Roadshow! The Decline of the Movie Musical
by mjm2273 | created - 05 Dec 2017 | updated - 01 Jul 2022 | Publicfrom 1964 to around 1978 the majority of film musicals were presented in a “roadshow” format with overture, intermission and exit music. This format had only been used for big budget epics (i.e. Gone with the Wind, Ben Hur, How the West Was Won, Spartacus, etc,) and in the early days of the talkies with the “all star” musical revues. Success of the musical roadshow format varied and audience response could lead to the film being drastically re-edited. With the successes of non roadshow musicals like Cabaret and Grease, the format was abandoned by the end of the decade,
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1. My Fair Lady (1964)
G | 170 min | Drama, Family, Musical
In 1910s London, snobbish phonetics professor Henry Higgins agrees to a wager that he can make crude flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, presentable in high society.
Director: George Cukor | Stars: Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway, Wilfrid Hyde-White
Votes: 101,896 | Gross: $72.00M
2. The Sound of Music (1965)
G | 172 min | Biography, Drama, Family
A young novice is sent by her convent in 1930s Austria to become a governess to the seven children of a widowed naval officer.
Director: Robert Wise | Stars: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker, Richard Haydn
Votes: 261,284 | Gross: $163.21M
3. Camelot (1967)
G | 179 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
The story of the marriage of England's King Arthur to Guinevere. The plot of illegitimate Mordred to gain the throne and Guinevere's growing attachment to Sir Lancelot, threaten to topple Arthur and destroy his "round table" of knights.
Director: Joshua Logan | Stars: Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave, Franco Nero, David Hemmings
Votes: 7,484 | Gross: $31.10M
4. Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967)
G | 138 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
In New York City during the Roaring Twenties, would-be flapper Millie Dillmount's self-appointed mission to marry her boss is complicated by white slavers and true love.
Director: George Roy Hill | Stars: Julie Andrews, James Fox, Mary Tyler Moore, Carol Channing
Votes: 7,042 | Gross: $34.34M
5. The Happiest Millionaire (1967)
Approved | 141 min | Comedy, Family, Musical
Clever yet hapless new butler John Lawless manages a Philadelphia household for quirky and joyful millionaire Anthony Drexel Biddle, his unflappable wife, Cordelia, and their spitfire daughter, Cordy.
Director: Norman Tokar | Stars: Fred MacMurray, Tommy Steele, Greer Garson, Gladys Cooper
Votes: 2,431
6. Doctor Dolittle (1967)
Approved | 152 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
After the animal communicating veterinarian goes too far for his clientele, he and his friends escape their hometown to the sea in search of the Great Pink Sea Snail.
Director: Richard Fleischer | Stars: Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley, Richard Attenborough
Votes: 10,273 | Gross: $13.52M
7. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)
Approved | 121 min | Comedy, Musical
Armed with the titular manual, an ambitious window washer seeks to climb the corporate ladder.
Director: David Swift | Stars: Robert Morse, Michele Lee, Rudy Vallee, Anthony 'Scooter' Teague
Votes: 5,148 | Gross: $6.32M
8. Half a Sixpence (1967)
Not Rated | 143 min | Musical
Arthur Kipps, an orphan apprenticed to a tyrannical owner of a mercantile, has a sudden abrupt change of life when his wealthy grandfather dies and leaves him a pile of money.
Director: George Sidney | Stars: Tommy Steele, Julia Foster, Cyril Ritchard, Penelope Horner
Votes: 896
9. Star! (1968)
G | 176 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
A musical biography of Gertrude Lawrence, who led a hustling and bustling life on the stage.
Director: Robert Wise | Stars: Julie Andrews, Richard Crenna, Michael Craig, Daniel Massey
Votes: 2,272 | Gross: $9.16M
10. Finian's Rainbow (1968)
G | 141 min | Family, Fantasy, Musical
An Irish immigrant and his daughter move into a town in the American South with a magical piece of gold that will change people's lives, including a struggling farmer and African American citizens threatened by a bigoted politician.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Fred Astaire, Petula Clark, Tommy Steele, Don Francks
Votes: 4,184 | Gross: $11.60M
11. Funny Girl (1968)
G | 151 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
The life of Fanny Brice, famed comedienne and entertainer of the early 1900s. We see her rise to fame as a Ziegfeld girl, subsequent career, and her personal life, particularly her relationship with Nick Arnstein.
Director: William Wyler | Stars: Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford, Anne Francis
Votes: 25,185 | Gross: $58.50M
12. Sweet Charity (1969)
G | 149 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
Taxi dancer Charity continues to have faith despite endless disappointments at its hands, and hope that she will finally meet the man to romance her away from her sleazy life. Maybe, just maybe, handsome Oscar will be the one to do it.
Director: Bob Fosse | Stars: Shirley MacLaine, John McMartin, Ricardo Montalban, Sammy Davis Jr.
Votes: 6,755 | Gross: $3.43M
13. Oliver! (1968)
G | 153 min | Drama, Family, Musical
After being sold to a mortician, young orphan Oliver Twist runs away and meets a group of boys trained to be pickpockets by an elderly mentor in 1830s London.
Director: Carol Reed | Stars: Mark Lester, Ron Moody, Shani Wallis, Oliver Reed
Votes: 41,434 | Gross: $16.80M
14. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
G | 144 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
A down-on-his-luck inventor turns a broken-down Grand Prix car into a fancy vehicle for his children, and then they go off on a magical fantasy adventure to save their grandfather in a far-off land.
Director: Ken Hughes | Stars: Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Benny Hill
Votes: 50,744 | Gross: $7.50M
15. The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968)
Passed | 110 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
The eleven members of the Bower family move to Dakota Territory.
Director: Michael O'Herlihy | Stars: Walter Brennan, Buddy Ebsen, Lesley Ann Warren, John Davidson
Votes: 1,036
16. Hello, Dolly! (1969)
G | 146 min | Adventure, Comedy, Musical
Matchmaker Dolly Levi travels to Yonkers to find a partner for "half-a-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder, convincing his niece, his niece's intended, and his two clerks to travel to New York City along the way.
Director: Gene Kelly | Stars: Barbra Streisand, Walter Matthau, Michael Crawford, Marianne McAndrew
Votes: 16,981 | Gross: $7.24M
17. Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969)
G | 155 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
A shy, withdrawn English schoolteacher falls for a flashy showgirl.
Director: Herbert Ross | Stars: Peter O'Toole, Petula Clark, Michael Redgrave, George Baker
Votes: 3,837 | Gross: $2.55M
18. Paint Your Wagon (1969)
PG-13 | 164 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical
Two unlikely prospector partners share the same wife in a California gold rush mining town.
Director: Joshua Logan | Stars: Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood, Jean Seberg, Harve Presnell
Votes: 14,890 | Gross: $31.68M
19. Oh! What a Lovely War (1969)
G | 144 min | Comedy, Musical, War
The working-class Smiths change their initially sunny views on World War I after the three boys of the family witness the harsh reality of trench warfare.
Director: Richard Attenborough | Stars: Wendy Allnutt, Colin Farrell, Malcolm McFee, John Rae
Votes: 3,259 | Gross: $0.80M
20. Song of Norway (1970)
G | 138 min | Biography, Drama, Musical
Based on the life of Norway's greatest composer Edvard Grieg, and filmed in Norway where he lived. The soundtrack is all Edvard Grieg's music with added lyrics.
Director: Andrew L. Stone | Stars: Florence Henderson, Toralv Maurstad, Christina Schollin, Frank Porretta
Votes: 510 | Gross: $3.72M
21. Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? (1969)
X | 107 min | Comedy, Musical
Heironymus Merkin (Anthony Newley) screens an autobiographical movie of his life, growth, and moral decay.
Directors: Anthony Newley, Richard Williams | Stars: Anthony Newley, Joan Collins, Alexander Newley, Tara Newley Arkle
Votes: 413
22. On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970)
G | 129 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A troubled young woman who visits a psychotherapist to help her quit smoking undergoes hypnosis and finds herself reliving a tragic Victorian romance from a past life.
Director: Vincente Minnelli | Stars: Barbra Streisand, Yves Montand, Bob Newhart, Larry Blyden
Votes: 4,283 | Gross: $14.00M
23. Darling Lili (1970)
G | 136 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical
Set during World War I, this movie is a cute spin on the Mata Hari legend.
Director: Blake Edwards | Stars: Julie Andrews, Rock Hudson, Jeremy Kemp, Lance Percival
Votes: 2,381 | Gross: $2.59M
24. Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
G | 181 min | Drama, Family, Musical
In pre-revolutionary Russia, a Jewish peasant with traditional values contends with marrying off three of his daughters with modern romantic ideals while growing anti-Semitic sentiment threatens his village.
Director: Norman Jewison | Stars: Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon
Votes: 47,908 | Gross: $80.50M
25. Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
G | 117 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
An apprentice witch, three kids and a cynical magician conman search for the missing component to a magic spell to be used in the defense of Britain in World War II.
Directors: Robert Stevenson, Ward Kimball | Stars: Angela Lansbury, David Tomlinson, Roddy McDowall, Sam Jaffe
Votes: 40,748 | Gross: $18.53M
26. The Boy Friend (1971)
G | 137 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
When the leading lady of a low-budget musical revue sprains her ankle, the assistant stage manager is forced to understudy and perform in her place, becoming a star and finding love in the process.
Director: Ken Russell | Stars: Twiggy, Christopher Gable, Max Adrian, Bryan Pringle
Votes: 3,589
27. The Great Waltz (1972)
G | 135 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Composer Johann Strauss becomes the "Waltz-King" and woos a baron's mistress in 19th-century Austria.
Director: Andrew L. Stone | Stars: Horst Buchholz, Mary Costa, Nigel Patrick, Yvonne Mitchell
Votes: 285 | Gross: $0.89M
28. Man of La Mancha (1972)
PG | 132 min | Drama, Fantasy, Musical
The funny story of mad but kind and chivalrous elderly nobleman Don Quixote who, aided by his squire Sancho Panza, fights windmills that are seen as dragons to save prostitute Dulcinea who is seen as a noblewoman.
Director: Arthur Hiller | Stars: Peter O'Toole, Sophia Loren, James Coco, Harry Andrews
Votes: 4,784 | Gross: $3.79M
29. 1776 (1972)
G | 141 min | Drama, Family, History
A musical retelling of the American Revolution's political struggle in the Continental Congress to declare independence.
Director: Peter H. Hunt | Stars: William Daniels, Howard Da Silva, Ken Howard, Donald Madden
Votes: 10,305 | Gross: $6.10M
30. Tom Sawyer (1973)
G | 103 min | Adventure, Musical, Family
Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn investigate a suspicious graveyard murder and more in this musical version of Mark Twain's novel.
Director: Don Taylor | Stars: Johnny Whitaker, Celeste Holm, Warren Oates, Jeff East
Votes: 2,598
31. Lost Horizon (1973)
G | 150 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
While escaping war-torn China, a group of Europeans crash in the Himalayas, where they are rescued and taken to the mysterious Valley of the Blue Moon, Shangri-La.
Director: Charles Jarrott | Stars: Peter Finch, Liv Ullmann, Sally Kellerman, George Kennedy
Votes: 2,859 | Gross: $8.28M
32. Huckleberry Finn (1974)
G | 118 min | Adventure, Family, Musical
In 1840s Missouri, young Huckleberry Finn, wanting to escape his violent drunkard father, joins Black runaway slave Jim on a quest for freedom down the Mississippi River on a raft.
Director: J. Lee Thompson | Stars: Jeff East, Paul Winfield, Harvey Korman, David Wayne
Votes: 705 | Gross: $0.42M
33. Mame (1974)
PG | 132 min | Comedy, Musical
Following the death of his father, an orphan is sent to live with his free-spirited aunt.
Director: Gene Saks | Stars: Lucille Ball, Robert Preston, Bea Arthur, Bruce Davison
Votes: 3,456
34. Funny Lady (1975)
PG | 136 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
Story of singer Fanny Brice's stormy relationship with showman Billy Rose.
Director: Herbert Ross | Stars: Barbra Streisand, James Caan, Omar Sharif, Roddy McDowall
Votes: 5,960 | Gross: $40.06M
35. Mr. Quilp (1975)
G | 118 min | Musical
A kindly shop owner whose overwhelming gambling debts allow a greedy landlord to seize his shop of dusty treasures. Evicted and with no way to pay his debts, he and his granddaughter flee.
Director: Michael Tuchner | Stars: Anthony Newley, David Hemmings, David Warner, Michael Hordern
Votes: 89
36. At Long Last Love (1975)
G | 118 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
Four socialite old friends unexpectedly clash, and switch partners during a party and attempt to make each other jealous.
Director: Peter Bogdanovich | Stars: Burt Reynolds, Cybill Shepherd, Madeline Kahn, Duilio Del Prete
Votes: 1,400 | Gross: $3.27M
37. A Star Is Born (1976)
R | 139 min | Drama, Music, Romance
A has-been rock star falls in love with a young, up-and-coming songstress.
Director: Frank Pierson | Stars: Barbra Streisand, Kris Kristofferson, Gary Busey, Oliver Clark
Votes: 13,187 | Gross: $80.00M
38. Pete's Dragon (1977)
G | 128 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
An orphan boy and his magical dragon come to town with his abusive adoptive parents in pursuit.
Directors: Don Chaffey, Don Bluth | Stars: Sean Marshall, Helen Reddy, Jim Dale, Mickey Rooney
Votes: 26,538 | Gross: $40.10M
39. New York, New York (1977)
PG | 155 min | Drama, Music, Musical
An egotistical saxophonist and a young lounge singer meet on VJ Day and embark upon a strained and rocky romance, even as their careers begin a long, uphill climb.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Liza Minnelli, Robert De Niro, Lionel Stander, Barry Primus
Votes: 21,904 | Gross: $16.40M
40. The Wiz (1978)
G | 134 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross
Votes: 17,063 | Gross: $21.05M
41. The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella (1976)
G | 127 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
A musical retelling of the classic tale of Cinderella. In the tiny kingdom of Euphrania, the King and his court are anxious to get Prince Edward wed. But Edward wants to marry for love.
Director: Bryan Forbes | Stars: Sherrie Hewson, John Turner, Rosalind Ayres, Keith Skinner
Votes: 3,172
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