Musical Film Index

Musical Film Index: L

**** - Exceptional
*** - Very good entertainment
** - Mediocre
* - Just plain bad
NO STARS - Beyond bad

La Conga Nights (1940)
Ladies Man (1947)
Ladies of the Chorus (1948)
Ladies of the Chorus (1949) * - Marilyn Monroe as a burlesque dancer. Luckily, she went on to far better things.
Lady and the Tramp (1955) **** - Disney's animated classic about a suburban cocker spaniel in love with a street mutt. Fun score and an unforgettable spaghetti dinner make this a joy.
Lady Be Good (1941) *** - Story of fictional songwriting couple becomes a pleasant excuse to bring together stellar cast and songs by various composers.
Lady In the Dark (1944) ** - Ginger Rogers in lavish but weak version of yet another Weill stage hit.
Lady Let's Dance (1944)
Lady Objects, The (1938)
Lady Sings the Blues (1972) ** - Rotten screenplay, but fans of Diana Ross may enjoy her as jazz legend Billie Holiday.
Lady's Morals, A (1930)
Lake Placid Serenade (1944) * - Weak ice skating musical set in upstate New York winter resort.
Larceny With Music (1943)
Las Vegas Nights (1941)
Laughing Irish Eyes (1936)
Leadbelly (1976)
Leathernecking (1930)
Les Girls (1957) *** - This underrated Cole Porter musical has Gene Kelly as a nightclub performer who trifles with all three of his female back-up singers. Weak score, fun screenplay.
Let Freedom Ring (1938)
Let's Dance (1950) ** - Even Fred Astaire is not able to make up for another annoying performance by Betty Hutton.
Let's Do It Again (1953) ** - Divorcees Jane Wyman and Ray Milland try to ruin each other's love lives – dull musical version of The Awful Truth.
Let's Face It (1943) ** - Bob Hope stars in this de-fanged adaptation of the wartime Broadway hit about soldiers hired as male escorts.
Let's Fall in Love (1934)
Let's Go Native (1930)
Let's Go Places (1930)
Let's Go Steady (1945)
Let's Make Love (1960) * - Yves Montand out to get Marilyn Monroe -- all sides lose.
Let's Make Music (1940) ** - One of Bing Crosby's weakest vehicles has him as a bandleader wooing a high school teacher.
Let's Make Music (1941)
Let's Rock (1958) * - Let's not. Pop singer Julius LaRosa refuses to switch over to rock n' roll.
Let's Sing Again (1936)
Life Begins in College (1937)
Life of the Party, The (1930)
Life of the Party, The (1937)
Li'l Abner (1959) *** - Fun version of the Broadway musical based on Al Capp's popular comic strip. Stubby Kaye steals it all as Marryin' Sam.
Lili (1953)**** - Leslie Caron is a naive girl who finds new life and romance performing with a circus puppet show. Enchanting semi-musical, includes hit song "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo."
Lillian Russell (1940) *** - Alice Fay portrays the curvaceous stage star of the early 1900s, with Edward Arnold memorable as Diamond Jim Brady.
Linda Be Good (1947)
Lion King, The (1994) *** - Disney triumphed yet again with this tale of a young lion growing up to reclaim his heritage. Tim Rice & Elton John provided the score.
Listen Darling (1938)
Little Bit of Heaven, A (1940) ** - A little girl sings her way out of poverty.
Little Johnny Jones (1929) - Cohan's 1904 stage hit was revised to death, with only two of the original songs and almost none of the plot.
Little Mermaid, The (1989) **** - Disney's spectacular adaptation of the Andersen fairy tale initiated a new golden age of animated musical film. The Oscar-winning Ashman-Menken score is pure magic.
Little Miss Broadway (1938) ** - Shirley Temple energizes Edna May Oliver's theatrical boarding house -- so-so.
Little Miss Broadway (1947)
Little Miss Marker (1934)
Little Nellie Kelly (1940) *** - Judy Garland patches up a family squabble in this adaptation of a George M. Cohan stage hit.
Little Night Music, A (1977) ** - Elizabeth Taylor stars, but this film version of Sondheim's stage hit is surprisingly clumsy and disappointing. Best moments come from Diana Rigg as the randy dragoon's long-suffering wife.
Little Prince, The (1975) ** - Stellar cast a Lerner & Loewe score can't save this dreary adaptation of the popular children's tale.
Little Shop of Horrors (1986) **** - Superb adaptation of the hilarious off-Broadway hit, with a man-eating plant threatening to take over the world. The Ashman-Menken score rocks!
Living In a Big Way (1947)
Living It Up (1954)
Look For the Silver Lining (1949)
Lord Byron of Broadway (1929)
Lost Horizon (1973) * - One or two decent songs can't save this infamous disaster based on the Frank Capra classic -- must be seen to be believed.
Lost In the Stars (1974) ** - Uneasy adaptation of Kurt Weill's stage musical about racism in South Africa.
Lottery Bride, The (1930) ** - A Canadian wins Jeanette MacDonald in a lottery. Lifeless score, and dull overall.
Lottery Lover (1935)
Louisiana Purchase (1942) *** - Corrupt politics in New Orleans, an Irving Berlin score, and clowning courtesy of Bob Hope and Victor Moore.
Love and Hisses (1938)
Love and Learn (1947)
Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)
Love In Bloom (1935)
Love in the Rough (1930)
Love Me Forever (1935)
Love Me or Leave Me (1955) *** - Solid entertainment with Doris Day as singer Ruth Etting, and James Cagney as her controlling gangster husband.
Love Me Tender (1956) ** - Elvis Presley made his screen debut in this turgid tale of brothers competing for the same girl during the Civil War.
Love Me Tonight (1932)*** - Princess Jeanette MacDonald is wooed by tailor Maurice Chevalier. Great Rodgers & Hart score and innovative direction by Rouben Mamoulian.
Love Parade, The (1929) **** - The first truly delightful screen musical has Jeanette MacDonald as a queen who makes rakish guardsman Maurice Chevalier her consort. Director Ernst Lubitsch pulls it off with his signature flourishes.
Love Thy Neighbor (1940)
Lovely to Look A (1952)t *** - Kathryn Grayson stars in a pleasant remake of Roberta, with some fine Jerome Kern tunes.
Loves Labours Lost (2000) * - Kenneth Branagh tries to spice up one of Shakespeare's weaker comedies with classic 1930s songs. Handsomely produced and well-intended, but embarrassing.
Loving You (1957) ** - Elvis Presley rocks his way from gas station attendant to stardom in what was already becoming a familiar formula.
Loving You (1958) ** - Country boy Elvis Presley rises to fame -- fun for his fans.
Lucky Boy (1929) * - George Jessel in obvious Jazz Singer rip off.
Lucky in Love (1929)
Lucky Me (1954) ** - Doris Day and Phil Silvers cannot resuscitate this lifeless backstager.
Lullaby of Broadway (1951) ** - Doris Day as an actress returning to Broadway. Gene Nelson co-stars. Fun moments.
Lulu Belle (1948)
Luxury Liner (1948)