Dear Editor,
What a roll call of film musicals in “Nostalgia 370” by Godfrey Chin in your features in Sunday Stabroek of 13th January.
However, in the period concentrated on, my preference was for ‘horror’ films – Boris Karloff, Lon Cheney, Peter Lorre and Bela Lugosi. Lugosi played the role of Dracula in the early films, died of a heart attack in 1956 and was buried in one of his Dracula capes. I particularly liked the story that at his funeral Peter Lorre looked over at Vincent Price and asked, “Should we stick a stake in his heart just to be sure?”
The musicals Singing in the Rain and The Sound of Music appear to be hardy annuals and seem to appeal to every generation.
They are family films and over the Christmas holidays, both films were shown on British television to appreciative audiences, judging from recent radio interviews I have heard. I once saw a television interview given by Gene Kelly.
He said the song “Singing in the Rain” was already in existence and he was asked to choreograph a dance to fit. Hence, his magical performance. He also mentioned that when Cyd Charisse leapt into his arms, he nearly fell over and his shoulder was almost dislocated – she was tall, but did not look ‘that heavy’. I think James Cagney was a bit underrated as a dancer and his performance in the film Yankee Doodle Dandy was impressive. Richardo Mountalban, a fine Latin dancer, crossed over to acting – eventually – and was good, especially in ‘bad guy’ roles.
Short comic turns and dance routines in certain films stick in one’s mind. For me, one such is the ‘library scene’ in Grace Kelly’s last film High Society, when Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, glass in hand, did a little dance to the song “What a swell party this is.”
I do not know enough about musicals to “pick the best ever”, but, if I had to name my favourite musicals, my choice would be Lionel Bart’s Oliver (with Ron Moody, Oliver Reed, etc) and Fiddler on the Roof (with Topol in the lead role). These musicals carry a social commentary and the actors have stage presence.
Watching them perform, one was afraid to blink, in case one missed something. Topol has a larger-than-life personality and a very ‘rich’ voice.
Yours faithfully,
Geralda Dennison
