Musical Film Index

Musical Film Index: S

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

Safety in Numbers (1930)
Sailor Beware (1951) ** - Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis join the Navy, with predictably chaotic results. Funny scenes – one of their less annoying efforts.
Sally (1929) ** - Marilyn Miller in her 1920 stage hit. Mostly dull viewing, but Miller dazzles in the dance sequences.
Sally, Irene and Mary (1938)
Salute Fro Three (1943)
San Antonio Rose (1941)
San Francisco (1936) *** - Singer Jeanette MacDonald woos club owner Clark Gable (with an assist from Father Spencer Tracy). Great earthquake sequence and classic title tune add up to a delightfully corny finale.
Sarge Goes to College (1947)
Saturday Night Feve (1977)r *** - John Travolta as a blue collar kid finding life and love in a disco.
Say It With Songs (1929) * - Radio star Jolson is unjustly jailed for murder. Clumsy, boring attempt at a tear jerker.
Say One for Me (1959) * - Bing Crosby is a theatre district priest out to help showgirl Debbie Reynolds. Talented cast can't overcome one-dimensional script and forgettable score. Very disappointing.
Scared Stiff (1953)
Scatterbrain (1940)
Scott Joplin (1977)
Scrooge (1970) *** - Albert Finney stars in a highly entertaining musical version of Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
Second Chorus (1940) ** - Fred Astaire romances Paulette Goddard. Okay moments, but one of Fred's weaker vehicles.
Second Chorus (1941)
Second Fiddle (1939)
Second Greatest Sex, The (1955) * - Boring musical version of Lysistrata reset in the old West.
See My Lawyer (1945)
Senior Prom (1958) * - Lots of star cameos, but a dud is a dud.
Senorita From the West (1945)
Sensations of 1945 (1944)
Serenade (1956)
Sergeant Deadhead (1965)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) **** - One of the all-time great Hollywood musicals has Jane Powell contending with mountaineer husband Howard Keel and his wife-seeking pack of hunky brothers. Great songs, amazing dance sequences.
Seven Days Ashore (1944)
Seven Days Leave (1942) ** - Victor Mature is a soldier who must marry in order to inherit a fortune. Not as bad as it may sound.
Seven Hills of Rome, The (1958)
Seven Little Foys, The (1955) ** - So-so movie about legendary vaudeville family act, made memorable by a brilliant tabletop dance duet by Bob Hope and James Cagney.
Seven Sweethearts (1942) ** - Kathryn Grayson stars in uninspired story of seven sisters who cannot marry until the oldest gets hitched.
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978) NO STARS - Even classic Beatles tunes can't save this incoherent disgrace.
Shady Lady (1945)
Shake, Rattle and Rock (1956) * - Fats Domino in yet another weak teen rock flick.
Shall We Dance? (1937) **** - Astaire and Rogers fall in love while pretending to be married, all set to a Gershwin score. Dee-licious!
She Couldn't Say No (1930)
She Done Him Wrong (1933) *** - Mae West in fun adaptation of her stage hit Diamond Lil, leading Salvation Army recruit Cary Grant astray.
She Has What It Takes (1943)
She Loves Me Not (1934)
She's a Sweetheart (1944)
She's Back On Broadway (1952)
She's For Me (1943)
She's Working Her Way Through College (1952) ** - Burlesque stripper Virginia Mayo pursues college education, with an assist from professor Ronald Reagan – slim pickings.
Shinbone Alley (1971)
Shine On, Harvest Moon (1944) ** - Ann Sheridan stars in this sanitized bio of vaudeville great Nora Bayes. Could have been worse, but could have been far better too.
Ship Ahoy (1942)
Ship Cafe (1935)
Shipmates Forever (1935)
Shocking Miss Pilgrim, The (1947) ** - Betty Grable as an 1870s business woman. Boring film redeemed somewhat by several lesser Gershwin songs.
Shoot the Works (1934)
Show Boat (1936) **** - Superb screen version of the stage classic, with Broadway legends Helen Morgan and Paul Robeson recreating their signature roles.
Show Boat *** - Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel make this color remake worth seeing, but some things (like Ava Gardner as Julie? Yikes!) are jarring – no match for the 1936 version.
Show Business (1944)
Show of Shows, The (1929)
Showgirl in Hollywood (1930)
Silk Stockings (1957) *** - Cole Porter's witty musical version of Ninotchka offers Cyd Charisse as a Soviet diplomat romanced in Paris by Fred Astaire.
Silver Skates (1943)
Sincerely Yours (1955) * - Liberace as a heterosexual piano virtuoso who loses his hearing? Oy! Hard core Liberace will enjoy the musical sequences.
Sing a Jingle (1944)
Sing and Be Happy (1937)
Sing Another Chorus (1941)
Sing Baby, Sing (1936)
Sing Boy Sing (1958)
Sing Dance Plenty Hot (1940)
Sing Me a Love Song (1936)
Sing While You Dance (1946)
Sing You Sinners (1938)
Sing Your Way Home (1945) * - Jack Haley shepherds teenagers home to US after WW II. Waterlogged nonsense.
Sing Your Worries Away (1942) * - Show business types square off against racketeers, and the audience loses.
Singin' in the Corn (1946) * - Judy Canova in the desert. "Corn" is no match for "Rain."
Singin' in the Rain (1952) **** - Gene Kelly is a silent film star learning to live with sound, with an assist from Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor. Hollywood's all-time best musical comedy!
Singing Fool, The (1928) * - A show biz vocalist is torn between his career and his "sonny boy." The top-grossing film of the 1920's, this is painfully cornball
Singing Kid, The (1936)
Singing Marine, The (1937)
Singing Nun, The (1966) *** - Debbie Reynolds shines as a guitar-playing nun who rose to musical stardom. Corny, but surprisingly enjoyable.
Singing Sheriff, The (1944)
Sis' Hopkins (1941)
Sitting On the Moon (1936)
Sitting Pretty (1933) ** - Easygoing fun with Jack Haley and Jack Oakie as NY songwriters who come to Hollywood finding success & romance. Ginger Rogers sings "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?"
Six Lessons From Madame La Zonga (1941)
Skirts Ahoy! (1952) ** - Esther Williams and stellar supporting cast help this waterlogged tale of military ladies.
Sky's the Limit, The (1943) *** - Air Force pilot Fred Astaire woos Joan Leslie. Great songs and dance sequences make this an underrated pleasure.
Sleeping Beauty (1959) **** - Disney's visually ravishing animated classic has a great Tchaikovsky-inspired score.
Sleepy Lagoon (1943)
Sleepytime Gal (1942)
Slightly French (1949)
Slightly Scandalous (1946)
Slightly Terrific (1944)
Slipper and the Rose, The (1976) ** - Lavish retelling of Cinderella has some okay Sherman Brothers songs, but is ultimately uninspired.
Small Town Girl (1953) ** - So-so love story is stolen by supporting players Ann Miller and Bobby Van in some knockout production numbers.
Smilin' Through (1941) *** - Often re-filmed multi-generational romance stars Jeanette MacDonald and future real-life hubby Gene Raymond
Smiling Lieutenant, The (1931) *** - Soldier Maurice Chevalier is married to princess Miriam Hopkins but actually loves Claudette Colbert -- Ernst Lubitsch makes it all sparkle
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) **** - The first of Disney's full-length animated musicals remains a timeless treasure for audiences of all ages.
Snow White and the Three Stooges (1961) ** - The Three Stooges in an ice skating musical? Okay for the kiddies, but sober adults be warned.
So Dear to My Heart (1948) *** - Live action Disney tuner about a boy and his sheep, works thanks to good cast, charming score and a few animated sequences.
So Long Letty (1930)
So This is College (1929)
So This Is Love: The Grace Moore Story (1953) * - Kathryn Grayson stars in this weak bio of the operatic diva who triumphed in Hollywood.
So This Is Paris (1954) ** - Gene Nelson is the only reason to catch this tale of sailors on leave in France.
So This Is Paris (1955) * - Weak rip-off of On the Town.
Sombrero (1953) * - A few decent musical moments cannot save this cheesy love story set in Mexico.
Some Like It Hot (1939) * - No relation to the Billy Wilder masterpiece; Bob Hope considered this his worst film.
Somebody Loves Me (1952)
Something for the Boys (1944) ** - Weak version of Cole Porter's stage hit. Without Merman, what was the point?
Something in the Wind (1947) ** - Some laughs, with Deanna Durbin as a singing disc jockey.
Something to Shout About (1943) ** - A Cole Porter score gets buried in this worn out backstage musical.
Something to Sing About (1937)
Son Of Paleface (1952)
Song and Dance Man, The (1936)
Song For Miss Julie, A (1945)
Song Is Born, A (1948) ** - Scholars research jazz. Danny Kaye provides laughs, while legends like Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong and more provide the music.
Song O' My Heart (1930)
Song of Love (1929)
Song Of My Heart (1955) * - Tchaikovsky bio pic has almost no connection to reality.
Song of Norway (1970) NO STARS - After an eye-popping opening montage, its all downhill in this dreadful musical bio of composer Edvard Grieg.
Song of Sheherezade (1947)
Song of the Flame, The (1930)
Song of the Islands (1942) *** - Embarrassingly enjoyable silliness, with Victor Mature romancing Betty Grable on a Pacific island.
Song of the Open Road (1944) ** Jane Powell makes her screen debut picking crops. Some songs and star turns help.
Song of the Sarong (1945)
Song of the South (1946) *** - Unhappy child finds solace in an old man's wise fables. Great animation, and the live cast make this a pleasure despite old racial stereotypes.
Song of the West (1930)
Song Without End (1960) * - Turgid bio pic with Dirk Bogarde as Franz Lizt.
Sound of Music, The (1965) **** - Rodgers & Hammerstein's mega-hit story of the Von Trapp family, with Julie Andrews as the nanny who finds love in 1930s Austria.
South of Dixie (1944)
South Pacific (1958) *** - Rodgers & Hammerstein's stage hit is still great stuff, and Mitzi Gaynor is terrific as an American military nurse finding love on a tropic island. Marred by director Josh Logan's misguided use of distracting color filters, and far too many of the singers are dubbed. Still superior to the ghastly 2001 TV version.
South Park: The Movie (1999) **** - Profane and hilarious, as the foul-mouthed shenanigans of some small town school boys lead America into a war with Canada. Spoofs everything from show biz to international politics with wicked accuracy.
Speedway (1968)
Spinout (1966)
Spotlight Scandals (1943)
Spring Is Here (1930)
Spring Parade (1940)
Springtime in the Rockies (1942) **** - My favorite of the 1940s Fox formula musicals, with John Payne pursuing Betty Grable at a mountain resort while Carmen Miranda and Harry James's Band add to the fun. Pure pleasure.
St. Louis Blues (1938)
St. Louis Blues (1958)
Stage Door Canteen (1943) *** - Ignore the annoying wisp of a plot and stick around for a parade of Broadway and Hollywood stars doing their wartime bit. Merman, Bolger, Hepburn, Bankhead, Lunt, Fontanne, Kit Cornell . . . and dozens more.
Stage Struck (1936)
Stand Up and Cheer (1934)
Star! (1968) *** - The director's cut redeems this lavish musical bio of stage star Gertrude Lawrence, starring Julie Andrews.
A Star Is Born (1954) **** - Judy Garland gives the greatest performance of her career as a singer finding stardom in Hollywood. A magnificent film!
A Star Is Born (1976) * - Barbra Streisand stars in this dreary remake set in the rock music world.
Star Maker, The (1939)
Star Spangled Rhythm (1942) *** - Paramount put every star on its roster into this wartime morale-booster – some fun numbers. Strictly In the Groove
Starlift (1951) * - Oh really? Even a truckload of stellar cameos cannot lift this brain-dead GI love story.
Stars and Stripes Forever (1952) ** - Clifton Webb is a bit wooden as march-master John Phillip Sousa. Formulaic plot twists thrown in.
Stars Are Singing, The (1953) ** - Rosemary Clooney sings some of her greatest hits. Weak plot, but cast includes opera legend Lauritz Melchior.
Stars On Parade (1944)
Stars Over Broadway (1935)
Start Cheering (1938)
State Fair (1945) **** - A real all-American winner! Farm family finds love and blue ribbons at the Iowa State Fair. Rodgers & Hammerstein's great score includes "It Might as Well Be Spring" and "It's a Grand Night for Singing."
State Fair (1962) * - Annoyingly bad remake of the Rodgers & Hammerstein hit. Trust me, you have something better to do.
Staying Alive (1983) * - Heavy-duty dance sequences and sexy John Travolta do little to justify this dreary sequel to Saturday Night Fever.
Step Lively (1944) *** - George Murphy will do anything to get his show produced. Lots of laughs, and Frank Sinatra on hand to croon.
Stolen Harmony (1935)
Stooge, The (1953) * - Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in arguably their weakest vehicle.
Stork Club, The (1945) ** - Betty Hutton works the hat check in the legendary nightclub. A promising idea that goes nowhere.
Stormy Weather (1943) *** - An all-star cast of black show biz greats make this a must see, including Lena Horne, Bill Robinson, Fats Waller and many more. Ignore the story and relish the music.
Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, The (1939) **** Astaire & Rogers sparkle in their last RKO musical, a loving tribute to America's first important dance couple.
Stowaway (1936)
Straight, Place and Show (1938)
Strictly Dynamite (1934)
Strike Me Pink (1936) ** - Meager Eddie Cantor vehicle boosted somewhat by a young Ethel Merman.
Strike Up the Band (1940) **** - Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland enter their high school band in a contest, with rousing results
Strip, The (1951)
Student Prince, The ** - Genial but uninspired version of Romberg's Broadway hit. Best (and worst) feature – Mario Lanza'a glorious singing voice stuck in Edmund Purdom's mouth.
Student Tour (1934)
Sultan's Daughter, The (1943)
Summer Holiday (1948) ** - Mickey Rooney stars in handsome but mediocre musical version of Eugene O'Neill's Ah Wilderness.
Summer Magic (1963)
Summer Stock (1950) *** - Gene Kelly's theatre troupe puts on a show at Judy Garland's farm, and both stars dazzle. Garland's last MGM film.
Sun Valley Serenade (1941) *** - One of skater Sonja Henie's most enjoyable vehicles, with Glen Miller & his orchestra performing several of their swing hits.
Sunbonnet Sue (1945) ** - Gale Storm works in her father's Bowery saloon. Lots of period songs help.
Sunny (1930) ** - Marilyn Miller appears in her stage hit about a British circus rider in love with an American millionaire. Not much until Miller dances.
Sunny (1941) ** - Anna Neagle stars as a circus girl breaking into high society in this okay remake of Marilyn Miller's 1920s stage & screen hit.
Sunny Side of the Street (1951) * - Dull Frankie Lane vehicle.
Sunny Side Up (1929)
Sunny Skies (1930)
Susie Steps Out (1946)
Swanee River (1939) ** - Dona Ameche stars as songwriter Stephen Foster -- passable story assisted by strong musical numbers.
Sweater Girl (1942)
Sweet Adeline (1935)
Sweet and Lowdown (1944) ** - Trombonist makes good in Benny Goodman's band – swing fans will relish seeing Goodman's troupe in action.
Sweet Charity (1969) *** - Shirley MacLaine stars in Bob Fosse's excellent screen version of his stage hit about a dance hall girl seeking love in 1960s New York.
Sweet Kitty Bellairs (1930)
Sweet Rosie O'Grady (1943) *** - Betty Grable is a former burlesque star in love with a reporter. Minor story but lots of good entertainment.
Sweet Surrender (1935)
Sweetheart of Sigma Chi (1933)
Sweetheart of Sigma Chi (1946)
Sweetheart of the Campus (1941) ** - Ruby Keeler made her final screen appearance in this college musical. No magma cum laude, but passable.
Sweethearts (1938) **** - Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald as married stage stars -- their wittiest vehicle. If you want to see what all the fuss was about, this film is their surprise winner.
Sweethearts of the USA (1944)
Sweethearts on Parade (1930)
Sweetie (1929)
Swing Fever (1944)
Swing High (1930)
Swing High, Swing Low (1937)
Swing Hostess (1944)
Swing In the Saddle (1944)
Swing It Professor (1937)
Swing It Soldier (1941)
Swing Out the Blues (1944)
Swing Out, Sister (1945)
Swing Parade of 1946 (1946)
Swing Sister, Swing (1938)
Swing Time (1936) **** - Dance team in love, frustrated by misunderstandings. Astaire and Rodgers at their best, with a luscious Kern-Fields score -- as wonderful as it gets!
Swing While You're Able (1937)
Swing Your Lady (1938)
Swingin' Along (1962)
Swingtime Johnny (1943)
Sword in the Stone, The (1963) **** - Delightful Disney animated take on Merlin & young King Arthur
Syncopation (1929)
Syncopation (1942) ** - A trumpeter experiences the development of jazz. Blah film ends with a fascinating jam session featuring big band super stars.