Brigadoon (DVD)

When I first rented BRIGADOON from the public library last spring, I immediately fell in love with it. Just added the DVD to my collection yesterday. It is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. It is a 1954 film adaptation of the 1947 Broadway musical. The Lerner and Loewe score is one of the greatest ever written for the stage (or screen). The great cast includes Gene Kelly, Van Johnson, and Cyd Charisse. Although certainly not the greatest singers in the world, Kelly's and Johnson's singing is more than adequate and is really quite lovely. Charisse's singing voice is dubbed for this film, and she works great as well. When Brigadoon made the transition from Broadway to Hollywood, a good chunk of its score was dispensed with in order to make room to highlight the dancing abilities of its stars. This is, in fact, where many people find fault with this film; the lack of the rest of the Broadway score. To these people, I have this to say... ---This movie is not the Broadway play. It is a **film adaptation.**--- This is also the common complaint about MGM's "Show Boat" from 3 years earlier. Another common complaint about "Brigadoon" is that it was obviously shot in soundstages on the MGM lot in Culver City instead of the highlands of Scotland. This was due to the fact that producers were working with smaller budgets than they had been just 3 or 4 years earlier. This, coupled with the unpredictable weather in the British Isles, necesitated that the film be shot at the studio. This is also evident in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" from the same year. Although the sets are obviously painted backdrops, they are nicely done and work well. IMO, they do not demerit the film. Brigadoon more than makes up for the missing songs by adding some spectacular dance numbers. "Heather on the Hill" is one of the most sweeping dance numbers I have ever seen in any film. Kelly's and Charisse's gracefulness really hits the spot. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the DVD, with its lush color, clear picture, and stereo sound. If you haven't seen "Brigadoon," you should see it. At the very least for some of the greatest dance numbers you will ever see.

This is a beautiful, tuneful, if imperfect rendering of the Broadway musical. The music by Frederick Loewe and book and lyrics by Alan J. Lerner (My Fair Lady and Camelot) is lovely, but with omissions in the film from the original theatrical play for time considerations and for ribald content. The As it is the best songs are in place: "Almost Like Being In Love," "I'll Go Home with Bonny Jean," "Waitin' for My Dearie," and of course the haunting "Brigadoon" theme sung by the chorus. I would love to see a new version of the entire play. Nevertheless, despite its imperfections, the overall qualities of the movie are well worth it. Gene Kelly isn't the best singer, but does a nice job in his songs. It is a fantasy story about a town cursed by the preacher for allowing witches (!). So, when the townspeople wake up the next day, 100 years has passed! It's a nice plot, beautifully performed, great Gene Kelly dance sequences, and is directed by Vincente Minnelli. The HD video version that I purchased is an improvement over the DVD, but is not as sharp and detailed as I would have liked. Perhaps the Blu ray is better.

do you love Scottish movies. Especially Gene Kelly great actor.

Warner Archive usually does good transfers with no extras except for an occasional trailer. Their transfer of Brigadoon to Blu-Ray breaks that mold. This transfer is stunning with brilliant eye-popping color and thundering sound. It has never looked or sounded better. It is also LOADED with extras. I hope this is a permanent change for Warner Archive. About the movie itself: this high style musical is an MGM classic with Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse in great form. My only minor complaint about the movie is the miscasting of Van Johnson, an actor I very much like but who is wrong for this movie. Brigadoon is deeply romantic and moving. If you love this movie, this version is the definitive must have!

“Brigadoon” opened on Broadway in 1947, the first hit by the team of lyricist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe. (They had previously collaborated on “What’s Up?” and “The Day Before Spring,” and would later give us “Paint Your Wagon,” “My Fair Lady” and “Camelot.”) The MGM film version, directed by Vincente Minnelli, was released in 1954 and looks a lot like it must have looked on stage, mainly because it was filmed on studio sets with painted backdrops instead of on location in Scotland. Being a fantasy, perhaps that unreality seemed appropriate; it was certainly cheaper. MGM’s publicity department liked to say the backdrops were so realistic that birds would fly into them. (Yes, they brought birds onto the set, as well as cows and sheep to simulate a rural atmosphere. The film did receive an Oscar nomination for Art Direction/Set Decoration (color), but lost to the giant squid in Disney’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”) The fantasy concerns the Scottish village of Brigadoon that appears out of the highland mist for just one day every hundred years. This “miracle” is the result of a minister’s contract with God to spare the village from an approaching band of witches. (Why God couldn’t just put up a detour sign, or even smite the witches, is not explained.) This vanishing act would also ensure that they “wouldn’t be in any century long enough to be touched by it,” the minister believing in the abundance of evil in the world and wanting to spare the village its influence. But there’s a catch (isn’t there always?): If anyone leaves the village during one of its appearances, the deal is off, the contract nullified, and they will all vanish forever. (In the much earlier “Lost Horizon,” if anyone left Shangri-La it was only that individual who suffered through instant atrophy. Apparently, God struck a harder bargain in Scotland.) So, the village and its inhabitants faded away in 1754 (1747 on stage), reappeared in 1854 (though nothing is said about what may have happened then), and has now appeared again in 1954. Despite the long sleep, some prior courting was done and this one day is spent preparing for a wedding. But then two lost grouse hunters from America (Gene Kelly and Van Johnson) enter the village, causing a certain amount of consternation, which, this being a musical, soon gives way to singing and dancing (“I’ll Go Home With Bonnie Jean”). But not as much as in the original production: several good numbers were dropped by MGM. (The DVD includes three of the dropped numbers: “Come to Me, Bend to Me,” “From This Day On,” and the instrumental “Sword Dance.” There is also an audio outtake of Gene Kelly singing the poignant “There But For You Go I.”) The most memorable of the kept songs, having been recorded by a lot of pop singers of the day, is “Almost Like Being In Love.” The best lines often come from cynical Van Johnson. When schoolteacher Mr. Lundie (Barry Jones) wonders if there are witches in modern New York, Van says, “Oh, we have them. We pronounce it differently.” In a restaurant bar, when Gene complains that it’s hot in there, Van replies, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humanity.” There is a blooper near the end. Gene and Van are back in the noisy rat race of New York some four months after their mystifying experience in Scotland. Both men are repulsed by the shallow and greedy people around them in a crowded Manhattan restaurant, as compared to the good, simple folk of bucolic Brigadoon. (Peter Leeds has an uncredited bit part as a waiter.) Gene, in particular, can’t get Fiona Campbell (Fiona MacLaren on stage), played by Cyd Charisse, out of his mind; a stray word can trigger a flashback memory for him. The word “hill” causes him to remember Fiona singing “The Heather on the Hill.” Another random word, “waiting,” causes him to remember her singing “Waitin’ for My Dearie,” and therein lies the blooper: Charisse—using the voice of Carole Richards—sang that song before Kelly ever entered the village! So how could he be reminded of it? Oops. (Or maybe it’s in keeping with what Mr. Lundie and Fiona told Gene earlier, that when you’re truly, sincerely in love, “anything is possible”? Or perhaps the hills were just alive with the sound of music...no, wait: that was another show.) The movie is enjoyable if one suspends disbelief and doesn’t think too hard about the premise, or all the progress denied the villagers by the minister’s prayer—such as electricity, antibiotics, air travel and indoor plumbing. (To get in the proper mood, one might forego the popcorn and substitute a heaping plate of haggis.) I would love to see a sequel, though, wherein the village makes its next appearance in 2054, or even 2154, and the people find themselves in the middle of a newly constructed golf course, or a modern city, developers having discovered the scenic beauty of those painted backdrops. Imagine the culture clash!

One of my favorite classic movies. Good entertainment especially if you like musicals, dancing & Gene Kelly!

A great movie! It was a first for me. Id highly recommend it!

It's a fantasy! Yes, I know but it's such a beautiful musical. Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse dance beautifully together. Van Johnson was a surprise! He did a good job with his singing and dancing. Good effort on his part. Good actors. Check it out! Very enjoyable. Brigadoon is a fantasy but it's such a beautiful musical. Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse complement each other perfectly with their acting, singing and dancing. Van Johnson is a nice surprise and does an adequate job with his singing and dancing. Good actors and beautiful scenery.

素晴らしい。早く織姫に会いたい天の川の時空間のなんともやるせないジレンマと理想世界の狭間に揺れる全ての人生のキュンと来る感覚と記憶の彼方でいつの日か待望している潜在意識そのものではないでしょうか・・・。そう・・・いつかは・・・何時かは・・・との切なさですね。時間の時間の物語・・・。

Bonjour, Quand nous aimons la musique et nous sommes nombreux sur ce site, comment ne pas aimer les comédies musicales ( ou films musicaux, comme celui-ci ) surtout quand nous retrouvons le couple mythique Gene Kelly et Cyd Charisse sur une musique du non moins talentueux Frederick Loewe et du scénariste Alan Jay Lerner. Prenez tous ces Géants puis confiez les à un réalisateur sublime incarné par Vincente Minnelli et vous obtenez un sacré plat de résistance avec "BRIGADOON", une comédie que je trouve peu médiatisée de nos jours sinon pas du tout, hélas, mille fois hélas car ce film est vraiment magique et vous n'en sortez plus qu'avec vos yeux d'enfant retrouvés ! Après " Un Américain à Paris [Blu-ray ]" de Vincente Minnelli (1951) Ce sont deux américains en Ecosse avec ce merveilleux film de 1954. Plus précisément dans "Brigadoon" ce sont les Highlands écossais qui cette fois provoquent les retrouvailles de Minnelli et Kelly. Mais qu'est donc "Brigadoon" un brigand, un brigadier ? Non, non, non ! Deux compères américains chassent dans les Highlands, chassent quoi, on ne le sait pas trop car leurs fusils ne servent que de prétexte à la promenade... Tommy (Gene Kelly, né le 23 août 1912 à Pittsburgh, Pennsylvanie, décédé à Los Angeles le 2 février 1996.) et Jeff, entre autres " Ouragan sur le Caine ", (Van Johnson né le 25 août 1916 à Newport décédé le 12 décembre 2008); Tommy et Jeff donc arrivent près d'un village et nos deux acolytes -dont l'un plutôt alcoolique-, bien sûr meurent de soif et se dirigent tout droit vers le village, afin de se désaltérer avec de bonnes bières écossaises, mais dans ce village leur argent ne vaut rien et le brasseur refuse de les servir car dans ce lieu se passent des choses bien étranges. Ce village vous l'avez compris porte le nom de "Brigadoon". Alors que dépités et assoiffés ils comptent bien quitter cet endroit à l'apparence inhospitalière; c'est alors qu'intervient un jeune homme dont c'est le jour de noces qui va à leur bon gré leur offrir tout ce qu'ils désirent consommer, et là, la première danse commence avec une gigue inoubliable. Mais le village est frappé d'une malédiction où d'un bienfait selon que nos regards se portent sur le fait qu'il ne peut exister qu'un jour par siècle et de ce fait les habitants vivent en 1754. Tommy va s'éprendre d'une jeune fille : Fiona (Cyd Charisse); par contre celle-ci ne peut quitter le village pour l'accompagner où il vit car si un seul habitant du village quitte celui-ci, "Brigadoon" disparaîtra. De retour à New York, Tommy voit qu'il ne peut plus vivre séparé de Fiona et peut-être même de la belle et bonne bourgade, alors il repart aussitôt. Tommy retrouve Fiona et restera dans le fantastique Brigadoon. Je vous en prie si vous regardez ce film, soyez attentif au long ballet de Tommy et Fiona dans la scène de la cueillette des lavandes blanches, il s'agit d'un morceau d'anthologie dans la carrière de Gene Kelly et de Cyd Charisse et pour terminer rendre un hommage tout particulier à des personnes que nous avons trop souvent tendance à oublier dans nos films, puisque "Brigadoon" est un film musical et n'est donc pas considéré comme étant une "comédie musicale", je voudrais parler ici de Irene Sharaff célèbre costumière,née le 23 janvier 1910 à Boston et décédée le 10 août 1993 sans qui "Brigadoon" n'aurait sans doute jamais existé ni une pléiade de film dans laquelle elle habilla tant de grandes stars. A noter aussi l'exploit de Vincente Minnelli qui tourna ce film uniquement à l'intérieur de studios et cela aussi c'est un sacré tour de force car si nous imaginons tous les moyens techniques mis en oeuvre... de nos jours en 2011 ce serait impossible car trop coûteux ! Je vous souhaite un très bon moment avec ce film fantastique

Superb dancing, songs and cast. Nostalgia doesn't get much better than this. Remastered version is great.

Ein sehr schöner Film

Great film for a damp and cold evening by the fire, good storyline well acted with an amazing cast and takes you to another land very watchable.