Carousel (1956)

Director:

Henry King

Writers:

Phoebe Ephron (screenplay) and
Henry Ephron (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 February 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Musical

Tagline:

20th-Century Fox proudly presents [Rodgers and Hammerstein's CAROUSEL]

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...

Plot Keywords:

Carousel | Barker | Carnival | Based On Stage Musical | Unemployment

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

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 (as William Le Massena)
John Dehner	...	Mr. Bascombe
Jacques d'Amboise	...	Louise's 'Starlight Carnival' Dancing Partner (as Jacques D'Amboise)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Banas	...	Ruffian in Louise's Ballet (uncredited)
Harry Carter	...	Third Policeman (uncredited)
Drusilla Davis	...	Girl at Clambake (uncredited)
Richard Deacon	...	First Policeman (uncredited)
Marion Dempsey	...	Sword Swallower (uncredited)
Harrison Dowd	...	Clem (uncredited)
Bill Foster	...	Man at Clambake / Dancer (uncredited)
Robert Foulk	...	Second Policeman (uncredited)
Lili Gentle	...	Young Girl #1 (uncredited)
Cheryl Holdridge	...	Young Girl #2 (uncredited)
Charles Irwin	...	Capt. Wilson (uncredited)
Larry Johns	...	School Principal (uncredited)
Harry C. Johnson	...	Juggler (uncredited)
Tor Johnson	...	Strong Man (uncredited)
Bambi Linn	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Edward Mundy	...	Fire Eater (uncredited)
Mary Orozco	...	Fat Woman (uncredited)
Dee Pollock	...	Enoch Snow Jr. (uncredited)
Angelo Rossitto	...	Midget (uncredited)
William Sharon	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Sylvia Stanton	...	Contortionist (uncredited)
Dolores Starr	...	Snow's Daughter (uncredited)
Frank Tweddell	...	Capt. Watson (uncredited)

Directed by
Henry King

Writing credits
Phoebe Ephron		(screenplay) (as Phoebe) and
Henry Ephron		(screenplay)
Oscar Hammerstein II		(book by)
Ferenc Molnár		(from the musical play based on "Liliom" by)
Benjamin Glazer		(adapted by) (as Benjamin F. Glazer)

Produced by
Henry Ephron	....	producer
Darryl F. Zanuck	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Charles G. Clarke		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
William Reynolds		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Jack Martin Smith		(art direction)
Lyle R. Wheeler		(art direction)

Set Decoration by
Chester L. Bayhi		(set decorations) (as Chester Bayhi)
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
Mary Wills		(costumes designed by)

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup by
Helen Turpin	....	hair styling by

Production Management
Joseph C. Behm	....	unit manager (uncredited)

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 direction (as Charle Le Maire)
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Leonard Doss	....	color consultant

Music Department
Ken Darby	....	associate: Alfred Newman
Earle Hagen	....	orchestration
Oscar Hammerstein II	....	lyrics by
Gus Levene	....	orchestration
Bernard Mayers	....	orchestration
Alfred Newman	....	music conducted by
Alfred Newman	....	music supervised by
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestration
Nelson Riddle	....	orchestration
Richard Rodgers	....	music by
Herbert W. Spencer	....	orchestration (as Herbert Spencer)

Other crew
Rod Alexander	....	choreography by
Agnes de Mille	....	choreography by: Louise's Ballet (as Agnes De Mille)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as Twentieth Century-Fox) (A CinemaScope Picture)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (as 20th Century Fox)
• Centfox (1956) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1966) (USA) (TV) (pan/scan) (edited) (first and second telecasts)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Canada) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Fox Video (????) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Angel Records  soundtrack released by (1990's CD edition) (uncredited)
• Angel Records  soundtrack released by (2001 expanded CD edition) (uncredited)
• Bausch & Lomb  cinemascope lenses by
• Capitol Records  soundtrack released by (1956 LP and first CD edition) (uncredited)
• Theatre Guild  originally produced on the stage by
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation  acknowledgement: is the registered trademark of (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation)

Also Known As:

"Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel" - USA (complete title)

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (CinemaScope 55)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

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:

Augusta, Maine, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Two songs from the show, "You're A Queer One, Julie Jordan," as performed by Barbara Ruick and Shirley Jones, and "Blow High, Blow Low," as performed by Cameron Mitchell and a male chorus, were recorded, but do not appear in the final film. They are both included on the film soundtrack album.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As Jigger (Cameron Mitchell) first talks to Billy (Gordon MacRae) about a robbery, the sound of an outboard motor can faintly be heard in the harbor.

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'.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in City Hall (1996)

Soundtrack:

The Carousel Waltz

It's a Wonderful Death

In recent years it has become commonplace to site Frank Kapra's `It's a Wonderful Life' as one of the greatest films ever. It has become a Christmas tradition. I feel that film is overrated. The problem I have with it is that it stacks the deck in trying to convince us of the value of human life. George Bailey is a successful banker- not exactly rich but successful enough that he contributed a lot of material things to people's lives, including a housing development named after him. He also saved his brother's life so his brother could save the men on that ship, etc. etc. The message is that you are of value if you have done the sort of things they build statues of people to honor. On top of that, without George, everybody in this town is nothing. They are all drunks or crooks or prostitutes. They have no capabilities of their own. They are all dependent on George Bailey.

I much prefer Carousel, whose hero is a bum. If you were to ask nearly everybody in town- a town that has done just fine without him, as a matter of fact, what Billy Bigelow contributed to their lives, they would say nothing- if they remembered him at all. The only people who would have anything good to say about him are those that he loved and who loved him. And that is the bottom line. If a person can be redeemed by his ability to love and to inspire love in others, we all have a chance. If you have to have a bank and town named after you, the bar is too high for most of us.

As a musical, this is as good as it gets. `If I loved you' is rivaled only by `Some Enchanted Evening' as a love song and it means more as it's revealing of the character of this crude man who can't express what's in his soul and this shy girl who wants only to love and be loved. `Soliloquy' is the dramatic highlight in the history of the musical as Billy works out all his hopes and dreams in his mind and vows to do anything he can to make his daughter's life special. By over reaching his bounds, he does the opposite. `What's the Use of Wondering' expresses the doubts anyone entering a relationship has and is doubly moving as it's sung by Julie, for whom we know the song will have special relevance. `When You Walk Through a Storm' offers hope to us all. Those old guys at graduations are really worth listening to.