Posted by
Emmett of the Unblinking Eye on Sunday, December 17, 2006 11:31:44 PM
For reasons that I'm still a little vague on, Mr. Hewitt was heck-bent on having a list of the Top 10 Women Singers Acting Movies of All Time. But, of course, he was a little vague as to what he exactly meant. So the list, which appears below, was a mixture of women singers acting and also singing, and women singers acting but not singing:
10
Lady Sings the Blues (1972) with Diana Ross as Billie Holiday.
9.
Pillow Talk (1959) with Doris Day.
8.
A League of Their Own (1992) with Madonna.
7.
Buck Privates (1941) with the Andrews Sisters.
6.
Funny Girl (1968) with Barbra Streisand.
5.
Witness for the Prosecution (1957) with Marlene Dietrich.
4.
The Wizard of Oz (1939) with Judy Garland.
3.
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) with Judy Garland
and Marlene Dietrich.
2.
Destry Rides Again (1939) with Marlene Dietrich.
1.
The Sound of Music (1965) with Julie Andrews.
Now, for the few purists that may exist out there, I've tried to make two supplemental lists. The first is movies in which the singers actually sing:
10.
Pete Kelly's Blues (1956) with the immortal Peggy Lee and a great jazz score.
9.
A Star is Born (1954) with Judy Garland.
8.
Meet Me in St. Louis ((1944) with Judy Garland.
7.
Mary Poppins (1964) with Julie Andrews.
6.
Lady Sings the Blues (1972).
5.
Buck Privates (1941).
4.
Funny Girl (1968).
3.
The Wizard of Oz (1939).
2.
Destry Rides Again (1939).
1.
The Sound of Music (1965).
And the movies in which (as far as I can remember), they don't sing a note:
10. Although I originally had
Ruthless People (1986) with Bette Midler and Danny DeVito in the 10 spot, how could I possibly omit
Tremors (1990), with Reba McEntire as the well-armed survivalist in one of the great bun battles in one of the funniest giant monster movies ever made?
9.
The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996) with Courtney Love and Woody Harrelson.
8.
Out of Sight (1998) with Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney.
7.
What's Up, Doc? (1972) with Barbra Streisand.
6.
Pillow Talk (1959) (okay, so I dropped it a little. So sue me.).
5.
A League of Their Own (1992) with Madonna.
4.
The Aviator (2004) with a brief appearance by Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow (she doesn't say much, but doesn't need to).
3.
Touch of Evil (1958) with Marlene Dietrich
2.
Witness for the Prosecution (1957).
1.
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961).
For my entertainment dollar, I'd take a look at
Witness for the Prosecution, which is truly one of the best movies ever made -- even if Hewitt hasn't seen it. And you might also want to take a look at
Cabaret (1972) with Liza Minelli and Joel Grey,
Grease with Olivia Newton John and John Travolta, or
Best Little Whorehouse In Texas with Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds.
And since I have a couple of weeks off (not returning to the airwaves until after the New Year, maybe I can update some old lists. Just don't hold your breath.