Vincente Minnelli's least successful attempt at a musical, Brigadoon fails spectacularly to
rekindle the magic of the phenomenally successful Broadway musical show
which inspired it, mainly on account of MGM's insistence that it be
filmed entirely on a sound stage. Had it been shot at least
partly on location, Brigadoon
could have just about worked as a film musical; entirely confined to
the studio, it feels airless and dull, its impact further weakened by
some lacklustre choreography (some of Gene Kelly's worst work) which
fails to make the most of Frederick Loewe's fine musical
compositions. It isn't all bad
- Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse bring plenty of glamour and sparkle to
the film, and Van Johnson's hard-nosed cynic makes a welcome departure
from the dewy-eyed romantics that populate most musicals of this
kind. Unfortunately, this is not enough to salvage the dullest
thing Minnelli ever put his hand to, a film that, like its titular
village, deserves only to be seen once a century.
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Next Vincente Minnelli film: Kismet (1955)
Film Synopsis
Tommy Albright and Jeff Douglas are two Americans who are enjoying a
hunting holiday in the Scottish countryside. They lose their way
and once the mist has cleared they come across a village which is
teeming with life and seems to be out of another time. At first
the locals are reluctant to talk to the Americans, but Tommy and Jeff
are soon accepted and discover the fantastic secret of the
village. Some centuries ago, a spell was cast on the village,
Brigadoon, so that it would appear for only one day in every hundred
years. If anyone should choose to leave the village, it will
vanish forever. When Tommy falls in love with one of the
villagers, Fiona Campbell, he must decide whether to stay or return to
his home and family in New York. If he leaves, he knows he can
never come back...
Cast: Gene Kelly (Tommy Albright),
Van Johnson (Jeff Douglas),
Cyd Charisse (Fiona Campbell),
Elaine Stewart (Jane Ashton),
Barry Jones (Mr. Lundie),
Hugh Laing (Harry Beaton),
Albert Sharpe (Andrew Campbell),
Virginia Bosler (Jean Campbell),
Jimmy Thompson (Charlie Chisholm Dalrymple),
Tudor Owen (Archie Beaton),
Owen McGiveney (Angus),
Dee Turnell (Ann),
Dodie Heath (Meg Brockie),
Eddie Quillan (Sandy),
Peter Adams (New York Club Patron),
Betty Allen (Background Singer),
Bette Arlen (New York Club Patron),
Richard Beavers (Background Singer),
Rodney Bell (New York Club Patron),
Margaret Bert (Vegetable Woman)
Country: USA
Language: English
Support: Color
Runtime: 108 min
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At the time of the Nazi Occupation of France during WWII, the German-run company Continental produced some of the finest films made in France in the 1940s.
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