BEST RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN MOVIES
“Oklahoma!” (1955) Scenes filmed in the vast expanse of the open plains (in Arizona, ironically) allowed this film to show off the widescreen technique Todd-ao. Gordon Macrae and (in her first film) Shirley Jones were so wellpartnered as Curly and Laurey, they would be matched again in
another Rodgers & Hammersteinbased movie adaptation.
“The King and I” (1956) After his initial stage run with the project, Yul Brynner reprised the role of a lifetime – the
commanding King of Siam, whose views are softened by schoolteacher Anna (Deborah Kerr) – in the venture that earned him an Oscar for best actor. Also featuring Rita Moreno, this leads a night of Rodgers & Hammerstein attractions Wednesday, Oct. 20, on Turner Classic Movies. “South Pacific” (1958) Location filming also was of huge benefit here, with Mitzi Gaynor (though Doris Day was approached about the role) as Nellie Forbush, the spirited nurse who vows she’ll “Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair” after becoming involved with the enigmatic Emile de Becque (Rossano Brazzi). Nevertheless, “Some Enchanted Evening” still underscores their relationship. Great trivia: One of the Navy men is played by Tom Laughlin,
aka man-of-action “Billy Jack” in a later series of films.
“The Sound of Music” (1965) Hardly anyone has grown up without knowing the screen version of the classic story of nun-in-training turned Von Trapp family governess Maria. That role, along with Mary Poppins, has kept Julie Andrews a favorite performer over several generations. The film and its director, Robert Wise, earned Oscars ... but Christopher Plummer, the film’s Captain von Trapp, was a bit prickly about his association with the picture over the years. However, he eventually
professed his affection for it.