MGM 1950
Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Phil Silvers, Gloria De Haven, Eddie Bracken
Music & lyrics by Harry Warren, Jack Brooks, and Saul Chaplin
Get Happy, written by Harold Arlen & Ted Koehler (Garland);
If You Feel Like Singing, Sing (Garland).
On the Town MGM 1950
Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin, Vera-Ellen, Ann Miller, Betty Garrett
Music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Betty Comden & Adolph Green
New York, New York (Kelly, Sinatra, Munshin).
Tea for Two Warner Brothers 1950
Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Gene Nelson, Eve Arden, Billy De Wolfe, S.Z. Sakall
(popular music standards)
Tea for Two, I Want to Be Happy, No, No Nanette, Charleston, I Only Have Eyes for You.
Three Little Words MGM 1950
Fred Astaire, Red Skelton, Vera-Ellen, Phil Regan, Debbie Reynolds
Music & lyrics by Bert Kalmar & Harry Ruby
Three Little Words (Astaire, Skelton, Vera-Ellen); You Are My Lucky Star (Regan);
I Wanna Be Loved By You, Boop-Boop-a-Doop (Reynolds dubbed by Helen Kane).
The Toast of New Orleans MGM 1950
Mario Lanza, Kathryn Grayson, David Niven, James Mitchell, Rita Moreno
(operatic standards)
Be My Love, written by Nicholas Brodszky & Sammy Cahn (Lanza, Grayson).
Young Man with a Horn Warner Brothers 1950
Kirk Douglas (with trumpet dubbed by Harry James), Doris Day, Lauren Bacall
(1920’s and 1930’s music)
Lullaby of Broadway, Too Marvelous for Words, I Only Have Eyes for You (Day).
Two Weeks with Love MGM 1950
Jane Powell, Ricardo Montalban, Debbie Reynolds, Carleton Carpenter
(turn-of-the-century music)
The Oceana Roll (Powell); Aba Daba Honeymoon (Reynolds, Carpenter).
Show Boat MGM 1951
Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ava Gardner, Marge & Gower Champion
Music & lyrics by Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein II
Make Believe (Keel, Grayson); Old Man River (William Warfield).
An American in Paris MGM 1951
Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, Georges Guetary
Music & lyrics by George & Ira Gershwin
I Got Rhythm (Kelly); American in Paris (ballet – Kelly, Caron).
Royal Wedding MGM 1951
Fred Astaire, Jane Powell, Peter Lawford, Sarah Churchill
Music & lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner & Burton Lane
Too Late Now (Powell); You’re All The World To Me (Astaire, dancing on the walls and ceiling).
On Moonlight Bay Warner Brothers 1951
Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Leon Ames, Rosemary De Camp, Mary Wickes
(period music standards)
On Moonlight Bay, written by Percy Wenrich & Edward Madden (Day, MacRae).
The Great Caruso MGM 1951
Mario Lanza, Ann Blythe, Dorothy Kirsten
(various operatic extracts)
The Loveliest Night of the Year, adapted from Juventino Rosas’ Over the Waves, lyrics by Paul Francis Webster.
Here Comes the Groom Paramount 1951
Bing Crosby, Jane Wyman, Anna Maria Alberghetti, Dorothy Lamour, Phil Harris
Music & lyrics by Johnny Mercer & Hoagy Carmichael
In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening (Crosby, Wyman).
With a Song in My Heart 20th Century Fox 1952
Susan Hayward (vocals dubbed by Jane Froman herself), David Wayne, Rory Calhoun
(Jane Froman Standards)
With a Song in My Heart, Blue Moon, Tea for Two (Hayward dubbed by Froman).
Singin’ in the Rain MGM 1952
Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O’Connor, Cyd Charisse, Jean Hagen
Music & lyrics by Arthur Freed & Nacio Herb Brown
Singin’ in the Rain (Kelly); Good Morning (Kelly, Reynolds, O’Connor); Make ‘Em Laugh (O’Connor).
Hans Christian Andersen RKO 1952
Danny Kaye, Jeanmaire, Joey Walsh, Farley Granger, Roland Petit
Music & lyrics by Frank Loesser
Anywhere I Wander, No Two People, Thumbelina, The Ugly Duckling (Kaye).
Stars and Stripes Forever 20th Century Fox 1952
Clifton Webb, Robert Wagner, Debra Paget
(John Phillip Sousa music)
Stars and Strips Forever, El Capitan, Washington Post March, King Cotton.
Call Me Madam 20th Century Fox 1953
Ethel Merman, Donald O’Connor, Vera-Ellen, George Sanders, Billy De Wolfe
Music & lyrics by Irving Berlin
Hostess With the Mostest (Merman); You’re Just in Love (Merman, O’Connor).
Calamity Jane Warner Brothers 1953
Doris Day, Howard Keel, Allyn McLerie, Philip Carey
Music & lyrics by Sammy Fain & Paul Francis Webster
Secret Love (Day); The Deadwood Stage (Day); Black Hills of Dakota (Day).
Kiss Me Kate MGM (in 3D) 1953
Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, Keenan Wynn, Bobby Van
Music & lyrics by Cole Porter
So In Love (Grayson, Keel); Wunderbar (Grayson, Keel); Too Darn Hot (Miller).
The Band Wagon MGM 1953
Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Jack Buchanan, Nanette Fabray, Oscar Levant
Music & lyrics by Howard Dietz & Arthur Schwartz
That’s Entertainment (entire cast); Dancing in the Dark (Astaire, Charisse, dubbed by India Adams).
By the Light of the Silvery Moon Warner Brothers 1953
Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Leon Ames, Rosemary De Camp, Mary Wickes
(period music standards)
By the Light of the Silvery Moon, Ain’t We Got Fun (Day, MacRae).
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 20th Century Fox 1953
Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, Elliot Reid, Tommy Noonan, Charles Coburn
Music & lyrics by Jule Styne & Leo Robin
Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend (Monroe); Little Girl from Little Rock (Monroe, Russell).
White Christmas Paramount (in VistaVision) 1954
Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen
Music & lyrics by Irving Berlin
White Christmas (Crosby, Kaye, Clooney, Vera-Ellen); Sisters (Clooney, Vera-Ellen).
The Glenn Miller Story Universal International 1954
Jimmy Stewart, June Allyson, Louis Armstrong, Gene Krupa, Francis Langford
(Big Band era music)
Moonlight Serenade, written by Mitchell Parish & Glenn Miller;
In the Mood, written by Andy Razaf & Joe Garland.
Lucky Me Warner Brothers 1954
Doris Day, Robert Cummings, Phil Silvers, Eddie Foy Jr., Nancy Walker, Martha Hyer
Music & lyrics by Sammy Fain & Paul Francis Webster
I Speak to the Stars, Bluebells of Broadway, I Wanna Sing Like an Angel (Day).
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers MGM 1954
Jane Powell, Howard Keel, Russ Tamblyn, Julie Newmar, Virginia Gibson
Music & lyrics by Gene DePaul & Johnny Mercer
Goin’ Courtin’ (Powell and the brothers); Lonesome Polecat (the brothers); Wonderful Day (Powell).
A Star is Born Warner Brothers 1954
Judy Garland, James Mason, Charles Bickford, Tom Noonan
Music & lyrics by Harold Arlen & Ira Gershwin
The Man That Got Away (Garland); Born in a Trunk (Garland).
There’s No Business Like Show Business 20th Century Fox 1954
Dan Daily, Ethel Merman, Marilyn Monroe, Donald O’Connor,
Mitzi Gaynor, Johnnie Ray
Music & lyrics by Irving Berlin
There’s No Business Like Show Business (entire cast); Heat Wave (Monroe).
Young At Heart Warner Brothers 1955
Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, Gig Young, Dorothy Malone, Ethel Barrymore
music & lyrics from various writers
Young at Heart, written by Johnny Richards & Carolyn Leigh (Sinatra); Ready, Willing and Able, written by Floyd Huddleston & Al Rinker (Day); One for My Baby, written by Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer (Sinatra).
Hit the Deck MGM 1955
Jane Powell, Vic Damone, Ann Miller, Tony Martin, Debbie Reynolds, Russ Tamblyn
Music & lyrics by Leo Robin and Vincent Youmans
Sometimes I Happy (Powell, Damone); Hallelujah (entire cast).
Guys And Dolls Samuel Goldwyn 1955
Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Jean Simmons, Vivian Blaine, Stubby Kaye
Music & lyrics by Jo Swerling, Abe Burrows, & Frank Loesser
Luck Be a Lady (Brando); Guys and Dolls (Brando, Sinatra); Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat (Kaye).
Kismet MGM 1955
Howard Keel, Ann Blyth, Vic Damone, Delores Gray, Sebastian Cabot
Music & lyrics by Bob Wright and Chet Forrest
Stranger in Paradise (Damone, Blyth); Baubles, Bangles, and Beads (Chorus).
Oklahoma 20th Century Fox 1955
Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones, Gene Nelson, Gloria Graham
Music & lyrics by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II
Oh What a Beautiful Morning (MacRae); I Cain’t Say No (Graham).
Love Me or Leave Me MGM 1955
Doris Day, James Cagney, Cameron Mitchell
(Singer Ruth Etting’s 20s and 30s music standards)
Love Me or Leave Me (Day); I’ll Never Stop Loving You, written by Nicholas Brodszky & Sammy Cahn (Day).
The King and I 20th Century Fox 1956
Yul Brynner, Deborah Kerr (vocals dubbed by Marni Nixon), Rita Moreno
Music & lyrics by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II
Getting to Know You (Kerr, dubbed by Nixon); Shall We Dance (Brynner, Kerr, dubbed by Nixon).
The Court Jester Paramount 1956
Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Angela Lansbury, Basil Rathbone, Mildred Natwick
Music & lyrics by Sylvia Fine & Sammy Cahn
Life Could Not Better Be, Outfox the Fox (Kaye).
High Society MGM 1956
Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelley, Louis Armstrong, Celeste Holm
Music & lyrics by Cole Porter
True Love (Crosby, Kelly); Now You Has Jazz (Crosby, Armstrong);
Well Did You Evah (Crosby, Sinatra).
Bundle of Joy RKO 1956
Eddie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds, Nita Talbot, Tommy Noonan
Music & lyrics by Josef Myrow & Mack Gordon
Lullaby in Blue (Fisher, Reynolds); All About Love (Fisher); Someday Soon (Fisher).
Carousel 20th Century Fox 1956
Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones, Barbara Ruick, Claramae Turner
Music & lyrics by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II
You’ll Never Walk Alone (Turner); Soliloquy (MacRae); If I Loved You (Jones, MacRae).
Funny Face Paramount 1957
Fred Astaire, Audrey Hepburn, Kay Thompson
Music & lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin
S’Wonderful (Astaire, Hepburn); Clap Yo’ Hands (Astaire, Thompson).
Pal Joey Columbia 1957
Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth (vocals dubbed by Lu Ann Greer), Kim Novak
Music & lyrics by Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered (Sinatra, Hayworth, dubbed by Greer);
The Lady is a Tramp (Sinatra).
The Pajama Game Warner Brothers 1957
Doris Day, John Raitt, Carol Haney, Eddie Foy Jr., Reta Shaw
Music & lyrics by Richard Adler & Jerry Ross
Hey There (Raitt); I’m Not at All in Love (Day); Hernando’s Hidaway (Haney), Once-A-Year-Day (entire cast).
Jailhouse Rock MGM 1957
Elvis Presley, Judy Tyler, Mickey Shaughnessy
Music & lyrics by Jerry Lieber & Mike Stoller
Jailhouse Rock (Presley); Treat Me Nice (Presley); You’re So Square (Presley).
Silk Stockings MGM 1957
Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse (vocals dubbed by Carol Richards), Janis Paige
Music & lyrics by Cole Porter
Stereophonic Sound (Paige, Astaire); All of You (danced by Astaire and Charisse).
South Pacific 20th Century Fox 1958
Mitzi Gaynor, Rossano Brazzi (vocals dubbed by Giorgio Tozzi), Ray Walston,
Juanita Hall (vocals dubbed by Muriel Smith), John Kerr (vocals dubbed by Bill Lee)
Music & lyrics by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II
Some Enchanted Evening (Gaynor, Brazzi/Tozzi); Younger Than Springtime (Kerr/Lee);
Bali Ha’i (Hall/Smith); There is Nothing Like a Dame (Walston and sailors).
Gigi MGM 1958
Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan, Maurice Chevalier, Hermione Gingold, Isobel Jeans
Music & lyrics by Alan Jay Learner & Frederick Lowe
Gigi (Jourdan); I Remember It Well (Chevalier, Gingold).
Li’l Abner Paramount 1959
Peter Palmer, Leslie Parrish, Stubby Kaye, Stella Stevens, Julie Newmar
Music & lyrics by Gene DePaul & Johnny Mercer
Namely You (Palmer); I’m Past My Prime (Parrish); Jubilation T. Cornpone (Kaye).
Porgy and Bess Samuel Goldwyn 1959
Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Brock Peters, Sammy Davis Jr., Diahann Carroll, Pearl Bailey
Music & lyrics by George & Ira Gershwin
I Got Plenty O’ Nuthin’ (Poitier); It Ain’t Necessarily So (Davis).
In addition to the mainstream, traditional Hollywood musicals, there were several, hard-to-classify, ‘films-with-music’ in the fifties. The famous series of spontaneously zany ‘road’ pictures with Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour, continued with the 5th film in the series ‘Road to Bali’ in 1953. There were seventeen Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis movies-with-songs including ‘Jumping Jacks’ in 1952, ‘Scared Stiff’ and ‘The Caddy’ (that introduced Dean Martin’s hit song That’s Amore) in 1953, ‘Living It Up’ in 1954, ‘Artists and Models’ in 1955, and finally their 17th and last film together ‘Hollywood or Bust’ in 1956.
Walt Disney studios created memorable full-length animated musical films during the fifties: ‘Cinderella’ in 1950, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ in 1951, ‘Peter Pan’ in 1953, ‘Lady and the Tramp’ in 1954, and ‘Sleeping Beauty’ in 1959. You Can Fly, A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes and the spaghetti-sharing Bella Notte were all introduced in Disney films. Peggy Lee recorded the memorable He’s a Tramp from ‘Lady and the Tramp.’ The catchy tune Bibbidi-Bobbidi Boo from ‘Cinderella’ was a hit recording for Jo Stafford & Gordon MacRae and for Perry Como and for Dinah Shore.
Musicals targeted for teenagers-capitalizing on the popularity of young performers-have been popular since Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney starred in several in the thirties and forties. During the mid-fifties, studios featured teen favorites in movies like Elvis Presley’s ‘Love Me Tender’ in 1956, ‘Loving You’ and ‘Jailhouse Rock’ in 1957, and ‘King Creole’ in 1958. Pat Boone starred in ‘April Love’ in 1957 and ‘Mardi Gras’ in 1958. Not quite as successful were Tommy Sands’ ‘Sing Boy Sing’ in 1958, Fabian’s ‘Hound Dog Man’ in 1959, and Louis Prima and Keely Smith in ‘Hey Boy, Hey Girl’ in 1959. These musicals did help establish a younger-generation genre to appeal to the teenage moviegoer.
Perhaps the most unbelievable movie phenomenon in the fifties, was the success of Olympic swimmer Esther Williams and her musical ‘water’ spectaculars. Her fifties films included: ‘Pagan Love Song’ in 1950, ‘Million Dollar Mermaid’ and ‘Skirts Ahoy!’ in 1952, ‘Dangerous When Wet’ and ‘Easy To Love’ in 1953, and ‘Jupiter’s Darling’ in 1955.
Even with the addition of technical innovations like wide-screen Cinemascope, multi-speaker Stereophonic sound, and 3-D, the number of Hollywood musicals had dropped to just a dozen released annually by 1958 and 1959 and the number continued to decline. Although musical movies continued to be produced after 1959, the peak of the genre had passed.
More information about popular music from 1950s films can be found at the website 50sPopMusic.com or in the book “Remembering 1950s EASY-POP Songs and Singers” by Daniel Niemeyer.
