Musicals on the Silver Screen

September 15, 2013
Beginning with 1928's The Jazz Singer and ending with 2011's The Artist, Kniffel's overview of movie musicals offers a fresh and entertaining look at more than 450 examples of the genre. Kniffel, former editor of American Libraries, is an unabashed fan of musicals, and the annotations here feature his often exuberant personal views on their various film versions. (Example: the entry for Xanadu ends with How could I not want to watch my all-time dancing idol Gene Kelly, looking great at 68 and cavorting around with Olivia Newton-John? Their fantasy dance with her in uniform is lovely. ) The book is divided into eight chronological sections, and the brief (paragraph-long) annotations highlight memorable scenes, notable actors, and fun facts. Coverage ranges from classics (e.g., Brigadoon, Fantasia, Holiday Inn), modern adaptations (Annie, Cabaret, La Bamba, The Wiz), and oddities (including Hedwig and the Angry Inch and The Rocky Horror Picture Show). This volume is a quick read and will be a delight for fans of movie musicals everywhere, who will likely find unknown gems to savor.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)