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"Crazy World"
Several big-budget screen musicals lost millions in the early
1980s, leaving behind a litany of titles that still cause heads to shake in
Hollywood. Some were hopelessly bad ideas, but two were stage hits demolished by
acclaimed directors who simply had no idea how to film a musical:
- Can't Stop the Music (1980) featured
the Village People, a posse of non-singing celebrities, a disco score and a
production that overstepped the line between camp and idiocy.
- The charmless Grease 2 (1982) became the
latest in an unbroken line of disastrous musical sequels. (Would Hollywood
never learn?)
- Pink Floyd - The Wall (1982) was a hit
with a limited audience, but this series of rock songs was more a precursor of
music videos than a musical.
- Legendary director John Huston decided to try his
hand at musicals, turning the international stage smash Annie (1982)
into a costly embarrassment. He had beloved comedienne Carol Burnett
play Miss Hannigan as a hateful villain, a serious misjudgment.
- Sir Richard Attenborough's adaptation of A Chorus
Line (1985) drained every ounce of inspiration from one of the most dynamic
Broadway musicals of its time.
In
an eerie re-enactment of the early 1930s, as soon as the film musical was proclaimed
dead by most industry executives, the genre started kicking its way out of the grave.
The Muppets: "The Rainbow
Connection"
Jim Henson 's Muppets had been entertaining Americans on television since
the 1950s, winning their greatest acclaim on Sesame Street and The Muppet
Show (1976-81). By 1980, the Muppets could claim an audience of 235 million viewers
in over 100 countries. Henson took things a step further and brought the Muppets to the
big screen, with the most successful new screen couple since Mickey Rooney and Judy
Garland. That the couple in question was a frog and a pig only added to their
appeal.
The Muppet Movie (1979) featured the loveable frog Kermit
and the irrepressible Miss Piggy as the romantic leads. It was an international success
and the song "Rainbow Connection" became a standard. Two more Muppet musicals
followed. The Great Muppet Caper (1981) and The Muppets Take Manhattan
(1984) did well, appealing to both kids and adults with a stylish blend of comedy and
sentiment. Henson focused his energies on non-musical fantasy films until his untimely
death in 1990. His son Brian directed a new series of successful musicals including
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) and The Muppet Treasure Island (1996).
Victor/Victoria: "Try To Hang On To Hope"
Victor/Victoria (1982) was the best original screen musical since Gigi.
It told the story of "a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman" in the
nightclubs of Paris in the 1930s. That the film dealt with the touchy issue of sexual identity
made its success all the more remarkable. Director Blake Edwards (best remembered for his
Pink Panther films) provided a witty screenplay and memorable visual gags.
Even without songs, Victor/Victoria would have been a first-rate comedy, but
wonderful songs by composer Henry Mancini and lyricist Leslie Bricusse made
the film all the grander. Julie Andrews
(Edwards' wife) provided the star power, giving one of the funniest performances
of her career. From the uproarious "Le Jazz Hot" to the introspective
"Crazy World," she was in top form. When
Robert Preston joined Andrews for
"You and Me" or took center screen for an uproarious drag finale,
it was pure magic. It was also the last great live-action musical film of the 20th
Century. Although this film was independently produced, many moviegoers were pleased
to see it was distributed by the once legendary home of screen musicals, MGM.
Ashman & Menken: "The Meek Shall Inherit"
The new golden age of animated musicals began when the stage musical Little
Shop of Horrors opened at a small Off-Broadway theatre in 1982.
Composer Alan Menken and lyricist/librettist
Howard Ashman turned Roger Corman's campy
horror film into a wickedly funny, family-friendly musical hit. When they adapted it
for the screen in 1986 (directed by veteran Muppeteer Frank Oz), the results were even
more entertaining, capturing the humorous sense of fantasy that most stage and screen
musicals seemed to have lost. Ashman and Menken moved on to separate unsuccessful
stage projects, but Little Shop did not go unnoticed.
At the Disney studio, the new regime of Disney CEO Michael
Eisner, Vice Chairman Roy Disney and Studio Chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg decided to rebuild
their animation team. The Great Mouse Detective (1986) looked great but
had an unimpressive score. Remembering the success of Little Shop, Disney and
Katzenberg brought in Ashman to add sparkle to Oliver & Company (1988).
The real change came when they re-teamed Ashman with composer Menken to
create a top-quality score for the studio's next animated feature.
The Little Mermaid (1989) was the
finest animated musical in decades. The classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale was
given a Disney twist with singing sea creatures, a spunky title heroine and a humanoid
octopus as the evil witch. Ashman and Menken's score had a lush, traditional Broadway sound,
and seasoned stage performers were brought in to make the most of every number. The ballad
"Part of Your World" was worthy of any stage hit, and "Under the Sea"
was the bounciest old-school "showstopper" in a generation.
Disney's Little Mermaid became the surprise hit of the year, grossing over
100 million dollars -- and several times that figure when it hit home
video. It received Oscars for Best Song ("Under the Sea") and
Best Original Score, won Grammys for its best-selling soundtrack CD, and inspired a
successful animated TV series. Ashman and Menken were given the go ahead for more
projects. Their efforts would make animated musicals one of the most profitable genres
in the decade ahead.
Once again, musical film was back from the dead.
Next: Film 1990s
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