Two hunters Tommy (Gene Kelly) and Jeff (Van Johnson) become lost while hunting in the Scottish Highlands. They come upon a village called Brigadoon. It was a town that disappeared in 1754 and magically reappears for one day every century. Tommy meets and falls in love with Fiona (Cyd Charisse). He can join the town...but can he give up everything for one woman?
Sounds kind of silly but it actually works. It's VERY colorful, well-directed by Vincente Minnelli and has great dancing and a wonderful score. Yet this was a big bomb in 1954 and remains an "unknown" musical. Why? There's nothing really special about it but I enjoyed it and found it lots of fun. My only guess is that it was shot on a stage--and it shows. Originally this was supposed to be shot on location in the Scottish Highlands but it proved too expensive and the weather out there too unpredictable. So, they shot it indoors. You are always aware you're watching a fantasy--the backgrounds are obviously painted back drops (very elaborate ones) and the grass and forest all fake. It didn't bother me (this IS a fantasy) but it might have turned off audiences at the time. Or maybe they were just tired of Charisse and Kelly (who seemed to have starred in a ton of musicals in the 1950s). Too much of a good thing. Whatever the reason, this is still well worth watching.
Kelly is his normal self (I was never very impressed by his acting) but his singing is fine and his dancing superb. Charisse is beyond beautiful--just incredible. Her singing is dubbed (though you'd never guess) and her dancing is (of course) perfect. Johnson has his typical cynical good buddy role--but he's not bad and some of his lines are very funny. And Barry Jones is just wonderful as Mr. Lundie.
No great shakes but well worth catching.
Sounds kind of silly but it actually works. It's VERY colorful, well-directed by Vincente Minnelli and has great dancing and a wonderful score. Yet this was a big bomb in 1954 and remains an "unknown" musical. Why? There's nothing really special about it but I enjoyed it and found it lots of fun. My only guess is that it was shot on a stage--and it shows. Originally this was supposed to be shot on location in the Scottish Highlands but it proved too expensive and the weather out there too unpredictable. So, they shot it indoors. You are always aware you're watching a fantasy--the backgrounds are obviously painted back drops (very elaborate ones) and the grass and forest all fake. It didn't bother me (this IS a fantasy) but it might have turned off audiences at the time. Or maybe they were just tired of Charisse and Kelly (who seemed to have starred in a ton of musicals in the 1950s). Too much of a good thing. Whatever the reason, this is still well worth watching.
Kelly is his normal self (I was never very impressed by his acting) but his singing is fine and his dancing superb. Charisse is beyond beautiful--just incredible. Her singing is dubbed (though you'd never guess) and her dancing is (of course) perfect. Johnson has his typical cynical good buddy role--but he's not bad and some of his lines are very funny. And Barry Jones is just wonderful as Mr. Lundie.
No great shakes but well worth catching.