I came into Carousel expecting a frothy, Technicolor romp—a cinematic confection filled with spontaneous dance numbers, impeccable 1950s hair, and enough cheer to make an insurance salesman weep. What I got instead was a surprisingly dark, existentialist musical that makes Les Misérables look like a beach party. There’s domestic abuse, a botched robbery, an afterlife subplot, and enough moral ambiguity to make you wonder if Rodgers and Hammerstein were secretly moonlighting as nihilist philosophers. But somehow, against all odds, it works. Carousel is gorgeous, haunting, and, in a way, one of the most ambitious movie musicals of its time.
When Broadway Got Existential
Before it became a film, Carousel was a Broadway musical in 1945, which in turn was based on Liliom, a 1909 Hungarian play that—brace yourself—was even darker. Rodgers and Hammerstein, fresh off the success of Oklahoma!, figured that what American audiences really needed in the wake of World War II was a musical about a violent, unemployed carnival barker who dies in an attempted mugging and then gets a chance to redeem himself from beyond the grave. Good call, guys.
Despite its grim themes, Carousel was a massive hit on Broadway, cementing Rodgers and Hammerstein as the undisputed kings of musicals. Naturally, Hollywood wanted in. So, in 1956, 20th Century-Fox, still riding high off Oklahoma! and The King and I, decided to bring Carousel to the big screen, hoping to cash in on the Rodgers & Hammerstein goldmine. The result? A film that’s visually stunning, musically impeccable, and deeply unsettling—kind of like if The Sound of Music had a subplot about tax evasion and regret.
Sinatra’s Loss, Our Gain
Frank Sinatra was originally set to play Billy Bigelow, which would have given the film a level of swagger and ring-a-ding-ding charm. But Ol’ Blue Eyes walked off the set before filming began, allegedly because he didn’t want to shoot scenes twice for different CinemaScope formats (or, more likely, because Ava Gardner told him to get his tuxedoed self to Africa, pronto). Enter Gordon MacRae, who, while no Sinatra, has a booming voice that could probably be heard across three time zones. His chemistry with Shirley Jones, fresh off Oklahoma!, is solid, if a little more wholesome than the story probably needs.
The film itself is a visual feast, shot in CinemaScope 55, though ironically never actually shown in that format. The Maine locations are breathtaking, the colors pop, and the choreography is fluid. But that doesn’t change the fact that the plot is about a toxic relationship in which Julie Jordan, played by Jones, is expected to simply endure Billy’s violence because, deep down, he loves her. When he returns from the afterlife and literally slaps their daughter (though she “feels it like a kiss”), it’s a level of weird moral messaging that makes you wonder if the entire production was secretly sponsored by outdated marriage counseling pamphlets.
A Misunderstood Masterpiece
Despite the film’s ambition, it flopped at the box office. Maybe audiences in 1956 just weren’t ready for a musical where the leading man dies halfway through, or maybe the marketing team failed to emphasize the afterlife redemption arc. Either way, while The King and I was busy collecting Oscars, Carousel was left out in the cold. Even Rodgers and Hammerstein films that weren’t huge hits, like State Fair, got more love at the Academy Awards. But time has been kind to Carousel. It’s now regarded as one of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most beautifully composed scores, and songs like “If I Loved You” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” have become iconic (the latter achieving immortal status in the world of British football, because nothing screams sports enthusiasm like a song about persevering through emotional devastation).
Shirley Jones has since stated that Carousel is her favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, and Richard Rodgers himself agreed. And honestly, they might be onto something. The film may not have been a hit, but it’s a rare musical that tackles heavy, complicated themes without sacrificing spectacle. The changes made for the film—particularly shifting Billy’s death from outright suicide to accidental stabbing—did little to soften its intensity, and in a world where classic musicals are often dismissed as mindless fluff, Carousel stands out as one that refuses to take the easy way out.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a breezy, feel-good musical, Carousel isn’t it. But if you want a visually stunning, musically masterful, and deeply thought-provoking ride through love, loss, and the questionable decisions of 1950s Hollywood, this film delivers. It’s not perfect, but it’s unforgettable. Think of it as West Side Story’s moodier, more cynical cousin—the one who chain-smokes outside family reunions and won’t stop talking about fate.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
#DarkMusicals #CinemaScope55 #SinatraWho #YoullNeverWalkAlone #MaineLooksNice #DepressionTheMusical
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