All 10 Musicals That Won Best Picture at The Oscars, Ranked

In the historical past of the Academy Awards, solely 10 musicals have ever gained the highest prize of Best Picture, and just one was launched post-1968. That may be sufficient to suggest that the musical style was at its peak a good variety of many years in the past. But, then once more, different musicals have confirmed profitable on the Oscars, together with Cabaret, which gained eight Oscars (however misplaced Best Picture to The Godfather), and La La Land, which gained a number of Oscars and, for just a few transient moments, appeared prefer it had gained Best Picture (Moonlight was the precise winner).

But reasonably than specializing in these musicals that got here near successful Best Picture, what follows is a rating of the ten that did certainly win that high prize. Some are nonetheless thought of nice to today, whereas different lesser winners had been definitely merchandise of their time. Nevertheless, all of them gained the highest prize on the Oscars and are ranked under from “forgettable” to precise cinematic masterpieces.

10 ‘The Broadway Melody’ (1929)

Director: Harry Beaumont

Some would say The Broadway Melody is a contender for the title of worst Best Picture winner of all time, and after watching the movie, it isn’t arduous to see why. It was one thing that admittedly was inherently restricted by the expertise of its time—dialog in movie was nonetheless near model new in 1929—however even then, it is fairly tough to attempt to sit by means of, no matter how a lot you normally like Nineteen Twenties films.

It’s a convoluted melodrama set on Broadway, with far too many characters and maybe too few compelling musical numbers to distract from all of the uninteresting drama. It would possibly’ve been spectacular for viewers seeing it in 1929, however The Broadway Melody is actually form of unwatchable in the present day, not like sure classics from the Nineteen Twenties which do nonetheless maintain up.

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9 ‘The Great Ziegfeld’ (1936)

Director: Robert Z. Leonard

If The Broadway Melody was the primary and worst musical to win Best Picture on the Oscars, then the second musical to win that prize, The Great Ziegfeld, is the second-worst, appropriately sufficient. It’s an early biopic of types, centering on Flo Ziegfeld, a outstanding Broadway producer whose revues had been fashionable all through the twentieth century’s early many years.

It impresses slightly extra on the subject of musical numbers, in comparison with The Broadway Melody, however the large factor that considerably holds The Great Ziegfeld again is its ridiculous size. Surprisingly and inexplicably, the movie goes for over three hours and actually does not really feel prefer it wants far more than half that runtime to inform its story. Thus, The Great Zigfield is a tough Best Picture winner to attempt to endure, missing the spectacle of future musical efforts and the compelling story to justify its bloated runtime.

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8 ‘Gigi’ (1958)

Director: Vincente Minnelli

If technical limitations had been the primary impediment for having fun with The Broadway Melody, and a bloated runtime was the primary purpose The Great Ziegfeld wasn’t nice, then Gigi‘s single largest sin is the truth that it is aged very badly. The plot follows the surprising romance between the candy and inexperienced Gigi and the roguishly charming Lothario Gaston.

Gigi could make for an oddly uncomfortable watch, presenting awkward songs and tone-deaf messages throughout the confines of a breezy/romantic/comedic story. It’s all distinctly old style in a approach that may’ve even felt old style by the requirements of the Nineteen Fifties. Gigi gained large for its 12 months of launch, however past a few of its technical qualities and the colourful visuals, there is not an amazing deal about Gigi that feels endearing or participating when watched in the present day.

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7 ‘Oliver!’ (1968)

Director: Carol Reed

Make no mistake: Oliver! would possibly middle on varied youthful characters, but it surely actually does not really feel very family-friendly. The plot facilities on the misadventures of orphan Oliver Twist, who turns into concerned with a band of pickpockets led by the Artful Dodger. It’s a reasonably jarringly darkish musical, and although the supply materials by Charles Dickens was additionally greater than a bit grim, the bleaker elements of the story conflict with the usually jaunty, earworm songs.

Still, for individuals who know what they’re in for, Oliver! is a good watch and an fascinating adaptation of Dickens’s story advised in musical kind. It’s additionally notable for being the ultimate musical launched within the twentieth century to win Best Picture, and, so far, continues to be the second most up-to-date musical to win the highest award, which reveals a lot concerning the style’s state within the New Hollywood age.

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6 ‘Going My Way’ (1944)

Director: Leo McCarey

A comparatively inoffensive mix of musical, comedy, and drama, Going My Way is maybe one of many least well-known Best Picture winners in Oscar historical past. It’s not undeserving of such a destiny as a result of there are much more noteworthy winners, each inside and outdoors of the musical style, but it surely’s additionally removed from dangerous for its time.

It follows a priest, performed by Bing Crosby, who arrives at a parish and conjures up a bunch of troubled boys, because of his youthful spirit and talent to see eye to eye with these from youthful generations. Going My Way is formulaic and a contact too sentimental, according to different post-World War II films. However, it is nonetheless fairly watchable general, ticking all of the bins it wanted to by the requirements of mainstream cinema again within the mid-Forties.

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5 ‘My Fair Lady’ (1964)

Director: George Cukor

The Nineteen Sixties was maybe the last decade the place the musical style was at its greatest and hottest, with 4 Best Picture winners from that decade belonging to the style. For comparability, the one different decade with multiple musical Best Picture is the Nineteen Fifties. As such, it isn’t too stunning to see My Fair Lady be a musical Best Picture winner that was launched at concerning the mid-point of the last decade.

Its story is reasonably standard for a film that stretches to nearly three hours, but it surely homes an iconic Audrey Hepburn efficiency, appears to be like nice visually, and accommodates some memorable music numbers. Its behind-the-scenes drama can also be the stuff of Hollywood legend, from casting controversies to voice dubbing and different machinations courtesy of Jack L. Warner. Still, My Fair Lady stays a basic of Nineteen Sixties cinema, and whereas some elements have aged like milk, the movie itself holds up fairly nicely.

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4 ‘The Sound of Music’ (1965)

Director: Robert Wise

Just one 12 months after My Fair Lady gained Best Picture, The Sound of Music did the identical, making this the one time two musicals gained the primary award on the Oscars two years in a row. It’s additionally corresponding to My Fair Lady in that it is very lengthy, falling shy of three hours by simply six minutes. Based on Maria Von Trapp’s 1949 memoir The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, the movie follows Maria, a nun who turns into governess to seven youngsters earlier than marrying their father.

Suitably epic for one thing of such a size, The Sound of Music tells a large-scale story that spans genres, feeling like a household movie, a romance, and a pre-WWII film, all on high of being a musical. It’s additionally rightly celebrated for the lead performances from Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, each of whom are at their respective peaks right here. Now broadly considered among the many all-time greatest musicals and one of the crucial simple Best Picture winners, The Sound of Music is a masterpiece of the style and one of many highest-grossing movies ever. Not dangerous for a singing nun!

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3 ‘An American in Paris’ (1951)

Director: Vincente Minnelli

An American in Paris was the primary musical shot in coloration to win Best Picture on the Oscars. Its use of the then-groundbreaking approach is maybe the factor that stands out probably the most about it. It’s one of the crucial visually pleasing musical movies of all time, with incredible costumes and units all captured extraordinarily nicely by director Vincente Minnelli, who gained the Best Director Oscar for 1958’s Gigi, which, for all its faults, did not less than look good).

The romance story right here is gentle and foolish, however An American in Paris does not take itself too severely and retains issues principally breezy and comedic all through. It advantages significantly from each its leads, Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron. The pair is the embodiment of allure, rhythm, and previous Hollywood glamour, forming one in every of cinema’s most unforgettable pairs. The movie saves one of the best for final with a surprising and dreamlike climactic sequence that is still celebrated in the present day.

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2 ‘Chicago’ (2002)

Director: Rob Marshall

It’s good that Chicago gained Best Picture on the Oscars as a result of it actually was among the best films launched in 2002. It’s a comedic crime musical the place a lot of it is set inside a feminine jail—particularly demise row, the place two girls, Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, are keen to do no matter they will to make a scene and survive upcoming scheduled executions.

A pointy, witty, largely enjoyable tackle its varied genres, the movie has some sharply satirical issues to say about fame and the justice system. Energetic, attractive, and filled with explosive musical numbers, Chicago is a triumph that single-handedly revitalized the then-dying musical style. It’s so good that it is managed to be the one musical to win Best Picture after a 34-year dry spell for the style. Hopefully, musical followers will not have to attend 34 years to see one other musical topped Best Picture.

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1 ‘West Side Story’ (1961)

Director: Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins

Though it was remade by Steven Spielberg (compellingly so) in 2021, it nonetheless appears like 1961’s model of West Side Story is the definitive movie musical in American cinema. It expertly updates Romeo & Juliet to set it throughout a then modern-day gang battle, serving to this musical really feel sweeping, romantic, thrilling, epic, and tragic all of sudden.

West Side Story kick-started the run of musical Best Picture winners within the Nineteen Sixties and was arguably one of the best of the bunch. It hasn’t aged completely, and a few might want the 2021 model, however for its time, 1961’s West Side Story was nearly as shifting and thrilling as large-scale film musicals acquired, guaranteeing its standing as a basic.

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