Musicals. No matter how hard I try I can't seem to avoid covering them. New musicals keep coming out, and for some reason they all seem to want to challenge the assertion that I hate them. They want me to like them. And recently I have been liking them, at least a few of them. So, what if you're like me? What if you don't like musicals?

Well, aside from the really good one in theaters this weekend, here are a few classics that I like to call "musicals for guys who hate musicals."

Cabin in the Sky
Wow, this movie is a gem. Released in 1943, Vincente Minnelli's directorial debut is a classic of the "intervention by angels" genre. When a lecherous, low-life gambler dies, he talks his way back for a second chance. The deal? He has to change his ways. Or else. Meanwhile a group of angels and a group of devils make a bet over who will ultimately get his soul. It's a classic with an incredible story and not a weak link in the whole thing.

The Blues Brothers
Oh, hell yes. Don't think this is a musical? Count the songs. Sure, they're not singing about their feelings, which is exactly why this is a great musical. The story goes that John Belushi actually went door to door, barging into people's houses to play them various records in order to find out what the best blues songs were. And from that information he put together the song list for this movie. True or not, the music is incredible, the cameos awesome and the jokes top-notch, making this not only one of my favorite comedies, but also one of my favorite musicals.

The Muppet Movie
The Muppets knew how to make a musical. From "Why are There So Many Songs About Rainbows?" to "Movin' Right Along," this film is filled to the brim with toe-tapping songs and has the ability to turn most old-crotchety adults into eight-year-olds again. Seriously, who doesn't love the Muppets? And this is the very best of anything they've done. Great comedy bits, great cameos, and the story of how the Muppets first made it to Hollywood. Classic.

Wonder Bar
Okay, this one comes with a lot of warning. First of all, it's hard to find. Secondly, it is offensive. Now, by our modern standards, the ribald comedy in this is quite tame. There's no nudity or gore or anything like that. In fact, it is a wonderfully dark Busby Berkeley-choreographed film chock-full of stunning dance numbers, intrigue, and some really sharp dialogue.

However, this happens to be the movie Al Jolson is infamous for. His final musical number, the blackface routine "Goin' To Heaven on a Mule," is so over-the-top, so offensive, so ridiculous by today's standards that it dare not be described here. What's funny about the shift in the morality of this country is that the censors had a problem with this film upon release, but it was over a gay joke involving two men dancing together. "Heaven on a Mule," however, got a pass. These days no one would flinch at the rather tame joke, but "Goin' to Heaven on a Mule" is no doubt what makes this film so hard to find. Still worth seeing for the first 90%, and well, the last 10%, it's a great piece of cinema history that illustrates just how far we've come, and just how low we'd sunk.

C. Robert Cargill - - - Email Me

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