Movie Musicals, ranked by how much I would like to own the costumes from them
When I told my mom about this idea, she LAUGHED IN MY FACE
In honor of the triumphant return of the movie musical, of me watching The Sound of Music tonight, and specifically in honor of Galinda Upland’s Ozdust Ballroom dress, I’ve decided to create a fun (read; very dumb) niche list. As a child, I was captivated by both the songs in movie musicals and, naturally, the dresses. As an adult, my love of a really really nice dress (and a really good musical) remains. So while we attempt to get through this hellish week, and while I wait til I have the motivation to write some real media criticism, enjoy this.
You will note there are a lot of pink and green dresses on this list; this is just a coincidence, but as Galinda would say, “pink goes good with green.”
10. Chicago
With respect to Catherine Zeta Jones and Renee Zellweger’s bobs, these costumes don’t stand out much to me. I love the sparkly flapper dresses they wear while doing the Hot Honey Rag, but as someone who was in a production of Chicago, and got to keep her very own variety of slinky tiny dance look, I’m not grabbed by these.
9. West Side Story
Maria’s simple white dress with the red belt is iconic enough that it’s in both movie adaptations of this musical, but it’s simple enough that I don’t really need to own it. Besides, I’m not trying to get Tony’s attention, I’m trying to get Riff’s Mike Faist’s.
9. Hairspray
My favorite costume in Hairspray is worn by one Amanda Bynes. As she sings some rather uh questionable lyrics about how much she likes the very charming Seaweed Stubbs, she shows off her new look, a light blue dress with pink flowers. My one critique? The bottom of the dress is weird (see above). I don’t love it. And there’s too much going on in the song for me to really pay attention to it.
7. The Music Man
Marian Paroo is a no-nonsense librarian, but even she can’t help but be excited that Harold Hill is flirting with her, and even she can’t stop herself from dressing up for the town dance. The white and pink floral dress she wears to dance ‘Shipoopi’ is charming and adorable and very her, but I also have to give a shout out to Zaneeta Shin’s pink dress for the very same number. What can I say? I love a good skirt!
6. Tick Tick…Boom!
“Green Green Dress” is a great song. It’s sexy and fun and Raul Esparza and Andrew Garfield and Joshua Henry all sing it very well in their respective renditions. And frankly, I would very much love to own a “green green dress, twenty buttons and a strap, a green green dress, what a pleasure to unwrap” – I would look hot in it. The only reason this isn’t higher is because it’s a relatively new addition to the list, and and therefore the dress isn’t fully burned into my brain.
5. Mary Poppins
It’s true, I would be having a jolly holiday if I was in a lovely big white dress with a matching boater hat and a big red corset around my waist. Good for you, Mary!!
4. Kiss Me Kate
There are a lot of great outfits in this movie. Lois Lane’s pink ‘Too Darn Hot’ look? Lilli’s yellow ‘Wunderbar’ dress? Bob Fosse in orange tights? But what I like most is what Lilli wears when she’s playing Katherine, singing ‘I Hate Men.’ It’s a classic medieval princess look with red over skirt/corset thing and a red wig to match. If my coloring was slightly different, this would inspire me to dye my hair bright red.
3. Singin’ in the Rain
What if you were a chorus girl and then you met a famous movie star and you started dating and then he asked you to dub over his fake girlfriend in a talking, no, a singing picture, and then at the premiere, he asked you to sing again, live this time, and you were SO mad at him, especially when he revealed it was you singing all along in order to expose the terrible fake girlfriend, BUT then he confessed his love for you, in front of everyone? And what if, during that big confession, you were in the prettiest pink dress? That would be pretty freaking romantic, right?
2. The Sound of Music
At first, I was like “There are no outfits in this movie should be in my closet! With respect to the curtain dresses, I’m good!” But then I remembered The Dress. You know the one. The one Liesel wears during ‘16 Going On 17,’ with the flouncy sleeves and the flowy skirt. When I was like 7 I was in a production of Guys and Dolls and I played a Missionary (lol) and had an ugly costume but one of the other girls played a Hot Box Club dancer and she had a dress that vaguely reminded me of Liesel’s and I am still jealous to this day.
1. My Fair Lady
Have you even SEEN what Audrey Hepburn wears in this movie? Oh my god. I love the ascot dress and the ball gown, but I love love love the little green pinafore dress she wears during the rain in Spain. Like I have a green corduroy dress that I wear with a white turtleneck BECAUSE of this movie. The look is timeless!
Anyway, stay tuned for English, Gypsy, Sunset Boulevard, Slow Horses, Severance??(maybe?), The Wedding People, and whatever else catches my fancy. Stay warm, stay off-line, and if you are also feeling a sense of impending doom, try watching The Sound of Music.
I know that green corduroy dress with the turtleneck!! Love this theme, love the musical movies, and love the writing