IMDb > Carousel (1956)
Carousel
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Carousel (1956) -- Open-ended Trailer from 20th Century Fox

Overview

User Rating:
7.1/10   2,077 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 12% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Phoebe Ephron (screenplay)
Henry Ephron (screenplay)
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Carousel on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
16 February 1956 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
20th-Century Fox proudly presents [Rodgers and Hammerstein's CAROUSEL] more
Plot:
Billy Bigelow asks for permission to be sent down "from above" for one day to try and make amends for mistakes he made in life... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
2 nominations more
User Comments:
"He's Your Fellow And You Love Him, That's All There Is To Say" more (58 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (complete, awaiting verification)

Gordon MacRae ... Billy Bigelow
Shirley Jones ... Julie Jordan
Cameron Mitchell ... Jigger Craigin
Barbara Ruick ... Carrie Pipperidge
Claramae Turner ... Cousin Nettie
Robert Rounseville ... Mr. Enoch Snow

Gene Lockhart ... Starkeeper / Dr. Selden
Audrey Christie ... Mrs. Mullin
Susan Luckey ... Louise Bigelow
William LeMassena ... Heavenly Friend
John Dehner ... Mr. Bascombe
Jacques d'Amboise ... Louise's 'Starlight Carnival' Dancing Partner
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Banas ... Ruffian in Louise's ballet (uncredited)
Harry Carter ... Third Policeman (uncredited)
Richard Deacon ... First Policeman (uncredited)
Marion Dempsey ... Sword Swallower (uncredited)
Robert Foulk ... Second Policeman (uncredited)
Lili Gentle ... Young Girl #1 (uncredited)
Marie Greene ... Louise Bigelow (singing voice) (uncredited)
Cheryl Holdridge ... Young Girl #2 (uncredited)
Harry Johnson ... Juggler (uncredited)
Tor Johnson ... Strong Man (uncredited)
Edward Mundy ... Fire Eater (uncredited)
Mary Orozco ... Fat Woman (uncredited)
Dee Pollock ... Enoch Snow, Jr. (uncredited)
Angelo Rossitto ... Midget (uncredited)
Sylvia Stanton ... Contortionist (uncredited)
Frank Tweddell ... Capt. Watson (uncredited)
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Directed by
Henry King 
 
Writing credits
Phoebe Ephron (screenplay)

Henry Ephron (screenplay)

Oscar Hammerstein II (book of stage musical)

Ferenc Molnár (play "Liliom")

Benjamin Glazer (English translation and adaptation of Liliom) (as Benjamin F. Glazer)

Produced by
Henry Ephron .... producer
 
Cinematography by
Charles G. Clarke 
 
Film Editing by
William Reynolds 
 
Art Direction by
Jack Martin Smith 
Lyle R. Wheeler 
 
Set Decoration by
Chester L. Bayhi  (as Chester Bayhi)
Walter M. Scott 
 
Costume Design by
Mary Wills 
 
Makeup Department
Ben Nye .... makeup artist
Helen Turpin .... hair stylist
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stanley Hough .... assistant director
 
Sound Department
Bernard Freericks .... sound
Harry M. Leonard .... sound
 
Special Effects by
Ray Kellogg .... special photographic effects
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Bob Rose .... additional grip (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire .... wardrobe (as Charle Le Maire)
Sam Benson .... wardrobe (uncredited)
 
Editorial Department
Leonard Doss .... color consultant
 
Music Department
Ken Darby .... vocal supervisor
Earle Hagen .... orchestrator
Gus Levene .... orchestrator
Bernard Mayers .... orchestrator
Alfred Newman .... conductor
Alfred Newman .... music supervisor
Edward B. Powell .... orchestrator
Nelson Riddle .... orchestrator
Herbert W. Spencer .... orchestrator (as Herbert Spencer)
 
Other crew
Rod Alexander .... choreographer
Agnes de Mille .... choreographer: original Louise's Ballet
 
Crew believed to be complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel (USA) (complete title)
more
Runtime:
128 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.55 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | 6-Track Stereo (premiere only) | 4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
West Germany:12 (f) | USA:Approved (PCA #17724) | Australia:G (original rating) | Australia:PG (cable rating) | Canada:G | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:15 | UK:U
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Judy Garland, who was fresh from A Star Is Born (1954), was considered for the role of Julie Jordan, although that never materialized. more
Goofs:
Miscellaneous: At one point in the film the sun is shown to set over the ocean, although the film is set in Maine and the sun sets in the west, not the east. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Heavenly Friend: Bigelow...
Billy Bigelow: [impatiently] Well, what'd I do now?
Heavenly Friend: Nothing. I just thought you'd wanna know - there's trouble.
Billy Bigelow: Huh! Thought you said I didn't do nothin'.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in 20th Century-Fox: The First 50 Years (1997) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
What's the Use of Wond'rin' more

FAQ

Chapter Headings, an unofficial version:
more
9 out of 10 people found the following comment useful.
"He's Your Fellow And You Love Him, That's All There Is To Say", 6 May 2007
9/10
Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

I saw Carousel for the very first time in its first release when it played a double bill with Oklahoma. You can't do much better than that for an introduction to the American Musical Theater.

It would get a perfect 10 had it been done with the original two leads that were set for the show, Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland. Judy backed out before production started and Sinatra shortly after that, so Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones got to do a second Rodgers&Hammerstein classic.

Carousel is based on the Ferenc Molnar play Liliom and the original setting is in Molnar's native Hungary. On Broadway it was done by Eva Le Gallienne and Joseph Schildkraut and later in revival by Ingrid Bergman and Burgess Meredith. One man who did it in summer stock was Tyrone Power who if a straight dramatic version of Liliom had ever been done, would have been perfect.

Whether he's Liliom in Hungary or Billy Bigelow in 19th century New England, the part is one for a hero/heel that Tyrone Power patented on the screen. Probably Gordon MacRae benefited in no small way in having Power's favorite director Henry King in charge of Carousel.

Richard Rodgers was also used to writing for a hero/heel having done Pal Joey with his former partner Lorenz Hart. Billy is that kind of guy, a carousel barker and boy toy to owner Audrey Christie when he spots Julie Jordan and her friend Carrie Pipperidge, a couple of mill workers. It's love at first sight and marriage shortly after, but Billy's not a guy to change his layabout ways and it ends in tragedy.

One reason that Sinatra was also so right for the part was that he had made a successful hit record of Billy's Soliliquy back in 1945 when Carousel debuted on Broadway. It was a groundbreaking piece of musical theater that Dick Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein were responsible for in the Soliliquy. Billy's just been told by Julie he's about to become a father. In an almost 10 minute number he bares his soul to the audience and sings/thinks aloud the moves he's going to make. The song is almost operatic in quality, it takes a real singing actor to put it over like Sinatra, like MacRae is here, like John Raitt in the original cast on stage.

Though it's not Julie's song, Judy Garland had a successful record with You'll Never Walk Alone. I'm sure she would have sung it in the film had she seen it through. It's probably the big hit song from the score, still an inspiring number today.

Rounding out the cast is Cameron Mitchell as Billy's no good pal Jigger, Robert Rounseville and Barbara Ruick as Mr. Snow and Carrie, the second leads and from the Metropolitan Opera Claramae Turner as Julie's cousin Nettie who does sing You'll Never Walk Alone.

Two more who are perfectly cast are John Dehner as the officious mill owner that employs the girls and the heavenly star-keeper, Gene Lockhart in one of his last roles.

Even more than in Oklahoma, Agnes DeMille's ballet numbers are used to advance the plot. From the exuberant June Is Busting Out All Over to the dance that Billy and Julie's daughter does, all are done with taste and style.

Carousel is both tragic and yet uplifting and inspiring. It's a musical for all the ages to come.

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depressing? louster6
The 'Petticoat Junction' connection! ellichar
Paul Newman OneTouchofVenus
Louise's ballet stephaniebrown
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