Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)

This most famous of the beach movies is actually the fifth in the series. It again stars Annette Funicello as Dee Dee and Frankie Avalon as Frankie, a clean-cut couple of teenagers. Their surfing activities are slightly sidetracked this time by some skydiving adventures as they frequent the skydiving school run by Big Drop (Don Rickles). Big Drop also runs the local hang-out joint where new teen singing sensation Sugar Kane (Linda Evans) has been making nightly appearances. Her manager Bullets (Paul Lynde) is making sure that she is kept on the front page of the papers by staging various stunts that usually involve someone's life being saved. A stunt he doesn't expect though is for Sugar Kane to be kidnapped by the local hood Eric Von Zipper (Harvey Lembeck). Lucky for the kids, a mermaid named Lorelei (Marta Kristen) points them in right direction in time to save Sugar.

Available: Netflix, Amazon 

Godspell (1973)

This movie is subtitled "A Musical Based On The Gospel According To St. Matthew". The film originated from the Off-Broadway play of the same name. In fact, it didn't appear on the Broadway stage until three years after the film.

With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, the film presents Jesus (Victor Garber) and his apostles. These nine people (as opposed to the standard twelve) abandon their mundane and unsatisfying lives and join Jesus in a romp around an abandoned New York City. Dressed in hippie thrift store rags, they all sing and tell bible stories in a fairly non-religious way.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Guys And Dolls (1955)

Spectacular and colorful musical based on stories by Damon Runyon. Originally a broadway play, it was produced by Samuel Goldwyn and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. This was Mankiewicz's first and last musical.

It stars Frank Sinatra as Nathan Detroit, a well-respected gangster who has been staging the oldest floating crap game in the city. The only problem is that the law is on his tail and no one is willing to risk hosting the game. His only option is to pay $1000 up front for a place, except he doesn't have the money. He decides to make a wager with gambler Sky Masterson (Marlon Brando) to get the money. Detroit bets Masterson that he won't be able to convince wholesome mission leader Jean Simmons to go with him to Havana. It is a 1950s musical, so it's easy to figure out what happens...they all do live Happily Ever After.

Available: Amazon, Netflix

Space Is The Place (1974)

This wacky film features Sun Ra and his Arkestra. They also provide the jazzy soundtrack which is an integral part of the film. While the movie doesn't exactly make a lot of sense, there is a sliver of plot that you can hold on to.

It seems that Sun Ra and the Devil have some sort of bet. There is a running tally through-out the film of who is ahead. I believe that Sun Ra is trying to get various members of the black community to go back with him to his planet so that he can save the black race. I could be wrong in all this.

The version I watched is the restored director's cut that includes scenes of loose women having sex that seem to have not much to do with narrative. Sun Ra supposedly had these scenes cut when the film was originally released.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Gigi (1958)

This musical by Vincente Minnelli takes place in turn-of-the-century Paris. Louis Jourdan plays Gaston, a rich playboy who is tired of the conventions of the high society of which he is a part. He finds refuge visiting the residence of Madame Alvarez (Hermione Gingold), the grandmother of Gigi (Leslie Caron). In their welcoming home, Gaston and Gigi can just be silly playing card games or singing songs. However, Gigi's Aunt Alicia (Isabel Jeans) is grooming her to be a lady. And soon both Gigi and Gaston realize that she is turning out to be quite a beauty.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

The Hollywood Revue of 1929

One of the first feature length talkies, this film is simply a revue of singing and dancing featuring the stars of stage and screen. There is a playful rivalry between the theater actors and the film performers. Unfortunately many of the names are unknown to us now. I don't know who he is, but Ukulele Ike was quite funny. However, some of the famous talent recognizable today include Jack Benny, Laurel and Hardy, Buster Keaton and Joan Crawford.

The film is also noticeable for a couple of two-strip technicolor sequences which included a Romeo & Juliet scene with Norma Shearer & John Gilbert with John Barrymore as director. And the finale of "Singing' In The Rain" of which the whole cast takes part.

Available: Warner Archive Collection

Don't Play Us Cheap (1973)

"Break the party, smash the party."

Two devil bats are on a mission to break up a party. However they make the mistake of picking a Harlem party on a Saturday night.

Based on the Broadway musical by Melvin Van Peebles and starring Esther Rolle (best known as the mother from the television series "Good Times") and also with Mabel King (the mother from "What's Happening!!" TV series.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court (1949)

Based on the novel by Mark Twain, this adventure is about a man who travels back in time to Camelot after getting hit on the head. Because this version stars Bing Crosby there are, of course, lots of songs and singing.

After being thrown from his horse, an auto mechanic (Crosby) wakes up in medieval England, the prisoner of knight Sir Sagramore (William Bendix). He is taken to the court of an old King Arthur (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) where he escapes death by demonstrating some simple 20th century tricks like lighting a match. There he is knighted Sir Boss and starts a romance with Arthur's niece Alisande (Rhonda Fleming).

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Jupiter's Darling

Jupiter's Darling is one of Hollywood's Technicolor musical extravaganzas filled with singing and dancing (and in this case, swimming). It stars Esther Williams as the betrothed of Emperor Fabius Maximus (George Sanders). However, Hannibal (Howard Keel) and his elephants are coming to conquer Rome and she finds him a bit more exciting.

To plot a movie like this around a serious historical event is a bit odd, to say the least. Hannibal is the only one who takes the whole mission of wiping out an entire city serious. Everyone else is too busy having fun swimming with underwater statues or dancing with elephants (as Marge and Gower Champion do). It has songs with lines like "If this what it's like being a slave, I don't want to be free". And this exchange between two Roman slaves: "Don't you have any manners?" "No, I'm a barbarian". But all is forgiven because the movie is a lot fun. Esther Williams is beautiful and charming, Howard Keel has an incredible voice, and the Champions are fascinating dancers.