Rodgers & Hammerstein Colllection (DVD)

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I like that this set is simply called "The Rodgers & Hammerstein Collection," when it could have been called the "ultimate" collection or "collector's edition" because of the wealth of bonus features. But Rodgers & Hammerstein says it all. During the Forties and Fifties-a golden age for American musicals on Broadway-this duo created enough quality shows to land them on a U.S. postage stamp 40 years after their final collaboration, "The Sound of Music." Their body of work also earned them a place on Time magazine's list of 100 most influential artists.

Included here is Richard Rodgers' and Oscar Hammerstein II's very first collaboration, "Oklahoma!" (1943 Broadway debut, 1955 film), along with the made-for-film "State Fair" (1945), "Carousel" (1945, 1956), "South Pacific" (1949, 1958), "The King and I" (1951, 1956), and "The Sound of Music" (1959, 1965).

What more can you ask for, if you're a fan of music theater? How about the Criterion treatment? Each title features two discs with the kind of ephemeral extras that has characterized sets from Criterion. The 40th anniversary edition of "The Sound of Music" alone has close to 10 hours of bonus features, including an introduction, commentary, and new interviews from Julie Andrews. But all of the titles have a wealth of bonus features, many of them including bonus movies. There's the 1934 film version of "Liliom," the play that inspired "Carousel," as well as the 1962 version of "State Fair" starring Pat Boone and Ann-Margaret, the Todd-AO version of "Oklahoma!," the pilot for the TV version of "Anna and the King," and extended footage of the road show version of "South Pacific." Collectively, it's a marvelous set that's worthy of several curtain calls. Because the extras are so much a part of this set, I'm going to discuss them with each film.

"Oklahoma!" won an Oscar for Best Score with songs like the rousing title tune, "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning," "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top," "Kansas City," and "People We'll Say We're in Love." Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones are both believable and compatible as a young cowboy and the girl that captures his fancy. Set during the time when Oklahoma was poised to become a state, "Oklahoma!" features big dance numbers, comic relief from Ado Annie (Gloria Grahame as the girl who "cain't say no"), and Rod Steiger as the brooding, "Phantom of the Opera"-style ranch hand who wants Laurey (Jones) for himself. "Oklahoma!" translated well to the big-screen, and when you compare it with the less successful "South Pacific" you can see that it's partly because of the performances. MacRae and Jones don't just hit their marks, they fill the frames.

"Oklahoma!" is a film artifact insomuch as that it was the first big title to be released in theaters with a new curved screen-concept and bigger picture. Todd-AO required all new equipment, so it wasn't widespread. But for your curiosity (though it's faded and slightly blurred, no doubt because of the flat screen that's so much different from the demonstration we see on one of the extras) the entire film is presented in this alternate format (2:20:1 aspect ratio) to the more popular CinemaScope release (2.55:1). It's nice to have as a curiosity, but not all that pleasant to watch. What makes it bearable is the audio commentary by Jones and film historian Nick Redman, a commentary I actually enjoyed more than the one on the CinemaScope version from Ted Chapin (the president of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization) and film historian Hugh Fordin.

There's also a sing-along feature, theatrical teaser and trailers, some fantastic stage clips from a 1954 TV tribute to R&H, excellent photo and artwork galleries, and several short features explaining the Todd-AO phenomenon. It gets a little technical, but cinema buffs will appreciate it.

"Oklahoma!" has a rousing score, engaging characters, a strong storyline, and beautiful scenery (it was shot in Texas and won another Oscar for Best Cinematography). But perhaps most importantly for a romantic musical, the leads have compatible voices and great chemistry. I'd give it an 8.

"State Fair" is a slice of Americana that delivers a picture-perfect glimpse into Midwestern farm life and that annual institution that's as big, for rural folks, as the Academy Awards. I've been to the Illinois State Fair as a teen and many years later as an adult, and like a grove of trees that looks the same from year to year, little has changed. There are still harness races, livestock competitions, home economics competitions, carnival midways, and band pavilions. Some will watch "State Fair" and think it corny others will just recognize it as a snapshot of America at it's wholesome, toothy-smiling best.

But whatever you do, watch the 1945 version first, or you won't be able to stomach a second helping. The bonus 1962 version lacks all the heart and charm of the first, and feels, as a result, inauthentic. Pat Boone, who provides a decent commentary, was better in "Home in Indiana" (a.k.a. "April Love"). But Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes, and Vivian Blaine really sell it as brother and sister who go to the fair and each have romantic entanglements-she, with a slick reporter who's used to a faster style of gal, and he with a well-known band singer who comes to his rescue in a dispute with a carney. The film manages to convey a real slice-of-life sense of rural life and state fairs while also staying on track for a dual-romance plot that's offset by mom and dad's exploits in the pickle judging and swine competition. The worst cuss word you'll hear uttered is a strange one ("Christmas!"), everything is so gosh-darned wholesome. But I'm here to tell you that it's also gosh-darned accurate-especially for a WWII-era film. The most memorable songs are "Our State Fair (is a GREAT State Fair)," "It Might As Well Be Spring," and "It's a Grand Night for Singing."

Film historian Richard Barrios and Tom Briggs, who co-wrote the Broadway musical version which would follow, provide the audio commentary on the 1945 film, but once again I preferred the small, more ephemeral items. I loved the small feature on "from page to screen to stage" and a TV pilot for "State Fair." The 1945 version merits a 7, but as inferior as it was by comparison, I have to admit that I was glad to see the 1962 remake again.

"Carousel" is an anomaly insomuch as it's a dark, downer of a musical that, if it were an opera, might well have been been penned by Richard Wagner. Inspired by "Liliom," a play set in Budapest, it was relocated to the New England coast by R&H and fitted with another full complement of songs, including the haunting "Carousel Waltz," "If I Loved You," "June is Bustin' Out All Over," "When the Children Are Asleep," and "You'll Never Walk Alone." It was MacRae and Jones again, with MacRae playing rougish Billy Bigelow, a carousel barker and womanizer who, against his better judgment and instincts, marries a woman he falls for. But he falls in with a petty crook who asks him to get a knife and help him hold up the girl's rich employer. I'm not giving a thing away by saying that Billy dies, because we know that from the very beginning. He's shown in a stagey "heaven" polishing stars that look like gigantic Christmas ornaments and is given the chance to go back to earth to help a teenaged daughter he didn't know he had. Their story is told in flashback, with location scenery providing an interesting backdrop.

Though this musical is frequently praised, the part of me that watches musicals to feel uplifted doesn't respond to "Carousel" as much as I do to other R&H offerings-even the often-maligned "State Fair." It was Rodgers' favorite, though, and a favorite of many critics as well.

The commentary by Jones and Redman is as good as the one on "Oklahoma!" but it's the shorter extras that caught my attention on this volume. Jones appears on stills and audio in a deleted number, "You're a Queer One, Julie Jordan," while Cameron Mitchell sings in another deleted segment. I'm a sucker for old newsreel footage, and we get a Fox Movietone News clip on the "Carousel" New York and Hollywood openings. But I also liked seeing original Broadway stars Jan Clayton and John Raitt (Bonnie's dad) performing "If I Loved You." For comparison's sake there's the 1934 film "Liliom," which is heavily dramatic and dark in composition as well as tone, and there are the usual trailers, art galleries, and sing-along option. This one gets another 7 from me.

"South Pacific" is the coin-toss of the bunch. Some people are going to respond to it well, while others will think that something got lost between the stage and Hawaii, where most of the production was filmed. I'm one of the latter, though I have to admit that I love watching it because of a handful of songs and the gorgeous cinematography. Another film ("Gigi") swept the musical awards that year, but it's hard not to like tunes like "Bloody Mary," "There is Nothin' Like a Dame," "Bali Ha'i," "A Cockeyed Optimist," "Some Enchanted Evening," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair," "A Wonderful Guy," and "Younger Than Springtime."