Search - The Rodgers & Hammerstein Collection (The Sound of Music / The King and I / Oklahoma! / South Pacific / State Fair / Carousel) on DVD

True American musical films classics!

Lowell S. Harris | 06/16/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The films in this collection are truly some of the most memorable films of the American musical genre. These are movies with great stories set to music, song and dance which have lived on in our culture for many years. Who can forget the images of Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr dancing around the palace in The King and I? Or Gordon MacRae and Rod Steiger lamented the death of poor ol' Jud Fry while contesting for the attention Shirley Jones' Laurey? Or how about Rossano Brazzi serenading Mitzi Gaynor on one enchanted evening? Certainly everyone remembers Julie Andrews singing her way into the heart of Christopher Plummer and the von Trapp children as her voice soared above the Austrian Alps. The travels of the farm-raised Frake to the Iowa State Fair are accompanied my much fun and romance. And MacRae and Jones team up again in the beautifully-filmed and heartfelt Carousel.These films, as much as the songs that made them famous, are a legacy from Rogers and Hammerstein to all of us. Born originally from theatrical stage productions, each has an individual beauty and identity that makes them impossible to ignore. Those who have been fortunate enough to see these works performed on the stage know well what I mean and can share the joy and wonder that I first felt hearing my mother play recordings of these musicals when I was growing up. As much as any other, I highly recommend this collection of films. If you ever saw these films, you will appreciate making them part of your collection!"

It's Some Enchanted Evening

forrie | 01/14/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The collaboration of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein 2nd was for the 20th century what the genius of William Shakespeare was in the Bard's time. As the two songwriters moved from other collaborators to create what became "Oklahoma!" they took theater to a new height, by turning the musical play into the most effective, persuasive form of entertainment conceivable. (That is until the death of Hammerstein, and the inability of today's craftsmen of musicals to really understand the revolutionary nature of Rodgers and Hammerstein, the evolution of song styles, and the inability of the musical of today to associate itself with the popular music of our time.) These are the film versions of their major plays, and the 1945 version of "State Fair." For the most part, these are very good adaptations of the stage works, finally presented in their widescreen format so the viewer can see what it was that awed the audience of the 1950s. "Oklahoma!" is the Todd-AO version which, until now, had never been presented outside its initial 1955 theatrical release in specially-equipped theaters. "South Pacific," which like "Oklahoma!" Rodgers and Hammerstein produced themselves, finally gives the viewer the spectacular view of the Hawaiian scenery that supports the film. And, perhaps because it is widescreen (or perhaps because the 2001 remake stunk so bad), the film really seems finally to work for the home viewer, colored filters and all. In fact, the widescreen ratio of the film seems to make the colored filters of "South Pacific" less jarring. Some of the DVD's in this collection contain the original theatrical trailers, while others do not. "The Sound of Music" is a two-disc set which has more than enough supplemental material to please anyone. The problem is, "The Sound of Music," with all its niceness, has given Rodgers and Hammerstein a bad rap. All of their major works deal with political strife, murder,racism, war, death, or culture clashes. When Hammerstein's book and lyrics are coupled with Rodgers' music, they're able to present the most-effective indictments of whatever cause they're taking on. Rodgers and Hammerstein is not all bright copper kettles. The plays are about the dark side of humanity, and about that dark side eventually losing because of the basic human spirit. Characters in these plays and films are transformed much the way Prince Hal is transformed into King Henry. Any student of drama, music, literature, theater, or political science would be well-advised to study these films, learn from them, and then master their craft."