Vincente Minnelli is responsible for so much more than classic musicals, but that’s the genre for which he’ll always be best known. Watching the best scenes from those films, it’s easy to see why.
If I had to limit myself to one song and/or dance scene per Minnelli musical, I’d rank them like this (links provided where available):
Yesterday I listed the notable actresses who appeared in Vincente Minnelli’s films, so today is reserved for the actors.
Fred Astaire and Kirk Douglas appeared in three Minnelli films apiece, but his most frequent collaborator was Gene Kelly, who starred in four. Douglas received Best Actor nominations for two Minnelli films (1952’s The Bad and the Beautiful and 1956’s Lust for Life) but went home empty-handed both times. You’d think a biopic about the life of Vincent Van Gogh would have made for an easy Oscar win.
Continuing my personal ranking of the 25 movie musicals deemed essential by the American Film Institute…
#4. The Sound of Music – 1965
(#4 on the AFI list)
My biggest blind spot going into this project. I wrote about my newfound love for The Sound of Music when I kicked off this series back in June.
#3. Meet Me in St. Louis – 1945
(#10 on the AFI list)
My biggest surprise. I knew next to nothing about this beautiful film before watching it, except that it featured one of my all-time favorite songs, ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.’ Now it’s one of my favorite musicals.
Continuing my personal ranking of the 25 movie musicals deemed essential by the American Film Institute…
#21. An American in Paris – 1951
(#9 on the AFI list)
An American in Paris goes down as one of my biggest disappointments. Not that it’s bad, but I had very high expectations. One of five movies on the list to win Best Picture, one of three by acclaimed director Vincente Minnelli, and one of three to star the peerless Gene Kelly, this movie seemed destined for my personal top ten.
Meet Me In Montauk 