8 Underrated Movie Musicals (1945-present)

Although movie musicals may not be directly related to a music blog, they do have songs, and that justifies this post! I'm obsessed with movie musicals. As a child, I grew up watching them, and the habit never stopped. So, throughout the years, I've stumbled on a few great musicals that I personally think don't get the credit they deserve. Everyone knows about "The Sound of Music," "Grease," and Moulin Rouge." But what about the indie musicals that never quite found a following, or the older movies that have slipped through the cracks? In order to keep things from getting too out of hand, I'm only going to be listing movies from 1945 to the present. These are some of my favorites, in chronological order.

1. "State Fair" (1945)

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Although this seems to be a relatively well-known movie, everyone I've ever talked to about it has always preferred the 1962 version with Ann-Margaret and Pamela Tiffin. As a remake of a 1933 movie with the same name, "State Fair" has been through a motley of reincarnations, along with different stage productions. I fell in love with this movie at the opening song, "It Might as Well Be Spring," and sat enraptured until the very end. Composed by Rodgers and Hammerstein, it's a happy movie that can entertain all ages.

2. "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" (1949)

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Starring Bing Crosby and Rhonda Fleming, "A Connecticut Yankee..." is based off of Mark Twain's novel of the same name. Admittedly, I've never read the novel, but this movie has been one of my favorites for as long as I can remember, following a man going back in time to King Arthur's court, where he is labeled a monster, and almost burned at the stake. There aren't many songs, but the few that are in the movie are catchy and upbeat, like "Busy Doing Nothing," which is about exactly what the title implies.

3. "Funny Face" (1957)

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Since no movie musical list can be complete without at least one Fred Astaire movie, I give you my favorite post-1945 number. Audrey Hepburn plays an intellectual bookshop worker whose store is taken over by Fred Astaire's character, a photographer, for a magazine shoot. While developing the film, Astaire notices her in the background, and hires her as a model, beginning a whirlwind romance in Paris. Audrey actually sings in this movie, unlike "My Fair Lady," and it only adds to the charm of her character.

4. "My Fair Lady" (1964)

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"My Fair Lady" is the film adaptation of the stage production, which starred Julie Andrews in place of Audrey Hepburn. It is based off of the play and movie adaptation of "Pygmalion." With Hepburn as a common flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, and Rex Harrison as Professor Higgins, a well-off speech professor, the movie revolves around their tumultuous relationship as Professor Higgins attempts to pass Eliza off as a duchess. This is my favorite movie of all time, and although it won eight academy awards, I feel it has been forgotten by my generation. With Marni Nixon dubbing Audrey's singing, this movie has one of the best soundtracks of any movie on this list, especially on "Show Me."

5. "Man of La Mancha" (1972)

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I discovered "The Man of La Mancha" through my clarinet teacher, who told me that I would love it as much as I hated it. He was right. There are parts of this movie that are depressing, confusing, and slightly vulgar. But overall, it is the story of 2 men facing the greatest struggles they've ever faced. Although "Man of La Mancha" was a box-office failure, I believe it is a movie that must be seen.

6. "Grease 2" (1982)

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"Grease 2" is terrible. Honestly, it's one of the worst movies I've ever seen. That's what makes it so great. The sequel to "Grease," it stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Maxwell Caulfield in the campiest, strangest musical ever. She's a pink lady, he's a foreign exchange student, he falls in love, she's dating a greaser. He eventually woos her by learning to ride a motorcycle and driving her places while wearing a mask, so she never knows who he is. The songs are just as weird, with "Score Tonight," set in a bowling alley, and "Do It For Our Country," which takes place in a bomb shelter. The ridiculous soundtrack only adds to the movie's crazy factor, making this movie a must-see.

7. Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" (1997 Made-for-TV)

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The all-star cast of this made-for-TV movie make this production extremely unique. With Brandy as Cinderella, Victor Garber and Whoopi Goldberg as the King and Queen, and Bernadette Peters as the evil stepmother, I have preferred this version to the Disney cartoon since I first saw it. With classic songs, adorable costumes and scenery, and an amazing cast, this movie is worth the search for a VHS of it.

8. "Les Chansons D'Amour" (2007)

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Entirely in French, "Les Chansons" is the story of a boy and two girls in a relationship. When one girl dies suddenly, the boy is left to piece his life back together into some form of normalcy in the arms of different people. The songs are haunting, and the first time I watched it, I was left crying, trying to figure out what had happened. It's truly a beautiful modern musical, with a story that just keeps breaking your heart.