Carousel Overview:

Carousel (1956) was a Musical - Drama Film directed by Henry King and produced by Henry Ephron.

SYNOPSIS

Time (and a spectacular new Broadway staging) has been kind to the memory of this widescreen, deluxe Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. MacRae brings a blustery energy to the role of Billy Bigelow, an ill-fated carny barker. The troubled soul finally settles down with a good woman (Jones), and then gets killed during a robbery. But the angels are merciful and Bigelow returns to Earth to make good with his wife and daughter. The Broadway musical was based on a Molnar play, Liliom. In 1930, Frank Borzage produced a screen version starring Charles Farrell. Fritz Lang filmed a French version in 1935 (his first film after fleeing Nazi Germany), which starred Charles Boyer.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

.

BlogHub Articles:

Carousel (1956)

on May 21, 2014 From Journeys in Classic Film

Either Oklahoma! set the bar so high I’m unable to watch the other Rodgers and Hammerstein movies in their proper context, or there’s just several?subpar shows which were adapted to film. ?The King and I, for all the problems I had with it, held my interest in the areas of set design and... Read full article


See all Carousel articles

Quotes from

Billy Bigelow: To be perfectly honest with you...
Starkeeper: I WOULD be, if I were you.
Billy Bigelow: All right - I didn't mind livin' off her
[Julie's]
Billy Bigelow: cousin Nettie. It was just having nothin' to do that drove me crazy.


Billy Bigelow: I just couldn't get the hang of being married.
Starkeeper: Was that Julie's fault?
Billy Bigelow: No, but maybe it wasn't my fault either.


Starkeeper: Simmer down now, Billy; you're forgettin' - here there *is* no time; this is the beginning and the end.


read more quotes from Carousel...

Facts about

There is a mistaken belief held by some that "Carousel" was filmed in separate versions - 55mm and 35mm. This is not true. The 55mm print was converted to 35mm, unlike Oklahoma!, which was literally filmed twice, once in 70mm and once in 35mm.
Judy Garland, who was fresh from A Star Is Born, was considered for the role of Julie Jordan, although that never materialized.
In 1956, Twentieth Century-Fox had two Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II films in release - this film and The King and I, as well as the CinemaScope version of Oklahoma!. "Carousel", although a critical success, was a box-office failure (probably because of its very serious, downbeat plot), while "The King and I" was a smash hit both critically and financially. Because of this, Fox put all of its Oscar campaign clout behind "The King and I". The result was that "The King and I" was nominated for, and received, several Oscars, while "Carousel" became one of only two Rodgers and Hammerstein films to be completely shut out of the Academy Awards (the other being the critically savaged and unsuccessful 1962 remake of "State Fair"). Conductor and music supervisor Alfred Newman led the orchestra for both "Carousel" and "The King and I", and won for the latter film. One of "Carousel"'s art directors, Lyle R. Wheeler, and one of its set decorators, Walter M. Scott, also worked on "The King and I", and, like Newman, won Oscars for tha
read more facts about Carousel...
Share this page:
Visit the Classic Movie Hub Blog CMH
Also directed by Henry King




More about Henry King >>
Related Lists
Create a list



See All Related Lists >>
Also released in 1956




See All 1956 films >>
More "Based on Play" films



See All "Based on Play" films >>