This film is an atrocity

The corn is as high as an elephant's eye, all right...what unmitigated claptrappy hokum. But I've never been a fan of the American musical shuckin', grinnin' and jivin' "common man" stuff. Gordon McRae is an embarrassment.And there's maybe two and a half songs in this whole mishmosh that can rightly be called real songs. Plus the costumes are hardly 1870's authentic, and the whole thing looks shot in Hollywood on sets. I agree totally with the original poster.

I think sadly this is a film that has not aged well but the simple fact remains that the R&H score and songs are superb - probably their best ever.

I feel that there is a problem with the direction of the film that left it stilted and slow. I have seen it on the stage and the whole thing sits far better than it does on the film. There was much more comedy in evidence in the stage play that has been totally lost in the film which concentrates too much on Julie and Billy and therefore loses much of the quailty in the supporting roles.

I had heard they were going to remake it a few years ago with Hugh Jackman which I was intersted in seeing but it does seem to have happened.

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Let's address icyrain's points one at a time:

It doesn't even work as a play. Really! My opinion is that it is the most popular play of all time. I was on Youtube recently and keyed in Carousel Musical. I then browsed 25 pages of hits. I really don't know how many pages there are in total. Most of the videos were from high schools, colleges, universities, and other amateur organizations putting on Carousel. So, a little disagreement on your first point.

Awful songs. Is that so! Richard Rodgers said it was his most favorite musical. The songs rival the best ever written. I don't think I have ever been to a graduation ceremony in the U.S. where they did not sing You'll Never Walk Alone. If I Loved You is a timeless song that is some ways is operatic. The Carousel Waltz is one of Rodger's greatest pieces. Browse Youtube and you will find many people have submitted videos of Mr. Snow. It is simply a very beautiful melody.

Terrible acting. Did you really mean this? The acting, while not great, was far from terrible.

Plotless story. The story does have a plot into which the music and dancing is seamlessly interwoven. In a way, it's more like opera. The plot is told through the music. We did not need a courtship from Julie and Billy after the If I Loved You number. The music went directly to the heart.

Snow guy has the worse voice ever. This point is not even worth addressing. Robert Rounseville was an operatic singer and well suited for the role of Mr. Snow.

Movie is a total waste of time. As many people have already stated, you have a right to your own opinion.

I don't agree I'm afraid. While not the best of all of the Rodgers-Hammerstein movie musicals(Sound of Music), Carousel is still for me a splendid movie. I think the songs are amazing, You'll Never Walk Alone is one of the best songs in a Rodgers-Hammerstein musical in my opinion, the production values are wonderful, the choreography particularly Louise's ballet is sparkling and both Gordon McRae and Shirley Jones are superb. Xanadu, Can't Stop the Music, Grease 2, Mame, A Chorus Line and The Wiz are far worse musicals than Carousel, the first three especially have terrible music and Mame has some of the worst singing in a movie musical(Lucille Ball being the worst offender) which Carousel does not.









"Life after death is as improbable as sex after marriage"- Madeline Kahn(CLUE, 1985)

Definitely the worst movie musical ever made--It doesn't even work as a play--Awful songs, terrible acting,plotless story,and that Snow guy has the worse voice ever--movie is a total waste of time

Carousel is a beautiful film. The story line is dated and Billy is not at all appealing in 2012. But, when I first saw this film in 1956... I was overwhelmed with emotion.

The musical numbers and songs are flawless. And "Julie" is written as character true to the time in which the story takes place. So think Julie weak and Billy an abuser, but the film is a masterpiece.

Carousel hates you, too.