Carousel
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Carousel

Year:
Duration:
128 min
Genres:
Drama | Musical
IMDB rate:
6.9
Director:
Henry King
Awards:
3 nominations
Details
Country: USA
Release Date: 1956-02-16
Filming Locations: Boothbay Harbor, Maine, USA
Cast
Actor
Character
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
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
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)
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)
William Sharon
Policeman (uncredited)
Sylvia Stanton
Contortionist (uncredited)
Dolores Starr
Snow's Daughter (uncredited)
Frank Tweddell
Capt. Watson (uncredited)
Did you know?
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.
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This film was originally meant to be filmed in both standard 35mm CinemaScope and CinemaScope 55 (55mm). Early in production it was discovered that both prints could be made from the one negative, and so it was filmed in 55mm CinemaScope only. Standard 35mm CinemaScope prints were made for release, and like The King and I (1956), this film was never shown theatrically in the 55mm format.
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Although this film was publicized as being filmed and shown in CinemaScope 55 (a larger-than-usual, 55 millimeter system with 6-track stereo), it was only shown in standard 35mm CinemaScope, at a screen aspect ratio of 2.55: 1. However, a 6-track version of the soundtrack had been made in addition to the standard 4-track version, and it was a 6-track dub which was used in the film's premiere. See also The King and I (1956).
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Goofs
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.
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When the sailboats are leaving the dock headed for the Clambake, you can see several speed boats in the rear distance of the harbor as the period sailboats head out.
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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.
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Quotes
Heavenly Friend: Bigelow...
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Mister Snow: [greeting Billy for the first time] Mr. Bigelow, I feel like I know you.
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Billy Bigelow: Yeah, I could still live here with Julie and...
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Faq
Q
Does the film justify or excuse spousal abuse?
A
That depends on how you interpret what has happened and how politically correct you want to be. It is condemned in the dialogue when the Starkeeper asks Billy why he hit Julie. Billy says, "Well, we'd argue, she'd say this, I'd say that, and she'd be right. So I hit her". The Starkeeper asks him rather sternly, "Are you sorry you hit her", and Billy answers, "Ain't sorry for anything", making it clear that although Billy has a bad attitude, the authors of "Carousel" are not praising him for it. (In the 1934 French film of the non-musical play "Liliom", on which "Carousel" is based, Liliom - the Billy Bigelow character - is forced, as punishment, to watch a film showing him slapping Julie over and over.) However, the movie does seem to make light of it, suggesting that the magnitude of his hit on Julie was blown out of proportion by gossip and having Louise describe his hit to her hand as feeling more like a kiss.
Q
How does this film compare to the stage version of "Carousel"?
A
The biggest difference is that most of the story in the film is presented as a flashback, while everything in the stage version happens in chronological order. But there are other differences, and one of them somewhat waters down the plot. In the play, Billy Bigelow commits suicide to avoid being captured by the police, while in the film he dies accidentally while trying to escape from them. Another difference is that, in the stage version of "Carousel", there is use of recitative (sung conversation that always leads to an actual composed song), while in the film, much of this recitative is simply turned into spoken dialogue. Occasionally a word or two will be changed in the lyrics, but this is usually for censorship reasons. One of the few lyrics changed just for the sake of changing it is in the song "You'll Never Walk Alone". The original lyric was "When you walk through a storm, keep your chin up high", and for the film this was changed to the now more familiar "When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high". The powerful, rousing song that Billy sings late in the stage version -- "The Highest Judge of All" -- is omitted from the film. The songs "You're a Queer One, Julie Jordan" and "Blow High, Blow Low" were recorded for the film, but not used. They can both be heard on the film soundtrack album and as extras on the 50th Anniversary DVD of the film, although the visual footage is not on the DVD and the songs are heard only as supplements. (On the soundtrack CD, they are heard in their rightful place.) However, the film is largely extremely faithful to the original stage version, retaining most of the dialogue. None of Billy's physically abusive behavior is shown, but then, up until the 1994 revival of the musical, it wasn't shown onstage either.
Q
What is 'Carousel' about?
A
Sixteen years ago, handsome carousel barker Billy Bigelow (Gordon MacRae) fell in love with and married Julie Jordan (Shirley Jones). Fired from his job on the carousel by jealous owner Mrs. Mullin (Audrey Christie), Billy had nowhere to turn except to a life of crime with his lowlife buddy Jigger Craigin (Cameron Mitchell), a 'job' that got him killed. Now polishing stars in heaven, Billy hears that Julie and their 15-year old daughter Louise (Susan Luckey) are having problems, so Billy wants to cash in on an option that he long ago turned down...the chance to go back to Earth for a day. However, he must first convince the starkeeper (Gene Lockhart) as to what good he could do if allowed to go back.
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Photos from cast
Angelo Rossitto
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