Singin' In The Rain tops best film musical list

There are some movie fans who will, no doubt, be quite content to leave the musical genre outside Singin' In The Rain, preferring their silver screen experience to remain uninterrupted by spontaneous bouts of singing, tapping and dancing.

For others, however, the innocent charm exuded by film genres poor relation, will ensure that The Sound Of Music will emanate from many a home movie system.

Compulsive list-maker the American Film Institute (AFI) has now compiled its list of the 25 greatest musicals and topping the chart is 1952's Singin' In The Rain, which starred Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds.

The list of the top 25 films means that instead of going for a night On The Town and All That Jazz, both Guys And Dolls can jump on The Band Wagon and enjoy a bit of televisual Cabaret.

While working their way through the greatest musicals, film aficionados can decide whether A Star Is Born in either of the two most recent efforts in the list: Moulin Rouge (25) or Chicago (12).

Before the incorporation of musical titles becomes even more contrived, it should be pointed out that the AFI polled 500 film artists, composers, critics, musicians and historians on a shortlist of 250 American film musicals.

If the list represented the musicals best received at the Oscars, West Side Story would emerge victorious with ten, followed by 1958's Gigi with nine.

The list in its entirety is as follows:

1. Singin' In The Rain
2. West Side Story
3. The Wizard Of Oz
4. The Sound Of Music
5. Cabaret
6. Mary Poppins
7. A Star Is Born
8. My Fair Lady
9. An American In Paris
10. Meet Me In St Louis
11. The King & I
12. Chicago
13. 42nd Street
14. All That Jazz
15. Top Hat
16. Funny Girl
17. The Band Wagon
18. Yankee Doodle Dandy
19. On The Town
20. Grease
21. Seven Brides For Seven Brothers
22. Beauty And The Beast
23. Guys And Dolls
24. Showboat
25. Moulin Rouge

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