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Spanning nine decades and showcasing the most memorable songs, dazzling dancing, and brightest stars ever to grace the silver screen, Must-See Musicals is the guide to the greatest musicals of all time from the most trusted authority on film: Turner Classic Movies.

Movie musicals have been a part of pop culture since films began to talk, over nine decades ago. From The Jazz Singer in 1927 all the way to La La Land in modern times, musicals have sung and danced over a vast amount of territory, thrilling audiences the entire time. More than any other type of entertainment, musicals transport us to marvelous places: a Technicolor land over the rainbow in The Wizard of Oz; a romantic ballroom where, in Top Hat, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance cheek to cheek; a London theater where the Beatles perform before hysterical crowds in A Hard Day's Night; even to a seemingly alternate reality where eager throngs still throw rice as they watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show. These titles, and many more, show us that a great musical film is a timeless joy.

Covering fifty of the best spanning the dawn of sound to the high-def present, Turner Classic Movies: Must-See Musicals -- written by renowned musical historian Richard Barrios-is filled with lush illustrations as well as enlightening commentary and entertaining "backstage" stories about every one of these unforgettable films.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Running Press Adult; Illustrated edition (October 10, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 264 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0762463163
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0762463169
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 1 x 9.25 inches
Reviewer: kristian
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A delight to read for both film buffs and those new to this genre of movies
Review: I love old movies and having TCM as the publisher signaled to me that this book would be one I'd be happy to have on my shelf and return to again and again. And indeed it is! I've read several other, similar books from TCM (50 Christmas Films and 50 summer flicks), but this one is by far the best written.Fifty films are presented in chronological order. Each has a main mini-essay about it, usually talking about a theme or element that made it stand out to the author, and hence, its reason for inclusion on the list. There will also be a section called"What's more" that provides two other tidbits about the film, and a section called "Musically speaking" that typically focuses on one song or dance number. The writing itself is well done. It delightfully blends movie analysis and historical context with fun trivia about the making of the film and commentary on the performances as well as any historical significance. But it does all this in a very accessible manner, making it a great book for film buffs and those just getting interested in the topic.The book physically is gorgeous with strong binding, glossy, smooth pages and tons of photos and still of not only movie scenes but behind the scenes and promotional posters and more. They even have flaps attached to the cover to use as bookmarks.

Reviewer: Lawrence H. Bulk
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Must-See Musicals: It's a Must-Buy Book for Everyone Who Loves Motion Pictures
Review: Richard Barrios is one of the premier film historians of our time. He has written three previous film-history books, all of which are superb.This one, Turner Classic Movies: Must-See Musicals: 50 Show-Stopping Movies We Can't Forget, is his most accessible for general readers and for those whose interest in this type of film has been piqued by LA LA LAND.In addition to the superb writing in it, the book is lavish and full of pictures. The quality of those pictures, both the color and the black-and-white ones, is also superb. The paper, binding, and print are all absolutely first-class too. It is a genuine pleasure to hold and read this book.Many years ago, movies were the primary form of entertainment for most people. One could see - but not hear - their favorite actors and actresses.Radio made inroads to audiences because it was "free" entertainment and could be had in the home. However, while one could hear their favorite personalities on the radio, one could not see them.When sound films were introduced, everything was linked, as it were, and audiences were treated by the experience of seeing and hearing their favorites.So-called "silent" films had used just about every type of plot and genre one could imagine EXCEPT for musicals. It is true that some operas were filmed as silent movies and many silent movies had some elaborate scores written especially for them, though these were generally played only in the larger cities."Sound" films offered movies the chance to sing and dance and, even in the early days, feature color sequences and even full-color.Unfortunately, for various reasons, many, perhaps most, of these films have been lost or have certainly been forgotten, and this applies even to movies filmed later (even MY FAIR LADY made in 1964 had to be restored!).This "forgetfulness" is, I believe, the reason for this book. Film history, a part of social history, is important, I believe, because it shows us where we have been, and how we lived, dressed, and even spoke, as do the films themsleves. And the musicals have always been one of the most important type of films even when they temporarily fall out of favor.Richard Barrios has written some very literate and voluminous books about early musicals (especially A Song in the Dark: The Birth of the Musical Film which I HIGHLY recommend).However his earlier books are written more for "movie buffs" (of which I am one) rather than for the general public, though I have to say that A SONG IN THE DARK is a very easy, funny, and compelling "read," one which almost everyone will enjoy.This new one offers that general public a chance to read and learn about musical films made over the last ninety years and in a fashion which, to me, is positively amazing.It is fairly simple (I'm writing rhetorically) for a historian to write at great length about a particular subject of special interest to him or her. Often such books are tiring for many readers (though Richard Barrios' are not).It is VERY hard to write concisely about a subject yet "get the message across" to general readers without boring them. Richard Barrios has succeeded in writing in such a way that no one will be bored!Barrios includes fifty of his particular favorite musical movies (with mention of others which didn't make the cut). He devotes four-to-six pages to each yet gets the essence of each film such that almost any reader will want to watch almost all of them. This level of writing, pithy and to the point, is rare (obviously I can't do it!) and effective.He divides each review into sections: The movie listing (with credits), a one-sentence synopsis (clever and correct!), the review itself, a "What's More" section, a "Musically Speaking" section, and a list of two movies which may be similar to the one under discussion but which could not be included. All of these sections are short, sweet, and to the point.I am amazed that he was able to do this!All of the movies listed are accessible and can be seen on television, in revival theaters, and even on streaming services.Will there be quibbles about the choices of films contained in this book?You bet!You'll see some of them in the reviews here on Amazon. You'll hear some among people discussing the book. I myself wish that certain films had been included.Everyone has his or her own list of "the best."But, considering that this book is limited to fifty musical titles only (with mention of at least another 100), is there ANYONE who can say that any of the titles included should have been eliminated?Not me!I'm sure that an electronic book edition will be fine but I should positively recommend that you buy the printed edition. No electronic book can duplicate the feel and the arrangement of this printed one. (Frankly though, there's nothing wrong with having both.)I only wish that the publishers had chosen to issue this in a slip-cased cloth-bound version! That's how important and wonderful I feel this book is. (If it's ever issued in such a format, I'll buy it immediately!)Obviously I am enamored with Richard Barrios' writing in general and with this book in particular.I cannot recommend it too highly. Buy it. You'll thank me for doing so and you'll thank Richard Barrios for writing it.And I thank you for reading this review.Lawrence H. Bulk

Reviewer: John J. Byers
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Gotta sing; gotta dance
Review: A fun read for anyone who loves old movies where characters glide through life singing and/or dancing their hearts out while searching for true love (or the perfect good nanny).

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Robertson
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A truly stunning book...
Review: I don’t know too many people who don’t love movie musicals, and film historian Richard Barrios is one of the most knowledgeable and entertaining writers to cover this field. His latest book, Must-See Musicals: Fifty Show-Stopping Movies We Can’t Forget is just as entertaining as the movies that he writes about. Must-See Musicals is published through Turner Classic Movies and features a forward by Michael Feinstein.I am sure that Barrios had a difficult time selecting just 50 musicals, and those he chose are in chronological order. This also allows the author to provide a short history of musical films as he progresses. He begins with The Broadway Melody (1929) and ends with La La Land (2016). Many blockbusters are in this book including An American in Paris, The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis, West Side Story and The Sound of Music. Two are animated, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Beauty and the Beast. The list of legendary performers is also impressive and counted among them are Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Julie Andrews, Gene Kelly and Maurice Chevalier. And although most of Barrios’ 50 are well-known, there are few that I never heard of including The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Cabin in the Sky.Each musical receives 4-6 pages that are jam-packed with information—everything from the credits, year, length of the movie, and a description. Each movie includes some trivia and/or anecdotes under a heading, “What’s More.” For instance, we learn that in Cover Girl, “The five-foot-six [Rita] Hayworth had to wear lower heels when she played opposite [Fred] Astaire.” Or for the Pajama Game, “Originally, Warners had thought of Frank Sinatra, who turned it down, and then Bing Crosby, who wanted too much money.” The role went to John Raitt. There is also a heading, “Musically Speaking,” which as the name implies gives us more information about the musical-aspect of the movie. For instance, Barrios tells us that for West Side Story, “Natalie Wood was crushed when she learned that her vocals of Maria’s songs would be dubbed by Marni Nixon.” The author also gives a list of “More to See” for each selection, in which he recommends additional musicals. This really allows him to swell his list of favorites.But what makes Must-See Musicals so spectacular are all the photographs—many of them full page and in color. Barrios also tracked down all the original movie posters for each selection. Although I consider it a coffee-table-type book, the smaller size and paperback format make it easier to handle and much more affordable. This is truly a stunning book and I have already purchased a number of copies to give as Christmas gifts for this season.

Reviewer: Mr Terence Flint
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: As a fan of movie musicals,this is a very informative book,printed on good quality paper.Really lovely photos of the films reviewed.It's a great read for fans of this genre!

Reviewer: Vanessa
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I loved seeing and reading about the progression of Hollywood musicals in this book! It was very well written and the photos were all high quality (both in colour and B&W). Though not everyone will agree on the films author Rchard Barrios chose to include in his list of Must-See Musicals, you can't deny that each film certainly played its part in the Hollywood musical pantheon. Each one definitely *does* matter.

Reviewer: Deluca Henri
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Très satisfait,Merci!