Easy To Love (1953) ***

An Esther Williams musical with an exhilaratingly spectacular water-ski finale by Busby Berkeley. Songs include:

"Didja Ever" **
"Look Out! I'M Romantic" *
"Coquette" *
"Easy To Love" **
"That's What A Rainy Day Is For" *

Small Town Girl (1953) ***

Pleasant musical about a millionaire playboy courting a judge’s daughter (Jane Powell). Musical numbers:

"Lullaby of the Lord" *
"Fine Fine Fine" **
"Small Towns Are Smile Towns" *
"Take Me To Broadway" **
"The Fellow I’d Follow" *
"I’ve Got To Hear That Beat" ***
"My Flaming Heart" **
"Take Me To Broadway" (reprise) ***
"My Gaucho" **

Million Dollar Mermaid (1952) ***

Musical biopic about the life of Annette Kellerman, played by Esther Williams.

Two Weeks With Love (1950) ***

Jane Powell is as delightful as ever, but it's Debbie Reynolds who steals the show as her younger sister in this nostalgic musical set in the Catskills. Musical numbers include:

"A Heart That's Free"  **
"That's How I Need You"  *
"The Oceana Roll"  ***
"Aba Daba Honeymoon"  **
"By The Light Of The Silvery Moon"  **
"Beautiful Lady"
"My Hero"  **
"Row Row Row"  **

Take Me Out To The Ball Game (1949) ***

A baseball musical. It's always a pleasure to see Frank Sinatra with Gene Kelly, but Esther Williams should have taken a few more plunges into the swimming pool. Wet, she's a star. Dry, she ain't. Songs:

"Take Me Out To The Ball Game" **
"Yes Indeedy" **
"O'Brien To Ryan To Goldberg" **
"Take Me Out To The Ball Game" (reprise) *
"The Right Girl For Me" *
"It's Fate, Baby, It's Fate" *
"Strictly USA" *
"The Hat My Father Wore On St Patrick's Day" *
"Strictly USA" (reprise) *

Romance On The High Seas (1948) ***

Doris Day made her film debut in this pleasant musical comedy. Songs:

"I'M In Love" *
"It's You Or No One" *
"The Tourist Trade" *
"It's Magic" **
"Put 'Em In A Box" **
"It's You Or No One" (reprise) *
"Run Run Run" *
"It's Magic" (reprise) **

Girl Crazy (1943) ****

The second cinematic adaptation of George Gershwin's immortal 1930 stage hit. Mickey Rooney plays Danny Churchill Jr, a rich playboy sent to an all-male college in Arizona, where he falls in love with Ginger (Judy Garland, so named in honor of Ginger Rogers, who created the character on stage 13 years earlier). Legendary musical score includes hits like:

"Treat Me Rough" **
"Bidin' My Time" ***
"Could You Use Me" **
"Embraceable You" ***
"Fascinatin' Rhythm" **
"But Not For Me" **
"I Got Rhythm" ***

The Gang's All Here (1943) ***

Memorable musical co-starring Carmen Miranda.

Babes On Broadway (1942) ***

Unemployed New York actors put on a Broadway show to help poor tenament kids. Effervescent musical starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. The "Ghost Theatre" number includes a medley of great old songs: "Mary's A Grand Old Name", "She Is Ma Daisy", "I've Got Rings On My Fingers" and "Yankee Doodle Boy". Musical numbers:

"Anything Can Happen In New York" *
"How About You" **
"Hoe Down" ***
"Chin Up, Cheerio, Carry On" ***
"Ghost Theatre" **
"Bombshell From Brazil" *
"Mama, Yo Quiero"
"Blackout Over Broadway" *
"By The Light Of The Silvery Moon" *
"Franklin D.Roosevelt Jones" **
"Waiting For The Robert E. Lee" ***
"Babes On Broadway" **

Strike Up The Band (1940) ***

Two high school students organize a dance orchestra. Typical Mickey Rooney - Judy Garland musical, with a few corny moments, but also some excellent musical numbers. Songs:

"Our Love Affair" **
"Do The Conga" **
"Nobody" **
"Nell Of New York" *
"Drummer Boy" ***
"Strike Up The Band" **

Babes In Arms (1939) ***

Fine musical starring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. Musical numbers include:

"Good Morning"  **
"I Like Opera / I Like Swing"  *
"Babes In Arms"  ***
"Where Or When"  *
"Minstrel Show"  ***
"God's Country"  **

Hollywood Hotel (1938) ****

Busby Berkeley's last Warner Bros. musical. His best film, a possible inspiration for "Singin' In The Rain". Musical numbers:

"Hooray For Hollywood"  ***
"I'M Like A Fish Out Of Water"  **
"Silhouetted In The Moonlight"  *
"Let That Be A Lesson To You"  **
"House Hop"  ***
"I've Hitched My Wagon To A Star"  **
"Silhouetted In The Moonlight" (reprise)  **
"Dark Eyes"  **
"I've Hitched My Wagon To A Star"  (reprise)  **
"Sing You Son Of A Gun/Hooray For Hollywood"  **

Gold Diggers In Paris (1938) ***

Nice little musical set in Paris. Musical numbers:

"I Wanna Go Back To Bali"  *
"Day Dreaming All night Long"  *
"A Stranger In Paree"  *
"The Latin Quarter"  ***
"I Wanna Go Back To Bali" (reprise)  **

Varsity Show (1937) ***

Most memorable for Busby Berkeley's "The Finale" musical extravaganza (his last spectacular number of the 1930's and his last Oscar-nomination for choreography).

The Singing Marine (1937) ***

Dick Powell is a marine who sings. Musical numbers:

"You Can't Run Away From Love"  *
"'Cause My Baby Says It's So"  *
"The Lady Who Couldn't Be Kissed"  **
"You Can't Run Away From Love" (reprise)  *
"The Song Of The Marines"  *
"Night And Day"  *
"'Cause My Baby Says It's So" (reprise)  *
"I Know Now"  *
"Night Over Shanghai"  **
"The Song Of The Marines" (reprise)  **

Gold Diggers Of 1937 (1936) ***

Busby Berkeley's musical with golddigging chorus girls, insurance salesmen and show producers. Musical numbers:

"With Plenty Of Money And You" **
"Life Insurance Song" *
"Speaking Of The Weather" *
"With Plenty Of Money And You" (reprise) **
"Let's Put Our Heads Together" **
"Speaking Of The Weather" (reprise) **
"All's Fair In Love And War" ***

Gold Diggers Of 1935 (1935) ****

Busby Berkeley was the most famous dance director of 1930's, responsible for musical numbers in excellent films like "Forty Second Street" (1933), "Footlight Parade" (1933) and "Dames" (1934). When he was finally allowed to direct an entire film, the result was one of the best (and campiest) of the 30's musicals. Songs and dance numbers:

"I'M Going Shopping With You" ***
"The Words Are In My Heart" ***
"Lullaby Of Broadway" ***

Wonder Bar (1934) ****

Memorable film starring Al Jolson and Dick Powell. One of the best Warner Brothers musicals of the 1930's, with the legendary "Boys will be boys!" gay joke (photo) - very daring for the time. Musical numbers (by Busby Berkeley):

"Don't Say Goodnight" ***
"Goin' To Heaven On A Mule" ***

Dames (1934) ***

The plot is weak (something about a screwy millionaire, played by Hugh Herbert, trying to close a show), but Busby Berkeley's numbers are incredibly innovative. Musical numbers:

"When You Were A Smile On Your Mother's Lips" *
"I Only Have Eyes For You" **
"Try To See It My Way" **
"The Girl At The Ironing Board" **
"I Only Have Eyes For You" (reprise) ***
"Dames" ***
"Try To See It My Way" (reprise) *

Forty-Second Street (1933) *****

The first true "backstage" musical and therefore one of the most influential and most often imitated films of all times. It's credited with singlehandedly revitalizing the musical genre after its 1931-32 slump. Songs and musical numbers:

"It Must Be June" *
"You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me" ***
"Shuffle Off To Buffalo" ***
"Young And Healthy" **
"Forty-Second Street" ***