Artie Shaw: Time Is All You've Got (1985), Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940), Stormy Weather (1943), Moon Over Miami (1941), The Benny Goodman Story (1955), New York, New York (1977), Ziegfeld Follies (1946), Hollywood Hotel (1937) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Big Band movies.
Storyline: Biography of clarinetist and bandleader Artie Shaw, one of the principal figures of the big band/jazz era of the late 1930s and 1940s. He discusses his constant need to seek new challenges, which led to numerous retirements and career changes including his foray into writing, which had long been his primary intention. He speaks about his difficulty in reconciling his fans' popular expectations with his personal, more esoteric musical ambitions. His many years of retreat from public life are also discussed, as well as his notorious series of unsuccessful marriages.—scgary66
Plot Keywords: documentary, music, biography, jazz, 20th century, musician, composer ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Johnny Brett and King Shaw are an unsuccessful dance team in New York. A producer discovers Brent as the new partner for Clare Bennett, but Brett, who thinks he is one of the people they lent money to gives him the name of his partner.—Stephan Eichenberg <eichenbe@fak-cbg.tu-muenchen.de>
Plot Keywords: musical, dance, romance, comedy, fred astaire, broadway, show business ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Dancing great Bill 'Williamson' sees his face on the cover of Theatre World magazine and reminisces: just back from World War I, he meets lovely singer Selina Rogers at a soldiers' ball and promises to come back to her when he "gets to be somebody." Years go by, and Bill and Selina's rising careers intersect only briefly, since Selina is unwilling to "settle down." Will she ever change her mind? Concludes with a big all-star show hosted by Cab Calloway.—Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Plot Keywords: musical, dance, show business, jazz, 1940s, classic hollywood, cabaret ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Kay, Barbara and Susan Latimer come into a small legacy when they expected a large one, then abandon the Texas greasy-spoon where they work to hunt in Miami for rich husbands, said to be plentiful there. Barbara and Susan posing as the secretary and maid of "wealthy" Kay, they check into a posh hotel, and soon Kay is in the delightful predicament of being pursued by two handsome, wealthy bachelors at once. But Musical Comedy Complications arise...—Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Plot Keywords: musical, romance, comedy, 1940s, florida, miami, beach ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: The young Benny Goodman is taught clarinet by a Chicago music professor. He is advised by bandleader Kid Ory to play whichever kind of music he likes best, but to make a living, Benny begins by joining the Ben Pollack traveling band.
Plot Keywords: musical biography, jazz, 1950s, hollywood, classic film, black and white, american film ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: The day WWII ends, Jimmy, a selfish and smooth-talking musician, meets Francine, a lounge singer. From that moment on, their relationship grows into love as they struggle with their careers and aim for the top.
Plot Keywords: musical, jazz, romance, drama, new york, 1970s, musical film ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: In heaven, showman Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. fondly recalls his first Broadway revue, the Ziegfeld Follies of 1907. Even from heaven, he is hoping that he can, for one last time, create that same magic by mounting one last follies. As he thinks about who he would like to appear in these follies, he is assisted in realizing his fantasy, at least in his own mind, by such luminaries as Fred Astaire, Edward Arnold, 'Lucille Ball', Marion Bell, Lucille Bremer, Fanny Brice, Cyd Charisse, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, James Melton, Victor Moore, Virginia O'Brien, Red Skelton, Esther Williams, Keenan Wynn, and, of course, a bevy of beautiful girls.—Huggo
Plot Keywords: musical, song and dance film, golden age of hollywood, broadway, all-star cast, color film, mgm ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Ronny Bowers, a saxophonist in Benny Goodman's band, has won a talent contest and a ten week contract with a film studio. On his first evening he is supposed to go with the studio's star Mona Marshall to a movie premiere. But this lady doesn't want to go, so the bosses decide to use for Mona a double, Virginia. When Mona finds out next morning that happened, she insisted to fire her double and Ronny. Ronny finds work as a singing waiter in a drive-in, and is spotted by a director of the same studio, who wants him to lend his voice for an leading actor in a musical. After the first screening the actor is invited by Louella Parsons to sing in her program "Hollywood Hotel". He accepts, but he doesn't know that Ronny Bowers does not want to lend him his voice again. So everybody starts to play his little game to solve his own problems.—Stephan Eichenberg <eichenbe@fak-cbg.tu-muenchen.de>
Plot Keywords: musical, comedy, romance, drama, classic, 1930s, hollywood ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Biographical movie about the early 20th century Broadway stars Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth.
Plot Keywords: musical, romance, comedy, drama, 1940s, classic, hollywood ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Champagne Waltz is one of five movies produced by Paramount in the 1930s featuring Gladys Swarthout, a very popular Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano. The studio was attempting to build on the popularity of Grace Moore, another opera singer, who had also expanded her talents into movies.
Plot Keywords: musical, comedy, romance, jazz, nightclub, dance, love story ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: Broadway producer Jonnie Demming courts big-name talent for his upcoming musical show, oblivious to the talent all around him, in his family and friends. When Jonnie finally lands Hollywood star Helen Hoyt for his cast, Helen herself tries opening Jonnie's eyes to the talents of his dad and sister. But Jonnie remains adamant. Will his family and friends launch their own show, in competition with Jonnie's?—Dan Navarro <daneldorado@yahoo.com>
Plot Keywords: musical, song and dance film, romance, comedy, hollywood, 1940s, classic ...
Movie Details Click Here !Storyline: A sailor (Van Johnson) from a rich family meets a nightclub-singing sister act (June Allyson, Gloria DeHaven) in wartime New York.
Plot Keywords: musical, romance, comedy, world war ii, 1940s, mgm, jazz ...
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