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 Carousel 1956

• Director: Henry King
• Seen by this director: David and Bathsheba
• Based on the book: no
• Cast: Gordon McRae, Shirley Jones, Cameron Mitchell, Barbara Ruick, Claramae Turner, Robert Rounseville, Gene Lockhart, Audrey Christie, Susan Luckey
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Gordon McRae – Oklahoma
• Shirley Jones – The Music Man, Pepe, Elmer Gantry, Oklahoma
• Susan Luckey – The Music Man
• Why? It’s a musical.
• Seen: Once before. Now 14 December 2021      

       When I was a kid, this was one of the soundtrack LPs I played a lot. I didn’t have a clue what it was about. When I saw the film as an adult, I was disappointed and angered to realise that in the story the abused wife makes excuses for her violent husband because she loves him.

       Billy (McCrae) is a carousel barker who charms naïve Julie (Jones), a mill worker. He’s a loud-mouthed, obnoxious misogynist bully but she marries him anyway. She loves him. Yech.

       Even for the 50s, this is too much. It’s got every gender stereotype in the world. Even the songs are so sugary they make my teeth hurt. It follows the formula of many musicals but is completely devoid of the cleverness and humour of, say, Oklahoma.

       It’s the weakest, by far, of my childhood musicals. But OK, it gets nostalgia points. I still remember the song lyrics, more’s the pity.

      

1 ½ * of 5.