AFI Top 100 Songs

For some reason, AFI absolutely loves Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand.  While I can't really dispute "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" at #1 (although I probably would have placed it top 5), I can't for the life of me figure out "The Man That Got Away" at #11.  Wondering what movie it's from?  Exactly.  It's a song you probably don't know unless you're a diehard Judy fan.  I think these songs should be determined by significance in the movie as well as influence on pop culture.

And while I'd love to see Porgy and Bess ("Summertime", #52), I can't find it.  So we'll have to wait on that review.

Here is a lengthy collection of all 100 songs - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pcg9xXjz7ks&list=PLz59ctKeMZfKI3vtr4RqnlhkIkuCrEDlY 

But if you don't have time, then watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIiT51Y5uiM

The Big Broadcast of 1938

Songs - Thanks for the Memory (#63)

The movie itself was just enh.  Millionaire W. C. Fields is financing a luxury liner in a Transatlantic race.  Meanwhile, Bob Hope plays emcee for the ship's entertainment.

The entertainment is, well, varied.  From an out-of-place animated sequence to an operatic solo from Valkyrie to a duet that is quite reminiscent of Snow White and the Prince.

But then there's "Thanks for the Memory".  It might not be remarkable here, but it became Bob Hope's signature song.  And yes, I am old enough to fondly remember him singing it at the end of each Christmas special.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44Owr4iBctU

The Rose

 
Song - The Rose (#83)

A singer sleeps around and drinks too much.  She managed to muster up a little bit of sympathy from me, because it shows how these big stars are sometimes viewed as a commodity.  She recognized that she needed help, but her producer said no, because she had a tour to finish and another album to record.  Mostly, though, I found her annoying and devoid of personality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5G3XKsq7Ic

Road to Morocco

Laughs (#78); Songs - (We're Off on the) Road to Morocco (#95)

Eh.  Hope and Crosby - wonderful, I know.  But I was bored and unimpressed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRiLf9YTrGU

On the Town

Stars - Gene Kelly (#15); Songs - New York, New York (#41); Musicals (#19)

The story was thin, but the movie starred Gene Kelly, so it's all good.  I just love watching him glide while he dances.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7CIgWZTdgw

Show Boat

Stars - Ava Gardner (#25); Songs - Ol' Man River (#24); Musicals (#24)

I was actually supposed to watch the 1936 version of this movie, but I can't find it.  I ended up watching the 1951 version.  It worked out ok, because then I got to see an Ava Gardner movie, so it counts for that, too.

Well, what's there to say about it?  It started off with slaves smiling in the cotton field.  Somehow I don't think they actually smiled all that much.  And the Magnolia/Ravenal story wrapped up awfully quickly.  And we never did find out what happened to Julie.  And the Ravenal/Kim part at the end totally creeped me out.

But I liked "Ol' Man River" and "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkDU1ai5P1I

Days of Wine and Roses

Song - Days of Wine and Roses (#39)

This is the story of a couple's decent from social drinking into alcoholism.  It's probably fairly realistic and was well-acted, but got a bit preachy at times (which was probably the point, because I don't know why else you'd make a movie like this).  These days, it probably would end up on Lifetime instead of the big screen.  Then again, When a Man Loves a Woman was very similar, and that was released theatrically.

As for the song - Henry Mancini had some notable tunes that are worthy of this list (Pink Panther, M*A*S*H...maybe Moon River, although I don't get the appeal of that song).  This, however, is just 1960s cheesiness.  There are other songs that should have had this spot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGA6b-DoX4c

Stormy Weather

Songs - Stormy Weather (#30)

Not a very strong plot, but plenty of good singing and dancing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0TyUOJfpQo

Flashdance

Songs - Flashdance...What a Feeling (#55)

Highly predictable story with so-so acting.  But it has a great '80s soundtrack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH9q1iYN8mo

The Spy Who Loved Me

Songs - Nobody Does It Better (#67)

Somebody does it better, and that somebody would be Sean Connery.  I don't think Roger Moore was the best choice for James Bond.  Other than that, this movie was pretty much the same as the other 007 ones that I've seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX4pN7GPQhw&feature=relmfu 

Swing Time

Top 100 (#90 Revised); Stars - Fred Astaire (#5), Ginger Rogers (#14); Songs - The Way You Look Tonight (#43); Passions (#30)

I have to give people like Lerner & Loewe and Rogers & Hammerstein credit, because before they came along, plots of movie musicals were rather thing. 

However, these movies weren't so much about the plot as they were about song and dance, and that's where we get wonderful songs like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs2nH9gSXOE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaVLbk_3UeU

A Star is Born (1976)

Songs - Evergreen (Love Theme from 'A Star is Born') (#16)

Overall I'd say they did a decent job of updating this - Streisand is a nightclub singer and Kristofferson is a big rock star.  But while I think Streisand is definitely a better singer than Garland, I still really didn't care about the characters or their stories.

Oh, and the reason this is a still and not the movie poster is because the poster is rather scandalous, and I don't do that sort of thing on my blog.

And this is irrelevant, but I liked it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mlfjbUgu0g

A Star is Born (1954)

Stars - Judy Garland (#8); Songs - The Man That Got Away (#11); Passions (#43); Musicals (#7)

Chorus girl Garland attracts the attention of big screen star (and drunk) Mason.  He makes her a star, and eventually they marry.  But her star rises as his fades and he doesn't deal with it very well.

It could have been an okay story, but Judy Garland can't act worth anything.  And since she knew he was a drunk when she married him, I didn't feel all that sorry for her.  And how does a song make #11 when I've never even heard of it?

Overall, I'd say you can skip this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1Ugqh471IE

Shall We Dance

Stars - Fred Astaire (#5), Ginger Rogers (#14); Songs - Let's Call the Whole Thing Off (#34)

I liked this movie, and I loved the Gershwin score.  Fred and Ginger are dancers who the press mistakingly believe are married.  Predictable, but that's okay because we're not watching for the story line.  We're watching to see them dance.

While I like Let's Call the Whole Thing Off and the whole roller skates bit, my favorite is They Can't Take That Away From Me (probably because it reminds me of I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V79zOPXlRGQ

Summer Stock

Stars - Judy Garland (#8), Gene Kelly (#15); Songs - Get Happy (#61)

Doo lang, doo lang, doo lang!  Gene Kelly is so fine, and as we all know, he was at his finest at 38.  He so makes this a movie worth seeing, even though it features Judy Garland (who, I've always thought, sings like an old lady). 

So feel free to ignore Judy, but watch it anyways.  Doo lang, doo lang, doo lang (and if you want, you can skip ahead in this clip to 2:37 - trust me, it's worth it!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5WRmTFmaJw

The Sandpiper

Stars - Elizabeth Taylor (#7); Songs - The Shadow of Your Smile (#77)

How stupid.  Hippie single mom Taylor beds married private school principal Burton. 

The Big Sur scenery was nice though.  And I've been waiting anxiously to review this movie so I could share this Oscar-winning song with you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OLaNFHO6Q8

The Way We Were

Songs - The Way We Were (#8); Passions (#6)

Enh.  I thought it was supposed to be a wonderfully romantic love story, but it was really more about communism and blacklisting.  Needless to say, I didn't really care for it.

But then, it did have Robert Redford.  Robert Redford isn't actually the best looking man I've ever seen (although he is very handsome).  But he definitely is charming.  There's something about him - maybe his smile - that's completely disarming.  Yeah.  I think I need to watch The Sting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnwyZAUhS3A

Saturday Night Fever

Songs - Stayin' Alive (#9)

I didn't have the highest expectations for this movie - I was expecting cheese.  And yes, it delivered.  But what I really didn't expect was how much I would dislike Tony Manero and flat-out hate the movie.

I can see where a 20 year old guy who's Mr. Disco would think he was all that with the ladies.  But what a pig.  And when Doreen fawned all over him and begged, "Tony, can I wipe the sweat off your forehead?"  I groaned and every suffragette out there rolled over in her grave because she set women back to caveman days.

So no, I did not like Saturday Night Fever.  I can see why it's iconic, but I attribute that to the BeeGees, not to the story itself.  The soundtrack is the only thing likeable about this movie.  Well, that and the fact that it inspired this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KMkh8glNsA

New York, New York

Songs - Theme from 'New York, New York' (#31)

Robert DeNiro in a musical?  Well, he didn't actually sing. He played (or maybe pretended to play) the saxophone.

I didn't really care for this movie.  I just don't get couples that put career ahead of their marriage.  Don't get married then if your career is that important.

I will say this, though - Liza Minelli can belt it, and this song is one of her best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhaS4_gn3cc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T3h9JocqLk

Gilda

Stars - Rita Hayworth (#19); Songs - Put the Blame on Mame (#84)

I didn't love it.  For one thing, I thought Hayworth and Ford were sorely mismatched.  She's just too beautiful.  For another, I think this was supposed to be romantic, but in all honesty she traded one guy who didn't treat her well for another who didn't treat her much better.  I thought her life was sad.

I was going to post a clip of "Mame", but then decided to do a clip of another diva who should have been a princess.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4TRvYAyt3k