The Movie Musical!, Jeanine Basinger
The Movie Musical!, Jeanine Basinger
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The Movie Musical!

Author: Jeanine Basinger

Narrator: Erin Bennett

Unabridged: 24 hr 20 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/05/2019


Synopsis

Irresistible and authoritative, The Movie Musical! is an in-depth look at the singing, dancing, happy-making world of Hollywood musicals--an essential audiobook for anyone who's ever laughed, cried, or sung along at the movies.

Leading film historian Jeanine Basinger reveals, with her trademark wit and zest, the whole story of the Hollywood musical--in the most telling, most incisive, most detailed, book of her long and remarkable career.
     From Fred Astaire, whom she adores, to La La Land, which she deplores, Basinger examines a dazzling array of stars, strategies, talents, and innovations in the history of musical cinema. Whether analyzing a classic Gene Kelly routine, relishing a Nelson-Jeanette operetta, or touting a dynamic hip hop number (in the underrated Idlewild), she is a canny and charismatic guide to the many ways that song and dance have been seen--and heard--on film.
     With extensive portraits of everyone from Al Jolson, the Jazz Singer; to Doris Day, whose iconic sunniness has overshadowed her dramatic talents; from Deanna Durbin, that lovable teen-star of the '30s and '40s; to Shirley T. and Judy G.; from Bing to Frank to Elvis; from Ann Miller to Ann-Margret; from Disney to Chicago . . . focusing on many beloved, iconic films (Top Hat; Singin' in the Rain; Meet Me in St. Louis; The Sound of Music) as well as unduly obscure gems (Eddie Cantor's Whoopee!; Murder at the Vanities; Sun Valley Serenade; One from the Heart), this book is astute, informative, and pure pleasure to read.

About The Author

JEANINE BASINGER is the founder of the department of film studies at Wesleyan University and the curator of the cinema archives there. She has written eleven other books on film, including I Do and I Don't; The Star Machine; A Woman's View; Silent Stars, winner of the William K. Everson Film History Award; Anthony Mann; The World War II Combat Film; and American Cinema: One Hundred Years of Filmmaking, the companion book for a ten-part PBS series. She lives in Middletown, CT, Madison, WI, and Brookings, SD.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Lisa on December 22, 2019

This is not the coffee table book I was expecting. It’s a text heavy book. There were photos, some B & W and some color, but not nearly enough for my taste. Like the author, I grew up on and loved musicals, but not the early ones she did. In 1964, during the summer living in NYC I saw about 30 of the......more

Goodreads review by carrietracy on January 06, 2022

The brightly colored cover featuring Gene Kelly sells a book full of all of the joy of the musical. What lurks beneath is a dense text that feels academic in tone rather than accessible and seems bogged down in minutiae and technical competency. Rather than delve into famed musical classics (or their......more

Goodreads review by Susan on March 08, 2020

This is the second book about movies by this author I've read.** Like her other book, this contains a ton of information, but it's almost like you are reading a transcript of a talk. Full of editorial comment so everything is heavily colored by her opinion. Which makes it probably less dry and more......more


Quotes

"An in-depth look at the Hollywood musical ... lively and informative ... the author is the perfect guide ... movie buffs and film students alike will applaud this delightful and insightful work."--Library Journal (starred review)"A lively history ... an essential addition to any film lover's library."--Kirkus"Exhilarating ... informative and insightful ... monumental."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)