musical – Old Movies – Free & Full

The Jolson Story (1946)

Charlotte Movies — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 13:16:01 +0000

2h. 8min. // This movie shows the idealized career of the singer Al Jolson, a little Jewish boy who goes against the will of his father in order to be in showbiz. He becomes a star, falls in love with a non-Jewish dancer, and marries her.

Directed by: Alfred E. Green

Writing Credits: Stephen Longstreet (screenplay)

Starring: Larry Parks (as Al Jolson), Evelyn Keyes (as Julie Benson) and William Demarest (as Steve Martin)

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Awards:

WON. Academy Awards, USA 1947. Best Sound, Recording. John P. Livadary.

WON. Academy Awards, USA 1947. Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture. Morris Stoloff.

WON. Photoplay Awards 1948. Gold Medal.

NOMINATED. Academy Awards, USA 1947. Best Actor in a Leading Role. Larry Parks.

NOMINATED. Academy Awards, USA 1947. Best Actor in a Supporting Role. William Demarest.

NOMINATED. Academy Awards, USA 1947. Best Cinematography, Color. Joseph Walker.

NOMINATED. Academy Awards, USA 1947. Best Film Editing. William A. Lyon.

NOMINATED. Cannes Film Festival 1947. Feature films. Alfred E. Green.

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A Ticket To Tomahawk (1950)

Charlotte Movies — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:15:42 +0000

1h. 30min. // In 1876 Colorado, the Tomahawk and Western Railroad is expanding through the Rockies, but some stagecoach operators, fearing a loss of revenue, plan to sabotage the railroad.

Directed by: Richard Sale

Writing Credits: Mary Loos (screenplay), Richard Sale (screenplay)

Starring: Dan Dailey (as Johnny Behind-the-Deuces), Anne Baxter (as Kit Dodge Jr.), Rory Calhoun (as Dakota), Walter Brennan (as Terence Sweeny) and Marilyn Monroe (as performer: “Oh, What a Forward Young Man You Are” – uncredited)

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Awards:

NOMINATED. Writers Guild of America, USA 1951. Best Written American Western. Mary Loos and Richard Sale.

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Royal Wedding (1951)

Charlotte Movies — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 13:15:27 +0000

1h. 42min. // Tom and Ellen Bowen are a brother and sister dancers whose show closes in New York. Their agent books them in London for the same period as the Royal Wedding. They both fall in love on their journey towards Europe. Will romance break up their act and dreams of stardom.

Directed by: Stanley Donen

Writing Credits: Alan Jay Lerner (story and screenplay)

Starring: Fred Astaire (as Tom Bowen), Jane Powell (as Ellen Bowen) and Peter Lawford (as Lord John Brindale)

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Awards:

NOMINATED. Academy Awards, USA 1952. Best Music, Original Song. Burton Lane (music) and Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics) for the song “Too Late Now”.

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The Gene Krupa Story (1959)

Charlotte Movies — Sun, 31 May 2026 13:15:15 +0000

1h. 41min. // The story of legendary jazz drummer, Gene Krupa. Since his youth, all Gene ever wanted to do is play the drums and make music. This is something his parents would not approve of- they want him to be a priest. When Gene’s father dies he promises to enter the priesthood. He soon realizes that he doesn’t belong there and leaves to join his friend, Eddie’s band. Ethel, Eddie’s girlfriend, convinces Gene to go to New York and make it big. The 3 of them head to New York. Here Ethel and Gene soon fall in love and Gene makes a name for himself. Gene starts to live in the fast lane, with drugs, alcohol, women and parties. Ethel, unhappy with Gene’s lifestyle, leaves him. Gene soon “hits rock bottom” where he has to face reality and choose where to take his life.

Directed by: Don Weis

Writing Credits: Orin Jannings (screenplay)

Starring: Sal Mineo (as Gene Krupa), Susan Kohner (as Ethel Maguire) and James Darren (as Eddie Sirota)

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Awards:

WON. Golden Globes, USA 1959. Most Promising Newcomer – Female. Susan Kohner.

NOMINATED. Laurel Awards 1960. Top Musical. 5th place.

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The Joker Is Wild (1957)

George — Wed, 27 May 2026 13:15:01 +0000

2h 6min. // Set in Chicago in the late 1920s, during the days of Prohibition, the film tells the story of Joe E. Lewis (played by Frank Sinatra), a rising singer of the Club 777, a speakeasy owned by Georgie Parker, known for his ties with the mob.

Lewis’ life turns upside down when he leaves Georgie and accepts the offer of another club owner who gives him more money. His decision almost cost his life as a couple of Parker’s men attack him badly, fracturing his skull and cutting his throat. Miraculously, he survives the aggression, but the wounds end his career as a singer.

Bleak, he starts working as a clown in low rated vaudeville acts. But suddenly, he returns to the spotlight when his old friend Sophie Tucker makes him sing on stage with her. With his voice damaged, he can’t hit the high notes, so he uses his acerbic and sharp sense of humor to disarm the audience and he realizes his talent for comedy. Soon, Lewis makes a great career as a comedian, but his drinking problems and his self-destructive behaviour lead him to question his life.

Based on Art Cohn’s biography The Life of Joe. E. Lewis, The Joker is Wild is one of the most memorable Frank Sinatra’s films.

Directed by: Charles Vidor

Writing Credits: Oscar Saul (screenplay), Art Cohn (book)

Starring: Frank Sinatra (as Joe E. Lewis), Mitzi Gaynor (as Martha Stewart), Jeanne Crain (as Letty Page) and Eddie Albert (as Austin Mack)

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Awards:

WON. Academy Awards, USA 1958. Best Music, Original Song for “All the Way”. Jimmy Van Heusen (music) and Sammy Cahn (lyrics).

NOMINATED. Writers Guild of America (WGA), USA 1958. Best Written American Musical. Oscar Saul.

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Spring Is Here (1930)

Charlotte Movies — Mon, 04 May 2026 13:37:56 +0000

1h 8min.- Betty Braley finds her heart pulled toward the charming but unreliable Steve Alden, a fellow who can turn on the romance but not always the responsibility. Her father Peter, a practical man with an eye on security rather than sentiment, champions the steadier Terry Clayton as the ideal match for his daughter. Around the Braley household, love becomes less a gentle breeze and more a gusty storm as parental expectations collide with youthful desire.

As songs and snappy pre-Code banter punctuate the courtship tangle, Betty tries to sort out whether she wants the excitement Steve promises or the stability Terry offers. Musical numbers underscore each shift in her affections, with playful duets and ensemble pieces turning the family parlor into a stage for flirtation and frustration alike. Misunderstandings, comedic interludes, and a few romantic gambles push everyone toward a final choice, where Betty must decide whether to follow her father’s wishes or the unpredictable rhythm of her own heart.

Directed by: John Francis Dillon

Starring: Louise Fazenda, Ford Sterling, Natalie Moorhead, Alexander Gray, Bernice Claire

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Dixiana (1930)

Charlotte Movies — Mon, 04 May 2026 13:37:06 +0000

1h39min.- A spirited circus troupe rolls into the antebellum South, bringing with it the bright lights of the big top and the complications of class and romance. Among the performers is Dixiana Caldwell, a vivacious song-and-dance star whose charm catches the eye of a young Southern aristocrat. Their flirtation quickly blossoms into something deeper, but the gulf between her world of sawdust and spotlights and his world of plantation manners and rigid social codes threatens to turn a whirlwind romance into a scandal.

As Dixiana tries to navigate parlor rooms as gracefully as she commands the circus ring, her loyal friends Peewee and Ginger provide comic relief and staunch support, tumbling into one misadventure after another. Behind the scenes, scheming figures in polite society work to expose her background and break the match, forcing Dixiana to decide whether to reinvent herself or proudly claim her roots. Musical numbers and lavish production values build toward a Technicolor finale, where love, loyalty, and showmanship collide in a grand spectacle that tests whether the magic of performance can bridge the deepest social divides.

The film revels in its blend of Southern melodrama and backstage musical, contrasting hoop skirts and plantation verandas with circus wagons and show tunes. Along the way, it showcases early screen appearances by notable performers and hints at the evolving language of Hollywood musicals, all wrapped in a story where the heart of a circus girl may be the bravest thing under the big top.

Directed by: Luther Reed

Writing Credits: Anne Caldwell

Starring: Bebe Daniels, Bill Robinson, Wheeler & Woolsey, Jobyna Howland, Joseph Cawthorn

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Dancing Sweeties (1930)

Charlotte Movies — Mon, 04 May 2026 13:35:38 +0000

1h 2min. // A cocky young hoofer spends every spare moment on the dance floor, more in love with his own reflection than with any of his many partners. When he meets a spirited girl who can actually keep up with his fancy footwork—and isn’t the least bit impressed by his ego—their rivalry quickly turns into a flirtatious partnership. Together they light up the local dance halls, their bickering banter only adding spark to their smooth steps.

As their romance blossoms, the pair impulsively decide to marry, only to discover that being in sync under the spotlight is far easier than sharing a cramped apartment and a pile of everyday worries. Domestic expectations, meddling friends and family, and the lure of nightlife all tug them in different directions. Their once-effortless rhythm falters as they struggle to balance youthful freedom with grown-up responsibility.

Between comic misunderstandings and lively musical interludes, the couple must decide whether their love is just another passing dance-floor fling or something sturdy enough to survive beyond the last song. The film playfully contrasts the giddy glamour of the ballroom with the humbler realities of newlywed life, all while celebrating the irresistible pull of popular dance in the early sound era.

Directed by: Ray Enright

Writing Credits: Joseph Jackson, Gordon Rigby

Starring: Sue Carol, Billy Bletcher, Tully Marshall, Eddie Phillips, Grant Withers

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Love in the Rough (1930)

Charlotte Movies — Mon, 04 May 2026 13:33:10 +0000

1h 24min. // A breezy office clerk with an unexpectedly deadly golf swing suddenly finds his humdrum life colliding with the high society fairway set. When his talent on the links is discovered by his blustering boss, he’s whisked from the filing cabinet to the country club, drafted to help win an important tournament that means more to his employer’s pride than any balance sheet. Among the manicured greens and stuffy members, the would-be sportsman stumbles through etiquette lessons, borrowed plus-fours, and a steady stream of social landmines.

Complications arrive in the form of a charming young woman who assumes he’s a blue-blooded golf champion rather than an office nobody in borrowed status. Determined to keep the illusion alive, he juggles romantic moonlit serenades and musical interludes with frantic efforts to hide his modest background from both her and the club snobs. Wisecracking friends, flustered fathers, and temperamental rivals swirl around him, turning every tee-off into a potential disaster.

As the big tournament approaches, the pressure mounts: he must win the match, keep his job, and somehow hold onto the girl without the whole charade collapsing in the sand trap. Song-and-dance numbers punctuate the farce, with caddies, club members, and hangers-on breaking into sprightly tunes that underscore the clash between working-class ingenuity and upper-crust pretension. By the final hole, the story drives toward a payoff that blends romance, slapstick, and a gentle poke at the social divisions of the early talkie era.

The result is a light-footed pre-Code romp that uses golf as an excuse for flirtation, fast patter, and a parade of musical set pieces. The film revels in its own silliness, letting its leads charm their way through misunderstandings and mis-hits alike, while the supporting cast keeps the gags flying faster than golf balls on a crowded driving range.

Directed by: Charles Reisner

Writing Credits: Vincent Lawrence

Starring: Allan Lane, Robert Montgomery, Dorothy Jordan, Penny Singleton, Clarence Wilson

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The Cuckoos (1930)

Charlotte Movies — Mon, 04 May 2026 13:30:57 +0000

1h 37min. // Two down-on-their-luck fortune tellers, the pompous Prof. Cunningham and his jittery sidekick Sparrow, hustle readings at a slightly seedy resort just south of the Mexican border. Their crystal ball is pure bunk, their predictions improvised on the spot, and their pockets are as empty as their prophecies. When a runaway heiress, Ruth Chester, arrives in flight from her domineering aunt and an unwanted suitor, the faux mystics spy a chance to turn their phony psychic act into a ticket out of poverty.

Ruth is in love with a handsome but penniless young man, while her aunt schemes to marry her off to a wealthy, oily aristocrat. Cunningham and Sparrow bumble their way into the middle of this romantic tangle, pretending to summon spirits and foresee destinies while mostly trying to dodge creditors and stay one step ahead of exposure. Their antics collide with the resort’s colorful crowd of vacationers, gypsies, and opportunists, leading to a swirl of misunderstandings, disguises, and close calls.

As the resort becomes a playground for mistaken identities, the charlatan mediums find themselves unexpectedly championing true love. Musical numbers break out in the midst of the chaos, with dancers and chorus girls adding spectacle to the sun-drenched setting and the duo’s frantic schemes. Between song-and-dance interludes, chases, and near-revelations, the pair stumbles toward an accidental heroism, helping the young couple defy social expectations and outwit the schemers who would keep them apart.

By the time the final fortunes are told, the bogus predictions have come true in the most roundabout way possible. The con men may not have any real psychic powers, but their comic blundering clears the path for romance, restores order to the resort, and hints that even the most transparent fakes can sometimes conjure a happy ending.

Directed by: Paul Sloane

Writing Credits: Guy Bolton, Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby

Starring: Robert Woolsey, June Clyde, Wheeler & Woolsey, Ivan Lebedeff, Jobyna Howland