“All Singing! All Dancing! Hollywood’s Biggest Stars!” ADVERTISING “All Singing! All Dancing! Hollywood’s Biggest Stars!” These words were used to promote many glittery Hollywood musicals, the subject of the fall series of films sponsored by Hawaii County and the Department
“All Singing! All Dancing! Hollywood’s Biggest Stars!”
These words were used to promote many glittery Hollywood musicals, the subject of the fall series of films sponsored by Hawaii County and the Department of Parks and Recreation.
At each class, a different musical will be shown with an introduction of the stars, directors, story setting, and era. The classes are at 12:45 p.m. on Fridays from Oct. 2 through Dec. 11, with no class Nov. 27, at the Kamana Senior Center, 127 Kamana St. in Hilo. A class discussion follows each viewing.
The 10 films begin with the very first Hollywood musical, “Broadway Melody,” from 1929, which includes several hit songs of the era in a backstage romance of a Broadway revue. This short film, starring Bessie Love, Anita Page and Charles King, will be shown in a double feature with “Private Buckaroo,” a military recruiting film from 1942 with more hit songs featuring the Andrew Sisters, the Harry James Band, Dick Foran and Donald O’Conner.
Other films include:
• The all-time favorite 1935 classic “Top Hat,” with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The Irving Berlin songs are among the most revered pieces of American popular music.
• “Cabin In The Sky” (1943), the first film with an all-black cast, stars Eddie Anderson, Lena Horne, Ethel Waters, Louis Armstrong and the Duke Ellington Orchestra.
• Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron and Oscar Levant star in the classic “American In Paris” (1951), with the music of George Gershwin.
• “High Society” (1956) features Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Celeste Holm and the music of Cole Porter..
• More contemporary is “Bye, Bye, Birdie” (1963), starring Janet Leigh, Dick Van Dyke, Ann-Margaret, Maureen Stapleton and then teen idol Bobby Rydell.
• The 1964 film “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg,” stars the great French actress Catherine Deneuve with Nino Castelnuevo, with great photography and beautiful French locations.
Rounding out the series are “Funny Girl” (1968), “Once” (2007), and the classic Rodger and Hammerstein musical “The King and I” (1956).
The cost for the 10-week series is $10 per person and participants can register in advance at senior center, or on the first day of class.
For more information, email Patsy O’Toole at patsy_otoole@gmail.com or call her at 333-9850.
The film class co-leader is Tony Adams, who retired from a 35-year career in the music and film industry of Hollywood and has contributed to more than 100 films and TV shows as well as many artist’s recordings and concert music.
