MovieChat Forums > Oklahoma! (1956) Discussion > Best R and H movie adaptation

Best R and H movie adaptation


While most of Rodgers and Hammersteins' musicals have been turned into movies, not all of them were as successful as "Oklahoma!"

To me, this movie is by far the best of the R and H movies as it is not only reverent of the source material but also has great production values and a wonderful cast.

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Uh, The Sound of Music was the most successful of them all. Not only was it the #1 movie of 1965, it became the highest-grossing film of its time. The Sound of Music was the Titanic and Avatar of its era. That's how huge and successful it was. It grossed $163.2 million domestically, which would be the equivalent of $1.2 billion today!

On the other hand, Oklahoma! was the 4th highest-grossing film of 1955. It grossed $7.1 million domestically, which adjusted for inflation is only $61.9 million today.




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There will always be a conversation between Best (most artistic) versus Successful ($$). Sure SOM is by far the most successful, but it's also the most cloying. I love Julie Andrews but between she and the children, I can only take so much sunshine and rainbows. I like the darker themes in OK and Carousel, and I really need to see the latter with a proper viewing. And King & I has more charm than SOM. I always thought the character of the King had a lot of potentially violent outcomes, a man who demands to get what he wants, like Arabian Nights. But it's also comic.

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If we're speaking of the quality of the musical property itself, there's never been any question in my mind that "The King and I" reigns supreme among R&H's work. It's not the most dramatic -- that's "Carousel" -- but it's the tightest, and what's really significant, the most universal.

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The King and I and certainly The Sound Of Music are the best film adaptations of R&H stage shows. Oklahoma! is a close third along with Flower Drum Song. Carousel and South Pacific are the worst. Allegro, Me And Juliet, and Pipe Dream have so far not had film versions, but who knows? I would love someone to take a crack at new film versions of Carousel and South Pacific and try to correct some of the flaws with the originals.

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"Carousel" is the best film version of an R & H work; "SOM" is in second place.

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Carousel is one of those films that could have been but wasn't quite there. Much of the score was cut. Gordon MacRae was miscast as a bad boy. We got a form of Agnes DeMille's original choreography without the substance. The film's saving graces are the gorgeous location shots, and the cast's spectacular job with the parts of the score that weren't cut.

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The songs that were cut were not missed. MacRae made a fine Billy Bigelow. Rod Alexander's choreography for June is Bustin' Out All Over and Louise's Ballet was spectacular, resulting in two of the greatest dance numbers in film history.

The screenplay adaptation by the Ephrons included some welcome changes. Henry King directed with a sure hand, imbuing the entire film with a sense of sadness. Alfred Newman and his team of orchestrators were at the very top of their game.

Carousel is R & H's greatest work, its story and songs more meaningful that their others. In fact it's the greatest musical ever written.

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I didn't say it was a bad film. It is a flawed film, and falls short of the source material. If any of the R&H shows deserve a second chance at a film version, it's Carousel and South Pacific. I understand that you have a personal love for this film, and that's fine. I very much love Carousel, and feel that this film did not do the tragically beautiful score and libretto it was based on.

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Problem is, with today's film sensibility, it's difficult for me to imagine how a current director could stage Carousel and find actors who can capture the spirit of it. I haven't seen La La Land, and if this was done successfully, great.
But movies like Pitch Perfect, which seem like fun (again having not sat through a complete viewing) seem to not have the gravitas something like Carousel requires.

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I have to go along with the majority here. To me, Carousel just seems even better. The music and the story are so moving and bittersweet. It stays with you.
For Feel Good, I'd go with Oklahoma.
Both are excellent R and H movie adaptations in my opinion.

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