"Stand Up! Try a little bit of love and a bit of persuasion. I heard love, plus love's a universal equation. But don't let somebody push you 'round you gotta Stand Up!...Stand up and be counted!" (Rick Springfield 1984)

As I begin the one hundred twenty-fifth blog centered on twelve of the finest Movie Musicals ever made, I recall the previous themes from the Introduction (2011) to The Party (2015). From Hello (2017), to  Get Happy (2019), and Isolation (2020), to Focus on Friendship (2021), and all those in between. With each theme, I have found new ways to discover these films. I have discussed social mores, friendships, culture, and relationships. I have done character studies on the heroes and their sidekicks. But I have yet to explore the theme that motivates the story and moves it forward.

Welcome to Movies and Music ~ The 2022 Edition ~ The Empowered Women in the Movie Musical!

The Guidebook is packed to the brim with admirable women.

Some suffer no fools. (Abigail Adams  1776, Marian Paroo The Music Man, Linda Mason Holiday Inn)

Abigail to John Adams: "You make everything so complicated. It's all very simple. Just tell Congress to declare Independency! Then sign your name get out of there, and hurry home to me!"

Upon her initial meeting with Professor Harold Hill, Marian ignores him, meets his flirtations with curt negative responses, and slams the door in his face.

Linda Mason to Jim Hardy: "You knew there would be men here tonight who might offer me a chance in pictures. You decided I shouldn't have that opportunity. Not even the opportunity to refuse! I've had about enough of that, Jim!"

Others find strength in their independence. (Millie Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, The Haynes Sisters White Christmas, Marian  The Music Man, Hannah Brown Easter Parade, Kathy Seldon Singin' in the Rain)

These women defy a culture that tells them they should marry and raise a family. While none of them oppose this lifestyle (Millie: "Always back at the Inn when the men were screaming for their dinners, I'd think how  wonderful it would be to have one man to cook and care for." Phil Davis to Betty Haynes: Are you interested in families or children, Miss Haynes? Betty: "Yes, I suppose so."), they are not seeking it. Marian has a job that supports her, her mother, and her brother.  Judy Haynes understands how to work a show business "angle" that allows her "sister act" to be seen by famous people. (Wallace and Davis) Hannah Brown understands that to get her way and return to being "just plain Hannah Brown," she must agree with Don. Thus, making him think the changes in their vaudeville act are his idea. ("Whatever you say.")  Kathy Seldon has visions of life on the stage. ("Acting means great parts with wonderful lines. Speaking those glorious words! Shakespeare, Ibsen!")

For Chava, Tzeitel, and Hodel (Fiddler on the Roof),  the strength that allows them to defy their culture and build their own lives comes at a cost. The loss of their family of origin. New worlds were not conquered by the timid!

Strength and empowerment to "get what you want" grow from within and mature as the girl matures into a woman. (Connie Orchestra Wives, Laurie Oklahoma, Esther, and Rose, Meet Me In St. Louis.) Whether it's to get your man (Esther: "If we can create a breathtaking effect, it'll be simple to monopolize all the worthwhile men.”) or keep him. When Connie's appearance changes from a simple cotton dress to skirts, gloves, hats, and high heels, her understanding of other women changes as well. When she realizes the gossip they indulge in centers on her husband and the girl singer, she stands up to it, confronts her husband, and gets him back with the help of the Orchestra.

Confrontation is most difficult for Fiona (Brigadoon). As she watches the man she loves leave her, her response is stoic and poignant. ("I'll be less lonely now. Real loneliness is not being in love in vain, but not being in love at all.”) Her sadness is palatable, as is his when he transitions to his real life. He "can'na forget her."

What makes these empowered women unforgettable? Join me all year long as we explore this question when the Classic Movie Musical women Stand Up to be Counted!

~~~Lori