In honor of The Sting being turned into a musical to be put up on the great white way, we decided to go the other way. Here are 7 great stage to screen adaptations.
7. Chicago (2002 | Directed by Rob Marshall | Starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, and John C. Reilly)
SIX ACADEMY AWARDS including BEST PICTURE
Some people consider this one of the worst Best Picture winners in history, but I could never see why. After a lull, it essentially revived the movie musical. What made Chicago so successful as a film was the filmmakers’ decision to utilize dream sequences for the musical numbers. Every thing was made up in Roxie Hart’s jazz infused mind. It made the leap that some people had to make to watch a musical more bearable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbebD653agE
6. My Fair Lady (1964 | Directed by George Cukor | Starring Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway, Wilifrid Hyde-White, Gladys Cooper, and Jeremy Brett)
EIGHT ACADEMY AWARDS including BEST PICTURE, BEST DIRECTOR, and BEST ACTOR
It’s another musical that is purely successful off charm, but Hepburn’s wonderful performance as Eliza Doolittle was yet another asset. She, along with Cukor were able to take this seemingly cold musical into something full charisma and of pure entertainment.
5. On the Town (1949 | Directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen | Starring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Ann Miller, and Betty Garrett)
It’s such a charming story with such a charming score. It produced such classics like New York, New York, Lonely Town, and Some Other Time. More importantly, the film acted as a love letter to the big city. Filled with excitement, humor, and a bright outlook on life, it almost helps you get past the pure spectacle of it all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO3Gb5mkwTc
4. Funny Girl (1968 | Directed by William Wyler | Starring Barbara Streisand, Omar Sharif, and Kay Medford)
BARBARA STREISAND WON THE OSCAR for BEST ACTRESS
In addition to proving Streisand is a magnificent actress, it also proved that with the right direction anyone can be funny. Her timing was as good as any comedian. The movie is over-produced, over-done, and overwhelming, but its saving grace is Streisand’s amazing performance. It’s simply a star vehicle and that star turned an overly dramatic musical into something bearable.
3. West Side Story (1961 | Directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins | Starring Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno, and George Chakiris)
TEN ACADEMY AWARDS including BEST PICTURE and BEST DIRECTOR
No list about movie musicals is complete without the classic Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents tale about lovers on different sides of the track. It is a straight forward adaptation, but the story transfers so well onto screen. What also helped was Jerome Robbins’ careful and tricot direction that ensured the adaptation was done well. It also didn’t hurt that Rita Moreno and George Chakiris turned in magnificent performances.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIjobdArtiA
2. The Sound of Music (1965 | Directed by Robert Wise | Starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer)
FIVE ACADEMY AWARDS including BEST PICTURE and BEST DIRECTOR
We know countless songs from the musical: “Do Re Mi,” “The Sound of Music.” “My Favorite Things,” but the success in the musical is not familiarity. It’s sentimental to a fault, with a little bit of camp. It’s irresistible, even to the most cynical. The Sound of Music essentially one of the most charming movie musicals out there that will fill you with warm puppies and rainbows.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xfh_nsMOM0
1. Cabaret (1972 | Directed by Bob Fosse | Starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Joel Grey, Fritz Wepper, Marisa Berenson)
EIGHT ACADEMY AWARDS including BEST DIRECTOR and BEST ACTRESS
Cabaret isn’t just one of my favorite movie musicals out there, it’s also one of my favorite movies of all time. It is a film that is crafted so well with techniques being born on the screen. Everything from its cinematography, to editing, to sound is so well done and ahead of its time that it is clearly a timeless classic. It’s catchy, sexy, and electric. Plus, it’s Bob Fosse, who could resist?
Hey, I'm Karl, founder and film critic at Smash Cut. I started Smash Cut in 2014 to share my love of movies and give a perspective I haven't yet seen represented. I'm also an editor at The New York Times, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and a member of the Online Film Critics Society.