Brigadoon (1954)

Two Americans on a hunting trip in Scotland become lost. They encounter a small village, not on the map, called Brigadoon, in which people harbor a mysterious secret, and behave as if they were still living two hundred years in the past.

Director:

Vincente Minnelli

Writers:

Alan Jay Lerner (screenplay), Alan Jay Lerner (musical)

Stars:

Gene Kelly, Van Johnson, Cyd Charisse

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win.

Cast

Complete credited 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 (as Dody Heath)
Eddie Quillan	...	Sandy

Storyline

Americans Tommy Albright and Jeff Douglas, on a hunting vacation in Scotland, discover a quaint and beautiful village, Brigadoon. Strangely, the village is not on any map, and soon Tommy and Jeff find out why: Brigadoon is an enchanted place. It appears once every hundred years for one day, then disappears back into the mists of time, to wake up to its next day a century hence. When Tommy falls in love with Fiona, a girl of the village, he realizes that she can never be part of his life back in America. Can he be part of hers in Brigadoon?

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Plot Keywords:

village suspended in time | stone foot bridge | grouse hunting | fog | thatched roof stone house | 

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Taglines:

The Big Broadway Musical Hit!

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Genres:

Fantasy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 September 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

Бригадун

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,352,625 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$1,982,000, 31 December 1954

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,275,000, 31 December 1954

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Anscocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In March 1951, Kathryn Grayson was announced in the role eventually played by Cyd Charisse.

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Goofs

If Minister Forsythe made the miracle happen from outside the village and was not part of it, only two days prior to the villager's time line, and they could not leave the village, they would have no way of knowing it had actually happened. The minister could merely be missing for a couple days for all they knew. In fact, the minister's missing presence conveniently allows the story to develop angles that can't be explained, such as why he felt he had to leave his beloved flock (his advancing age is given as a reason, but that makes no sense, a devoted minister would never leave his flock), why he had to say his prayer from outside the affected area instead of remaining with them, or why they only wake up every 100 years instead of just becoming invisible to the world and continuing to live life as normal, or any number of plot points that don't make sense when tossed together.

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Quotes

Jeff Douglas: If there's *anything* I hate... it's *you*!

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Connections

Referenced in Grumpier Old Men (1995)

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Soundtracks

Finale: Brigadoon
(uncredited)
Sung by the M-G-M Chorus

User Reviews

When You Love Someone, Everything Is Possible, Even a Miracle

The New Yorkers Tommy Albright (Gene Kelly) and Jeff Douglas (Van Johnson) travel in a hunting trip to the highlands of Scotland. Tommy and Jeff are best friends and Tommy is taking a break from his engagement with his fiancée Jane Ashton (Elaine Stewart).

Tommy and Jeff get lost on the hills and out of the blue, they see a small town that is out of the map. When they arrive in town, Tommy meets the local Fiona Campbell (Cyd Charisse) and they learn that the place is called Brigadoon. Further, it is the wedding day of her younger sister and they are invited to stay to the party. Meanwhile Tommy and Fiona fall in love with each other.

Later Tommy and the skeptical Jeff discover that a local preacher had prayed to God on the Eighteenth Century asking for a miracle to protect Brigadoon from witches that lived in Scotland. From that day on, when the locals go to sleep in the night, they wake up 100 years later. However, if a dweller leaves Brigadoon, the town and the citizens would all disappear forever. But an outsider could stay forever in Brigadoon provided he or she loves someone in the enchanted town.

"Brigadoon" is a fairy tale that combines "Lost Horizon" with "The Sleeping Beauty". The plot is silly and the songs are dated, but the romantic story and Cyd Charisse are delightful and the final message ("when you love someone, everything is possible, even a miracle") is very beautiful. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Lenda dos Beijos Perdidos" ("The Legend of the Lost Kisses")