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Song of the Day #4,441: ‘Ol’ Man River’ – Paul Robeson

Continuing my personal ranking of the 25 movie musicals deemed essential by the American Film Institute…

#14. Show Boat – 1936
(#24 on the AFI list)

Most of the 25 movies on this list were pretty easy to find, either included on streaming services or available for rent. A couple of these titles proved more difficult to watch, including director James Whale’s 1936 film, Show Boat.

I almost watched the 1951 version of the film by accident (it’s easily streamed) before a second look at AFI’s list revealed that they singled out the 1936 release. My wife started an amusing debate by suggesting I just watch that one instead.

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Song of the Day #4,440: ‘The Ballad of John and Yoko’ – The Beatles

This is a wacky coincidence. I spun the dial on the old Random iTunes Generator just minutes after finishing a 90-minute podcast on the real story behind Yoko Ono’s role in The Beatles’ breakup, and lo and behold, I’m served up ‘The Ballad of John and Yoko.’

The podcast, called You’re Wrong About, features journalists Sarah Marshall and Michael Hobbes digging into topics that have been widely misunderstood. That includes serious issues like sex trafficking and murder rates, and lighter fare such as, well, Yoko’s role in The Beatles’ breakup.

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Song of the Day #4,439: ‘That Teenage Feeling’ – Neko Case

I was surprised to see that I hadn’t featured this song on the blog already. It’s one of my favorite tracks on one of my favorite albums, Neko Case’s 2006 Fox Confessor Brings the Flood.

It turns out I’ve blogged about a third of the album’s 12 tracks, but never this one.

‘That Teenage Feeling’ is short and sweet, and it captures the yearning spirit of this album better than almost any song on it.

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Song of the Day #4,438: ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ – Judy Garland

Continuing my personal ranking of the 25 movie musicals deemed essential by the American Film Institute…

#15. The Wizard of Oz – 1939
(#3 on the AFI list)

The Wizard of Oz is probably the most famous and beloved film on this list, a classic family entertainment that has been watched and treasured by multiple generations.

Watching it for what must have been the first time all the way through since I was a child, its most famous scenes felt instantly familiar. In fact, it was difficult to appreciate it as a cohesive movie rather than a collection of classic pop culture moments.

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Song of the Day #4,437: ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy’ – James Cagney

Continuing my personal ranking of the 25 movie musicals deemed essential by the American Film Institute…

#16. Yankee Doodle Dandy – 1942
(#18 on the AFI list)

I’ve gotten the most joy out of watching the older movies on AFI’s list of essential musicals. Though I didn’t plan it this way, I’ll feature six of the seven movies released before 1950 over the next six days, and every one is a treasure.

Yankee Doodle Dandy is the first James Cagney film I’ve ever seen. Prior to this, my exposure to his work was limited to the reenactment of Public Enemy staged at Disney World’s Great Movie Ride. I thought of him as an old-timey gangster, and indeed he was typecast in those roles early in his career.

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