Carousel

Starring: Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones Director: Henry King Original UK Premiere: 1956 Dvd Release: 8th March, 2004 Number Of Discs: 1 Format: Anamorphic, PAL, Region 2 Encoding

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The 1956 screen adaptation of Carousel, like its immediate predecessor Oklahoma!, boasted then state-of-the-art widescreen cinematography, stereophonic sound, a starring romantic duo with on-screen chemistry, & the Rodgers & Hammerstein imprimatur. Adding to its promise was a source that had already been filmed three times. Contributing to the lustre are the coastal Maine locations where 20th Century Fox filmed principal photography. Yet unlike the original Broadway production, & despite evident craft, Carousel proved a box-office disappointment. Why? Hindsight argues that movie-goers of the 1950s may have been unprepared for its tragic narrative, the sometimes unsympathetic protagonist, & a spiritual subtext addressing life after death.

Whatever the obstacle, Carousel may well be a revelation to first-time viewers. The score is among the composers most affecting, from the glorious instrumental Carousel Waltz to a succession of exquisite love songs , a heart-rending secular hymn , & the expectant fathers poignant reverie, Soliloquy. Top-line stars Shirley Jones & Gordon MacRae achieve greater dramatic urgency here than in the more successful Oklahoma!. MacRae in particular attains a personal best as the conflicted Billy, whose anxiety & wounded pride after losing his job are crucial to the plot. Its Billys impatience to support his new family that drives him to an ill-fated decision, which transforms the fable into a ghost story.

Albert Gordon MacRae was an American actor & singer, best known for his appearances in musical films of the 1950s. MacRae was born in East Orange, New Jersey & made his Broadway debut in the mid- 1940s, acquiring his first recording contract soon afterwards. It was in 1948 that he appeared in his first film, The Big Punch. He soon began an on-screen partnership with Doris Day. This was followed by starring appearances in two major films of Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals, opposite Shirley Jones. At this point, alcoholism interfered with his career. However, he continued to record & act almost until the end of his life. He died of cancer in Lincoln, Nebraska. Posters Of Carousel

Editors Choice: Carousel, Carousel Sing Along Edition, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Sing Along Edition, View DVDology

Shirley Mae Jones is an actress who starred in the television series The Partridge Family. An only child, she was named after Shirley Temple. Before starring in The Partridge Family, Shirley was already a famous singer & actress. She starred in several movies such as Oklahoma!, Carousel, The Music Man & won an Academy Award as a girl corrupted by Burt Lancaster, who then takes revenge upon him in Elmer Gantry. She married actor Jack Cassidy on August 5, 1956, with whom she had 3 sons, Shaun, Patrick & Ryan; David Cassidy became her stepson. Shirley & David both starred in The Partridge Family. Divorcing Cassidy, she married one-time comic Marty Ingels on November 13, 1977. Despite several separations, they remain married. She is a registered Republican who appeared at the 1988 Republican Convention & sang the National Anthem. Posters Of Carousel

Editors Choice: Carousel, Carousel Sing Along Edition, View DVDology

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