Entertainment

10 Best Movie Musicals of All Time: Oscar-Winning Musical Films

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3 weeks ago

October 22, 2024

All through the practically 96-year historical past of the Oscars, 10 musicals have gained the Academy’s prime prize of greatest image — beginning with 1929’s The Broadway Melody by way of the newest winner, 2002’s Chicago.

Musicals had been particularly standard in the course of the Fifties and ’60s, with six taking dwelling the consideration of greatest image throughout these 20 years, together with such classics as West Facet Story, My Honest Woman and The Sound of Music.

Total, the Academy has nominated quite a few different musicals for greatest image over time, like The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins and Humorous Woman, that are thought-about classics at present. Nonetheless, these three movies are amongst those who in the end misplaced the highest honor. Whereas Wizard of Oz was crushed out by Gone With the Wind, Mary Poppins and Humorous Woman each misplaced to different musicals — My Honest Woman and Oliver! — respectively.

And whereas a musical hasn’t taken dwelling the most effective image Oscar in 20 years, that doesn’t imply the Academy hasn’t continued to acknowledge the style. For instance, Bradley Cooper’s remake of A Star Is Born was nominated in 2019.

Might there be one other musical that wins a greatest image on the 2025 Oscars? Among the many musical hopefuls this 12 months are Depraved, Emilia Pérez, Higher Man, The Finish, Kneecap, Mufasa: The Lion King and Imply Ladies.

Under, check out the ten film musicals which have gained greatest image on the Oscars.

‘The Broadway Melody’ (1929)

Picture Credit score: Everett

Anita Web page and Bessie Love star because the Mahoney sisters, a vaudeville act trying to make it huge on Broadway. Nonetheless, problems ensue after they discover themselves in love with the identical man (performed by Charles King). The movie was one of many first musicals to function a Technicolor sequence, however all of these prints have been misplaced, and it’s accessible at present solely in black and white. The Broadway Melody was the highest-grossing movie of 1929 and likewise earned Oscar noms for greatest actress (Love) and greatest director (Harry Beaumont).
‘The Nice Ziegfeld’ (1936)

Picture Credit score: Everett

The Nice Ziegfeld, based mostly on Broadway’s Zeigfeld Follies, was a fictionalized account of the lifetime of Flo Ziegfeld Jr. (performed by William Powell) as he constructed up his profitable revue and follows him by way of the top of his life. Luise Rainer and Myrna Loy performed variations of the real-life performers Anna Held and Billie Burke, respectively. Burke additionally acted as an adviser on the movie, whereas Ziegfeld Follies performers together with Fanny Brice and Harriet Hoctor performed themselves within the film. It was some of the profitable movies of the Nineteen Thirties, and featured extravagant costumes, units and choreography. Along with greatest image, The Nice Ziegfeld additionally gained Oscars for greatest actress (Rainer) and greatest dance path (Seymour Felix). It additionally was nominated for 4 extra Oscars: greatest director (Robert Z. Leonard), greatest artwork path (Cedric Gibbons, Eddie Imazu and Edwin B. Willis), greatest movie modifying (William S. Grey) and greatest writing, authentic story (William Anthony McGuire). MGM went on to make two extra Ziegfeld movies, 1941’s Ziegfeld Woman, with James Stewart and Judy Garland, and 1946’s Ziegfeld Follies, directed by Vincente Minelli.
‘Going My Manner’ (1944)

Picture Credit score: Everett

Bing Crosby performs a younger priest, Father O’Malley, who’s transferred from a church in East St. Louis to a different in New York, the place his fashion clashes with a veteran priest, Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald). Going My Manner, which went on to change into the largest field workplace hit of 1944, gained a complete of seven Oscars: greatest image, greatest director (Leo McCarey), greatest actor (Crosby), greatest supporting actor (Fitzgerald), greatest screenplay (Frank Butler and Frank Cavett), greatest authentic movement image story (McCarey) and greatest tune for “Swinging on a Star” (Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke). Apparently, Fitzgerald was nominated for each greatest actor and greatest supporting actor for his efficiency; afterward, the Academy modified its guidelines to forestall that from taking place once more. Going My Manner additionally landed noms for greatest cinematography, black and white (Lionel Lindon) and greatest movie modifying (Leroy Stone).
‘An American in Paris’ (1951)

Picture Credit score: Everett

Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron (making her movie debut) star on this movie about three Individuals in search of work in Paris, two of whom fall in love with the identical girl (Caron). George Gershwin wrote the music, whereas his brother Ira wrote the lyrics (music administrators Johnny Inexperienced and Saul Chaplin additionally contributed). The film has acquired reward for a 17-minute, dialogue-free ballet sequence, set to the title tune, that price a whopping (by Fifties requirements) $450,000 to shoot. The movie gained a complete of six Oscars, together with greatest story and screenplay (Alan Jay Lerner), greatest artwork path — coloration (Cedric Gibbons, E. Preston Ames, Edwin B. Willis and F. Keogh Gleason), greatest cinematography — coloration (John Alton and Alfred Gilks), greatest costume design — coloration (Orry-Kelly, Walter Plunkett and Irene Sharaff) and greatest scoring of a musical image (Saul Chaplin and Johnny Inexperienced). As well as, the Academy bestowed an honorary Oscar on Kelly that very same 12 months. Different Oscar noms included for greatest director (Vincente Minnelli) and greatest movie modifying (Adrienne Fazan).
‘Gigi’ (1958)

Picture Credit score: Everett

Leslie Caron stars as a courtesan-in-training whose path crosses with a rich playboy (Louis Jourdan), who finally ends up falling in love together with her. Gigi gained Oscars in all 9 classes for which it was nominated, a file on the time. Along with greatest image, its wins included greatest director (Vincente Minnelli), greatest tailored screenplay (Alan Jay Lerner), greatest manufacturing design (William A. Horning, E. Preston Ames, Henry Grace and F. Keogh Gleason), greatest cinematography (Joseph Ruttenberg), greatest costume design (Cecil Beaton), greatest movie modifying (Adrienne Fazan), greatest authentic rating (André Previn) and greatest authentic tune for “Gigi” (Frederick Loewe and Lerner).
‘West Facet Story’ (1961)

Picture Credit score: Everett

This adaptation of the stage musical — conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and e-book by Arthur Laurents — was directed by Robert Clever and Jerome Robbins and written by Ernest Lehman. It centered on two rival teenage gangs — the Jets and the Sharks — in 1957 New York Metropolis. On the heard of the story is Tony, a former member of the Jets, who falls in love with Maria, the sister of the Jets’ chief, and the fallout and tragedy that follows. The film, which grew to become the highest-grossing movie of 1961, additionally gained Oscars for greatest director, greatest supporting actor (George Chakiris), supporting actress (Rita Moreno), artwork path — coloration (Boris Leven and Victor A. Gangelin), cinematography — coloration (Daniel L. Fapp), costume design — coloration (Irene Sharaff), movie modifying (Thomas Stanford), scoring of a musical image (Saul Chaplin, Johnny Inexperienced, Irwin Kostal and Sid Ramin) and sounds (Fred Hynes and Gordon E. Sawyer). The musical was tailored for the large display once more in 2021 by Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay by Tony Kushner. It was nominated for seven Oscars, together with greatest image, with Ariana DeBose successful greatest supporting actress.
‘My Honest Woman’ (1964)

Picture Credit score: Everett

There have been many iterations of this musical over time, however this model was tailored from the 1956 stage musical by lyricist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe based mostly on George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 stage play Pygmalion. Written by Alan Jay Lerner and directed by George Cukor, the movie stars Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle, a poor Cockney flower vendor who catches the eye of phonetics professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison). Higgins bets that he can educate her correct English. The film was the highest-grossing movie of 1964 and went on to win greatest director, greatest actor (Harrison), greatest artwork path — coloration (Gene Allen, Cecil Beaton and George James Hopkins), greatest cinematography — coloration (Harry Stradling), greatest costume design — coloration (Cecil Beaton), greatest scoring of music — adaptation or therapy (André Previn) and greatest sound (George R. Groves).
‘The Sound of Music’ (1965)

Picture Credit score: Everett

Based mostly on the 1949 memoir written by Maria von Trapp, The Sound of Music facilities on Maria (Julie Andrews), who turns into a nanny to a household of seven children as she’s weighing turning into a nun. She in the end falls in love with the kids’s widowed patriarch, Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer). When he’s ordered to affix the German navy, the household flees Austria somewhat than be part of forces with the Nazis. Directed by Robert Clever, the movie was tailored by screenwriter Ernest Lehman from the 1959 stage musical that was composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It grew to become the largest field workplace hit of 1965. It additionally gained Oscars for greatest director, greatest movie modifying (William H. Reynolds), greatest scoring of music — adaptation or therapy (Irwin Kostal) and greatest sound (James Corcoran and Fred Hynes).
‘Oliver!’ (1968)

Picture Credit score: Everett

Directed by Carol Reed from a screenplay by Vernon Harris, Oliver! was based mostly on Lionel Bart’s 1960 stage musical, which itself was tailored from Charles Dickens’ 1838 novel Oliver Twist. It centered on a gaggle of orphans, together with Oliver (Mark Lester), who’re pressured to grovel for his or her meals (“Please, sir, I need some extra”). Oliver is offered after which escapes to London. The movie additionally gained Oscars for greatest director, greatest artwork path (John Field, Terence Marsh, Vernon Dixon and Ken Muggleston), greatest rating of a musical image — authentic or adaptation (Johnny Inexperienced), greatest sound (Buster Ambler, John Cox, Jim Groom, Bob Jones and Tony Dawe) and an honorary Oscar for Onna White.
‘Chicago’ (2002)

Picture Credit score: Everett

It could be 34 years after Oliver! gained greatest image earlier than one other musical acquired the consideration. Chicago, directed by Rob Marshall and starring Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere, was based mostly on Bob Fosse’s Broadway musical of the identical title, which itself was based mostly on Maureen Dallas Watkins’ Broadway play of the identical title. Invoice Condon wrote the screenplay, which informed the story of two murderers — a housewife (Zellweger) and a vaudeville star (Zeta-Jones) — as they get locked up, go on trial and search fame. The movie additionally gained Oscars for greatest supporting actress (Zeta-Jones), greatest artwork path (John Myhre and Gordon Sim), customized design (Colleen Atwood), movie modifying (Martin Walsh) and sound (Michael Minkler, Dominick Tavella and David Lee).