Carousel is a 1956 American drama fantasy musical film based on the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical of the same name, which in turn was based on Ferenc Molnár's 1909 non-musical play Liliom. The film stars Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones, and was directed by Henry King. Like the original stage production, the film contains what many critics consider some of Rodgers and Hammerstein's most beautiful songs, as well as what may be, along with the plots of Allegro, South Pacific, and The King and I, the most serious storyline found in their musicals.
Plot[]
The story revolves around Billy Bigelow, a rough-talking, macho, handsome carousel barker, and Julie Jordan, a young, innocent mill worker, both living their busy lives in the small town of Boothbay Harbor, Maine. They fall in love, but are fired from their jobs for different reasons: Billy, because he paid too much attention to Julie and incurred the wrath of the jealous carousel owner Mrs. Mullin; and Julie, because she stayed out past the curfew imposed by the understanding but stern mill owner, Mr. Bascombe.
Billy and Julie marry and go to live at the seaside spa of her cousin Nettie. Julie admits that Billy, frustrated and bitter because he can't find work, has started hitting her. Mrs. Mullin hears of this and goes to Nettie's to offer Billy his job back, but will not re-hire him unless he leaves his wife. Billy seems to consider the idea when Julie asks to speak with him privately. Fearing he will be enraged, Julie timidly tells him she is pregnant. But Billy is overjoyed and firmly refuses Mrs. Mullin's offer. However, newly worried about not having enough money to provide for his child, and inexperienced at anything else, Billy secretly agrees to join his pal Jigger Craigin in robbing the wealthy Bascombe.
During a clambake on a nearby island, Billy and Jigger sneak onto the mainland to commit the robbery, but Bascombe, who is usually unarmed, carries a gun and the robbery is foiled. While Bascombe is momentarily distracted, Jigger flees and leaves Billy at the mercy of the police. Cornered, Billy climbs atop a pile of crates, but they collapse and Billy falls on his own knife. The others return from the clambake, and Julie sees the mortally wounded Billy. She rushes to him and he dies after saying his last words to her. Julie is devastated because she truly loved him, even though she never had the courage to say it out loud.
Fifteen years later, in the other world (apparently the back door of Heaven), Billy is told that he can return to Earth for one day to make amends. Billy returns to find his daughter Louise emotionally scarred because she is constantly taunted over the fact that her father tried to commit a robbery. Not telling her who he is, Billy makes himself visible, tries to cheer her up, and gives her a star that he stole from Heaven. Louise refuses it, frightened, and Billy, in desperation, slaps her hand. She rushes inside the house and informs Julie of what happened, saying that she did not feel a slap, but a kiss. Billy tries to make himself invisible before Julie can see him, but she has glimpsed him for just a split second, and senses that he has come back for a reason. Billy asks his Heavenly Guide for permission to go to Louise's high school graduation, and there he silently gives both Louise and Julie the confidence they need and the knowledge that, in spite of everything, he did love Julie.
Cast[]
- Gordon MacRae as Billy Bigelow
- Shirley Jones as Julie Jordan
- Cameron Mitchell as Jigger Craigin
- Barbara Ruick as Carrie Pipperidge
- Claramae Turner as Cousin Nettie Fowler
- Gene Lockhart as the Starkeeper and Dr. Seldon
- Audrey Christie as Mrs. Mullin
- Robert Rounseville as Enoch Snow
- John Dehner as Mr. Bascombe
- Susan Luckey as Louise Bigelow
- Jacques d'Amboise as the Starlight Carnival barker
- William LeMassena as the Heavenly Friend
- Tor Johnson as Strong Man (uncredited)
Soundtrack album[]
- Main article: Carousel (soundtrack)
The soundtrack album was first issued on vinyl LP in 1956 by Capitol Records, but only in mono. However, because the film's soundtrack had been recorded in then state-of-the-art stereo, as all Cinemascope films were back then, it was possible for Capitol to release a stereo version of the album in 1958, after stereo records became a reality. The later release was shortened by about five minutes, by abridging the opening instrumental "Carousel Waltz" due to technical limitations imposed by the then-new format. The mono release, as originally issued, played for about 50 minutes, while the stereo one played for 45.
A large team of orchestrators lent their expertise to the complex musical arrangements recorded for the soundtrack: Nelson Riddle, Herbert W. Spencer, Earle Hagen, Edward B. Powell (responsible for "If I Loved You"), Bernard Mayer and Gus Levene.
Three editions of the soundtrack album were issued on compact disc, all in stereo. The first, issued in 1986 by Capitol, was an exact duplicate of the 1958 stereo release. The rights then were obtained by Angel Records, who issued a second edition of the album, this time featuring the complete "Carousel Waltz" in stereo for the first time, along with all of the other songs included on the previous CD and vinyl incarnations. This album was superseded in 2001 by Angel's 'expanded edition' of the soundtrack, which, for the first time, featured practically all of the songs and music recorded for the film, including the dance music, resulting in a playing time of 70 minutes, as opposed to the original 45-minute stereo vinyl and CD pressings.
Under the vocal direction of Ken Darby, the songs and performers on the expanded edition of the album are:
- "Introduction" – Gordon MacRae/William Le Massena (this is the opening pre-credits sequence, consisting of spoken dialogue)
- "Main Title: The Carousel Waltz" – 20th Century-Fox Orchestra/Alfred Newman (about five minutes after the "Main Title" ends, a slightly longer version of the "Carousel Waltz" is heard - this time during the scene showing Julie and Billy's first meeting in the amusement park; but possibly to avoid repetition, this second playing of the waltz was not included in the soundtrack album. However, "Carousel Waltz" is heard again in the track "Louise's Ballet")
- "You're A Queer One, Julie Jordan" – Barbara Ruick/Shirley Jones
- "(When I Marry) Mr. Snow" – Barbara Ruick
- "If I Loved You" – Shirley Jones/Gordon MacRae
- "June Is Bustin' Out All Over" – Claramae Turner/Barbara Ruick and Chorus (leads without a pause into)
- "June Is Bustin' Out All Over Ballet" – 20th Century-Fox Orchestra/Newman
- "Soliloquy" – Gordon MacRae
- "Blow High, Blow Low" – Cameron Mitchell and Men's Chorus
- "When The Children Are Asleep" – Robert Rounseville/Barbara Ruick
- "A Real Nice Clambake" – Barbara Ruick/Claramae Turner/Robert Rounseville/Cameron Mitchell and Chorus
- "Stonecutters Cut It On Stone" – Cameron Mitchell and Chorus
- "What's The Use Of Wond'rin?" – Shirley Jones and Women's Chorus
- "You'll Never Walk Alone" – Shirley Jones/Claramae Turner
- "Louise's Ballet" – Orchestra/Newman
- "If I Loved You" (reprise) – Gordon MacRae
- "You'll Never Walk Alone" (Finale) – Shirley Jones and Chorus
- "Carousel Waltz" (album version) – Orchestra/Newman (an additional track that contains the full eight-minute "Carousel Waltz").
External links[]
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This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The article or pieces of the original article was at Carousel (film). The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with 20th Century Studios Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License. |
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