CAROUSEL
US, 1956, 125 minutes, Colour.
Gordon Mc Rae, Shirley Jones, Cameron Mitchell, Barbara Ruick.
Directed by Henry King.
Carousel is one of the earliest films of a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. Their first musical was Oklahoma, filmed at the same time with the same stars, Gordon MacRae? and Shirley Jones. It was a bright musical. Carousel is in a minor key, a sad musical, but one with hope.
Gordon MacRae? portrays Billy Bigelow, who had been a no-good type around the town. He dies, but is allowed one day to come back to Earth to try to right any of the wrongs he had done. He finds that he was loved – and finds some redemption. Shirley Jones portrays Julie. The supporting cast is led by Cameron Mitchell.
Some of the songs have entered into the classic status including the theme song, ‘Carousel’, ‘If I Loved You’, ‘The Soliloquy’ and one that is used in many other films since, ‘When You Walk Through a Storm’.
The film is directed by veteran Henry King who had been an actor in films since 1913 and a director since 1915. He emerged during the 1930s with some classics including Lloyds of London, In Old Chicago and Jesse James. At 20th Century-Fox? for almost twenty years, he directed a number of their most successful films ranging from The Song of Bernadette to Prince of Foxes. He also in the 50s directed The Snows of Kilimanjaro, O. Henry’s Full House.
Carousel is based on the Hungarian play, Liliom, written by Ferenc Molnar. There were various film versions of Liliom including a version in 1919 by Michael Curtiz, a 1930s version with Charles Farrell, directed by Frank Borzage, and a French version directed by Fritz Lang with Charles Boyer.
A television version of Carousel was produced for television in 1967 starring Robert Goulet.
1. Was this a successful musical? Why? How well did it use the conventions of the musical: story line, fantasy, the songs, dancing, characterisations, comedy? Does the film now seem dated in its style?
2. The film had the advantage of a story on earth and fantasy from Heaven. Did it use this advantage well? Did this add to the charm of the film?
3. What was the point or the moral of the story? the moral made in Heaven about earth? About life and our influence on one another? About redeeming our mistakes?
4. Was Billy an attractive hero? What kind of a man was he?
The reality of his charm? How shallow? How loving? How intelligent? Did he love Julie at all?
5. Julie? why was she so infatuated with Billy? Did she really love him? The meaning of her devotion to him? How intelligent a girl was she? Did she deserve to be deprived of Billy? Or would she have had a happier life without him?
6. The impact of the Carousel theme and the love theme for Julie and Billy?
7. How did the film gain atmosphere especially from the "June is busting out all over" songs and dances? From the Clambake sequence? From "When the children are upstairs"? From the island and the picnic?
8. The significance of Billy's song about his son or daughter what did this reveal about him? Was it an important part of the film?
9. The character of Jigger: how attractive or unattractive? Why did Billy like him? How could he persuade Billy to participate in a robbery?
10. What was Billy after in joining in the robbery? The amateur nature of the robbery? The accident of Billy's death? What impact did this have in the film?
11. How did the film change in tone and style after Billy's death?
12. Did you enjoy the sequences of Billy's daughter? her being taunted, the ballet sequence with the carnival people?
13. What effect did Billy's return have on his daughter and on Julie? Why?
14. The graduation ceremony? what impact did this have? How optimistic? Too optimistic? The singing of the song?
15. What was the final and overall impression of the film? Optimistic? Happy?
