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Combining as it does the elements of drama, comedy, music, dance, photography, and design, the film musical is a unique and favored genre, with, it would seem, almost unlimited possibilities for artistic expression and satisfying entertainment. This potential has, at times, been realized with particular success. Some of the best-loved films in motion-picture history have been musicals. And, with the exception of several MGM originals and a few of the show-business biographies, the most admired musical films have been those adapted from the stage. Of the seven musicals that have won the Academy Award for Best Picture, four-West Side Story, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, and Oliver!-had their origins in the theatre.
However, the transfer of a production from stage to screen is, to say the least, a precarious affair. Many of Broadway's most successful shows have bombed on celluloid. Why does this happen?
In an attempt to answer that question, film writer Michael B. Druxman here provides an excellent survey of the movie musical, focusing on twenty-five musicals adapted from the stage. The films span three decades, and hits as well as flops are included.
What happens when a musical play is adapted from the stage to the screen? Should the resulting film be a carbon copy of the play, or is it better to utilize the screen's greater flexibility to create a new, original, and completely different work of art? Can one go too far in this direction, and by tampering with a script divest an established hit of the appealing qualities that made it popular in the first place? Or, is it true that, as Norman Jewison said in speaking of his enormously popular film, Fiddler on the Roof, "A bad musical film is one that sticks to the play"?
On the other hand, can a movie version that is too imaginative and opulent distract audiences from the plot and score and smother a production that was successful in the theatre? More specifically, how did the producers and/or directors of the films highlighted in this volume approach their material? How were the productions received? These and other important questions regarding movie musicals are dealt with extensively herein.
Some of the films treated at length are Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Oklahoma!, Guys and Dolls, Carousel, Pal Joey, Damn Yankees, Porgy and Bess, Gypsy, Finian's Rainbow, Cabaret, Man of La Mancha, and Jesus Christ Superstar. A full chapter is devoted to each film; plots, characters, songs, musical scores, stars (singers, actors, dancers), directors, producers, composers, costumes, sets, choreography-all are given their due. In addition to the twenty-five chapters on individual movies, there is a background introduction to the genre.
And, of course, there are photographs-over 200 of them! All the twenty-five musicals discussed in detail are well represented, but there are over 50 stills from other musical films as well-from The Vagabond King (1930) to Hair (1979).
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Read the first book and this 2nd one did not disappoint! Loved every chapter. More please!
Like it was written by George Santos
Received an Advanced Reader Copy from a friend. I am an avid true crime reader and upon completion I question if the author is credible. The timeline does not add up for his age and the times of his alleged involvement in organized crime. Some of the things in the book he is alleged to have said and done I remember almost word for word from movies I had previously watched. He literally stole a scene from the movie the accountant with Ben Affleck and said that he did it. I did a little research after completing the book and learned that this author was also claiming in 2010 that he was a long time member of the Bloods Gang. That coupled with the above leads me to believe that it is nothing more than fantasy. Do not waste your time or money
Like it was written by George Santos
Received an Advanced Reader Copy from a friend. I am an avid true crime reader and upon completion I question if the author is credible. The timeline does not add up for his age and the times of his alleged involvement in organized crime. Some of the things in the book he is alleged to have said and done I remember almost word for word from movies I had previously watched. He literally stole a scene from the movie the accountant with Ben Affleck and said that he did it. I did a little research after completing the book and learned that this author was also claiming in 2010 that he was a long time member of the Bloods Gang. That coupled with the above leads me to believe that it is nothing more than fantasy. Do not waste your time or money
What a difficult story to tell. I appreciate the honesty and vulnerability. Definitely made me think.
I had hopes for this book but was not expecting what I would read within the pages. If your kink is deplorable grammar, incoherent sentences, and inconsistent messages, then this book is for you. At first, I thought the book I received was not the book I ordered. But as I dived in, it was very confusing. I would not recommend this book to anyone
There are not many reviews on the internet for this book. In researching the many stores selling the book, it was self-published which makes a lot of sense. The online description is written perfectly, so reading the actual book was very difficult. Pages two and three are written clearly as well as the table of contents. Pages 155 and 156 are also written logically.
It appears this book was written, then sent through a program like “Grammarly.” Once completed it seems it was published without being re-read or edited. The first clue was the title narrative that used “Has” instead of “As.” The table of contents is one page off from what it shows on pages four though seven. Many of the “q’s” are written as “[]”
Below are some examples of what was within the pages of this book written verbatim:
“Chains & Discipline/ Domination & entry/ Sadism & Masochism (BDSM) is a wide classification of bed room play.” Page 9
“When bringing up the topic of chains, you are actually asking a person to offer you their depend on, their flexibility, and also possibly their suggestion of security in exchange for sensual/sexual enjoyment, power-play, and also feasible re-evaluation of your very own connection.” Page 39
“Techni[]ue can take a selection of kinds and also be as easy or facility as you pick to (new paragraph) bargain for your details scenario” Page 52
“BDSM stands for chains as well as entry, technique and also supremacy as well as sadism and also masochism.” Page 125
“SHELF means Risk Aware Consensual Kink.” Page 130
“Approval is whatever.” Page 152
“your twist isn’t my twist, yet your twist is OKAY.” Page 153
“You can be a top, base, or button” Page 153