All Dancing, All Singing: The Movie Musical! by Jeanine Basinger

The only reason I can't give this marvelous compendium of movie musical history by Jeanine Basinger five stars is its physical presentation. It is nearly 600 pages of marvelous text and remarkable photos, but it is so heavy and awkward that it is literally hard to hold, at least for me. It is basically an encyclopedia of the subject, but the design includes extra-wide margins of white space. Had the text been set wider, or the margins reduced to a more normal size, the book could have been physical lighter with fewer pages. And, considering that the list price for the print book was $45.00, a less expensive format would have made it more accessible.

Despite that, it is still wonderful. The initial tribute to Fred Astaire, for example, is absolutely terrific, and he receives all the accolades he deserves in a later section. The profiles of Al Jolson, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and others are full of details. Ethel Merman comes alive with added dimension and there's a great analysis of why Broadway star Mary Martin never really made it in the movies. Doris Day's career receives much-deserved attention – it's often forgotten that she handled musical, comedic and dramatic roles well. Gene Kelly, too, gets an appropriate five-star treatment, and An American in Paris has an extensive review.

Basinger covers the MGM era and its stars – Judy Garland, a legendary example – with an in-depth discussion. She does not give short shrift to more recent decades either, but devotes a long chapter to them. Barbra Streisand gets her due for Funny Girl, Yentl and her take of A Star Is Born. 

Basinger also covers the contemporary resurgence of musicals that have recently appeared – La La Land, The Greatest Showman and the most recent A Star Is Born with the powerhouse voice of Lady Gaga – proving that the movie musical, in new variations, is still alive and kicking. 

As a side note, and something that is too recent to have made it into the book, Netflix's current smash hit series Bridgerton has already inspired plans and songs for a Broadway show (once the pandemic is finally tamed). Once the show is produced, a movie version is sure to follow.

If you are a fan of the musical and the silver screen, this book is for you – but consider the Kindle edition if such a physically weighty tome will overwhelm you.