Rodgers & Hammerstein Films: Ranked Best to Worst

Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner.

1. The King and I (1956) - Yul Brynner's Oscar-winning per-formance as King Mongkut of Siam anchors this clash of cultures (a popular R&H theme) and unlikely, ever-so-subtle love story. Deborah Kerr provides strong support as Anna Leonowens, a British widow who accepts the position of teacher to some of the king's many children. The king's efforts to propel his country into the 19th century make him a fascinating figure and Brynner portrays his inner struggles beautifully. The many songs includes some of R&H's most melodic compositions: Hello Young Lovers, We Kiss in the Shadows, Something Wonderful, and Shall We Dance. My only complaints: The Small House of Uncle Thomas ballet is too long and Anna's son disappears for most of the film. The King and I won Oscars for Best Actor, Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound Recording, and Music Score.

Julie Andrews as Maria.

2. The Sound of Music (1965) - R&H's biggest box office hit played theatrically for over a year in my hometown. Julie Andrews, who snagged a Best Actress Oscar for Mary Poppins the previous year, earned another Oscar nomination. She plays Maria, a novice nun in a abbey near Saltzburg in the late 1930s, who is sent to serve as temporary governess to widower Captain von Trapp's seven children. In the hands of veteran musical director Robert Wise (West Side Story), The Sound of Music bursts with lively production numbers, often filmed against visually stunning on-location backgrounds. Julie Andrews is effervescent in the lead and well matched with Christopher Plummer's stern von Trapp. The score includes many of R&H's most famous songs: the title tune, My Favorite Things, Do-Re-Mi, Edelweiss, and Climb Ev'ry Mountain. The Sound of Music won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Music Score, Best Sound, and Best Editing.

Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones.

3. Oklahoma! (1955) - R&H's first stage musical was hailed as innovative when it debuted in 1943. However, by the time it was adapted for film, Hollywood had already copied its formula. There's still much to enjoy with its elaborate musical numbers and director Fred Zinneman's dazzling use of outdoor locations (with Arizona substituting for Oklahoma). However, the narrative compares unfavorably to The King and I and The Sound of Music. The plot essentially revolves around farm girl Laurey's unwillingness to acknowledge her love for confident cowboy Curly. Its popular score includes: Oh What a Beautiful Mornin', The Surrey With the Fringe On Top, People Will Say We're In Love, and the title song. As with the later King and I, there's a lengthy ballet (presented as a dream sequence) that probably worked better on stage. It was surprisingly ignored at the Oscars, only earning wins for Best Sound and Best Music Score.

4. Flower Drum Song (1961) - R&H return to their favorite theme of contrasting cultures, only this time it's a clash between the old and the young among the Chinese-Americans living in San Francisco. The older residents wants to retain many of their culture's traditions while the younger folks want to embrace their new freedoms. The first Hollywood film with an all-Asian cast, Flower Drum Song is an ensemble piece filmed almost entirely on studio sets. While it boasts its share of clever songs (I Enjoy Being a Girl) and pretty ballads (You Are Beautiful), there were no breakout hits. Flower Drum Song was also a box office disappointment and didn't win any Oscars. It's a more intimate film than its predecessors and the cast imbues it with charm and warmth.

Mitzi Gaynor as Nellie.

5. South Pacific (1958) - Racial prejudice is the dominant theme in this musical drama set on a South Pacific island during World War II. The plot follows two romances: the first is between a U.S. Navy nurse (Mitzi Gaynor) and a French plantation owner; the second is between a Navy lieutenant and a young Polynesian woman. The problem is that the first romance is joined in progress and the second one is never fully developed. Star Mitzi Gaynor shines throughout, delivering her uptempo songs with energy and her passionate ones with subtlety. However, Joshua Logan's decision to shoot the musical numbers through color filters is a major distraction. (To his defense, his intent was to use softer colors, but the processing was muffed.) Musical highlights include: I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy, Younger Than Springtime, and Some Enchanted Evening. Happy Talk, though, may be the worst R&H song in any of their movies.

Dana Andrews and Jeanne Crain.

6. State Fair (1945) and (1962) - This musical is the only one that R&H wrote expressly for the silver screen. The basic plot is the same in both versions: The Frakes, a farming family, spend several days at the state fair. Father Frake aims to win a blue ribbon with his prize hog Blue Boy. Mother wants to win the mincemeat competition. Their kids Margy and Wayne fall in love with, respectively, a journalist and a carnival show singer. I've lumped the original and the remake together because the quality is about the same. Margy's romance works better in the 1945 film with Jeanne Crain while Wayne's relationship is better developed in the 1962 remake with Pat Boone. State Fair is a lighthearted affair compared to the other, more ambitious R&H musicals. However, since it featured songs written expressly for the film, it earned its composers an Oscar for the bittersweet It Might as Well Be Spring.

7. Carousel (1956) - It was a bold risk to build a musical around an unlikable character: a handsome, self-centered carnival barker named Billy Bigelow who marries an naïve young woman. It was also intriguing to have Billy tell his story in flashback, while taking a break from polishing stars in what appears to be Heaven. Unfortunately, it's extremely hard to root for Billy, who constantly makes poor decisions and only redeems himself (somewhat) in the final three minutes of the movie. Oklahoma! star Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones sing beautifully and, for musical die-hards, the June Is Bustin' Out All Over number is pretty elaborate. The big hits were If I Loved You and the inspirational I'll Never Walk Alone.

Angela Cartwright Talks with the Café about Danny Thomas, Lost in Space, The Sound of Music, and Her Artwork

Danny Thomas' stepdaughter on The Danny Thomas Show, Penny Robinson in Lost in Space, and Brigitta von Trapp in The Sound of Music--Angela Cartwright may have been the most successful young actor of the 1960s. Born in Cheshire, England, but raised in Los Angeles, Angela and her sister Veronica entered show business at a young age. In fact, Angela was just three-years-old when she appeared in Somebody Up There Likes Me starring Paul Newman. Over the years, she has modeled, acted on stage, and opened an "eclectic store" called Rubber Boots. However, she is best known as an accomplished photographer and artist. She took time out of her packed schedule to drop by the Café for a chat.

Angela as Linda Williams on
The Danny Thomas Show.

Café:  The rapport between your character, Linda Williams, and her stepfather (played by Danny Thomas) seemed incredibly natural on The Danny Thomas Show. How would you describe your real-life relationship with Danny Thomas while making the series?

Angela Cartwright: I thought Danny was hilarious and he was always cracking me up. He was loud and gregarious, nothing like my real Dad who is far more reserved than that. So, it was fun to be able to make smart remarks and get away with it. I would never have talked to my real parents that way, but in the make-believe world of the Williams family I got away with that.

Café:  Your web site includes some delightful photos of Angela Cartwright toys, such as a jigsaw puzzle, a "Buttons 'n Bows" game, and a doll that came in three sizes. What was your first reaction when you saw the "Angela Cartwright" dolls?

AC:  I was pretty young to remember my exact reaction, but what little girl wouldn't want a doll made in her likeness? I never thought the Linda doll looked an awful lot like me though, but it was cool that the Linda doll came in three different sizes. One was even big enough that she walked with you. Madame Alexander also made two Brigitta, Sound of Music dolls and they were also favorites of mine. I especially liked the one in the sailor suit carrying a book.

Café:  What was it like to be reunited with The Danny Thomas Show cast when you returned six years later for Make Room for Granddaddy (1970-71)?

AC:  I loved it. The Danny Thomas Show had ended six years prior. In the interim, I made The Sound of Music, I played Penny in Lost In Space, I made various TV guest appearances and commercials, and modeled in Europe. I returned home to appear on the Granddaddy show. Life was good…I loved the fantastic guest stars we had on the show and I was older now, so I learned from the experience. Even though we were plagued with the Writer’s (Guild) strike in 1970, it was still a good year.

Angela as Brigitta in The Sound of Music.

Café:  How did you come to be cast in The Sound of Music?

AC:  I went on an interview for the part of Brigitta. I was still filming The Danny Thomas Show, but I knew the series was coming to an end. After several auditions, I was the first von Trapp cast. I asked Danny Thomas if he would let me out of my contract so I could be in the movie and he was very gracious to let me out of the last show of the season. He didn’t have to do that and I am very grateful he did.

Café:  What are some of your favorite memories of making The Sound of Music?

AC:  I was thrilled to get the part of Brigitta and I totally enjoyed making The Sound of Music. Singing and dancing and playing with other kids while running around Salzburg, Austria, with Julie Andrews was a fantastic experience. How could you not enjoy that? Being turned over in a rowboat was certainly a memorable experience…I can just remember wanting to get out of the water as soon as I could because there were leeches on the bottom of the pond. The sights, the sounds and the foods of Salzburg made the whole experience magical. It is an honor to be in a film that has touched so many people.

Café:  What were some of the challenges of making a science fiction series like Lost in Space in the 1960s?

AC:  I did enjoy playing the part of Penny Robinson. I thought how exciting it would be to portray a family in space exploring new worlds and encountering aliens. The challenge was trying to make an hour show in eight days with special effects and long scenes. It was grinding work, but we must have done something right to have such a following and love of the show decades later.

As Penny Robinson in "My Friend,
Mr. Nobody" (Season 1, Ep 8).

Café:  What was your favorite Lost in Space episode and why?

AC:  "My Friend, Mr. Nobody" was my favorite episode. I love the black and white film noir feel to it. I loved the message it had...though I remember it was challenging to talk to "no one" through the whole episode.

Café:   You seem to have maintained enduring relationships with the real-life performers in your TV and film families:  the Williams’s, the Robinsons, and the von Trapps. That's unusual in show business. What is the secret to your success?

AC:  Friendships need to be nurtured. It was important to me to maintain the close relationships I had forged while working in film and television. I nurtured those relationships as I have in my personal life, and made it a point to keep in touch.

Café:  What led to your interest in photography? When did you open the Angela Cartwright Studio?

AC:  I love photographs and have since I was a small child and it was my Dad who started taking photographs. I always loved fashion and design. I would take photos of my friends in their latest outfits and then develop the photos and print them in my Dad’s darkroom in the garage. That love of photography has stayed with me all my life and I carried it into my art. The art I create is by taking my black and white photographs and hand painting them with oil paint or watercolors and other mediums. I also wrote a book about these techniques called Mixed Emulsions: Altered Art Techniques for Photographic Imagery. You can see my artwork here: http://acartwrightstudio.com 

I opened Angela Cartwright Studio a couple years ago when I designed my art wear line. Finally the technology was available for me to take my hand-painted photographs and transform them onto natural fabric to create art wear. Every piece is made to order here in the USA.  It’s all very exciting and the possibilities are endless.

"Bustling."

Café:  In addition to photography, you've painted, drawn sketches, and worked in other forms of art. If you could only work in one media and style, what would it be?

AC:  I would have to say give me a pen and paper and I will be very happy. My Dad was a terrific artist and I always wanted to sketch like he did…but his style was more realistic and mine is more "unruly." I break rules all the time. Art is one place you can do that with delightful consequences. 

"3 Portals."

Café:  You're incredibly busy with your artwork and web sites and somehow even found time to contribute to last year's publication of The Sound of Music Family Scrapbook. What's on your horizon that you'd like to share with Café readers?

AC: There is an exciting new project I am working on that I can’t talk about yet. Let’s just say it has been a phenomenal experience.  It is due for release in 2014 and as soon as I can spill the beans I will on Facebook, Twitter, and my blog. Better yet, sign up on my mailing list on my website if you want to be the first to know all the latest. 

I would like to tell all the Sound of Music fans that we have some limited editions of The Sound of Music Family Scrapbook that are signed by the seven film von Trapp kids. If you are a fan of the movie, you will love this book because it tells our story about making the movie. We have filled the book with never-before seen photographs from our personal photo albums and included some of our home movies taken on location in Austria. You can buy the signed version at our website. We also have a Facebook page. With the 50^th Anniversary of The Sound of Music on the horizon, I am sure there will be some exciting events on the horizon so I hope you will visit us.

You can "like" Angela Cartwright on Facebook www.facebook.com/acartwrightstudio and follow her on Twitter https://twitter.com/acstudio. You can also visit her web sites:

art studio:......... http://acartwrightstudio.com
art wear:........... http://angelacartwrightstudio.com
showbiz:........... http://angela-cartwright.com