Carousel poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones, Cameron Mitchell, Barbara Ruick, Claramae Turner ... see more see more... , Gene Lockhart , Susan Luckey , Robert Rounseville , Audrey Christie , John Dehner , Jacques d'Amboise , Frank Tweddell , Tor Johnson , Harry Johnson , Ed Mundy , Angelo Rossitto , Dee Pollock , Richard Deacon , William Le Massena

Carousel was adapted from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical of the same name--which, in turn, was based on Liliom, a play by Ferenc Molnar. Gordon MacRae stars as carnival barker Billy... read more read more... Bigelow, who much against his will falls in love with Maine factory girl Julie Jordan (Shirley Jones). Billy proves an improvident and unreliable husband, but Julie stands by him. Upon discovering that Julie is pregnant, the unemployed Billy sees an opportunity for some quick money by joining his unsavory pal Jigger (Cameron Mitchell). The scheme goes awry, and Billy dies. Standing before the Pearly Gates, Billy is given a chance to redeem himself by the kindly Starkeeper (Gene Lockhart). He is allowed to return to Earth to try to brighten the life of his unhappy 15-year-old daughter Louise (Susan Luckey). Billy offers Louise a star that he has stolen from the sky; when Louise backs off in fear, Billy slaps her. He feels like a failure until he and his Heavenly Friend (William LeManessa) attend Louise's school graduation ceremony. There the invisible Billy watches as the principal (Gene Lockhart again) inspires Louise (and, by extension, Julie) by assuring her that so long as she has hope in her heart, she'll never walk alone. Frank Sinatra, the film's original Billy Bigelow, dropped out of the production due to laryngitis. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Flixster Users

61% liked it

8,757 ratings

Critics

83% liked it

6 critics

Unrated, 2 hr. 10 min.

Directed by: Henry King

Release Date: February 16, 1956

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: April 27, 1999

Get It:

Stats: 390 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Carousel
Upload a Photo | View All Carousel Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (390)

  • binky013
    October 10, 2011
    binky013
    Truly some of the most beautiful and most sophisticated music to come out of Broadway. If you like musicals and haven't seen this yet. you must.

    If I loved you

    Time and again I would try to say

    All I'd want you to know.

    If I loved you

    Words wouldn't come in a... read moren easy way

    Round in circles I'd go.

    Longin' to tell you, but afraid and shy

    I'd let my golden chances pass me by.

    Soon you'd leave me

    Off you would go in the mist of day

    Never, never to know

    How I loved you . . .

    If I loved you.



    One of the greatest love songs to come out of musical theater. Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones: A Hollywood musical match made in heaven. I wonder if Jones might have broken a few hearts in high school . . .



    Carousel's story is different from most Hollywood musicals in several ways, the most significant of which is that true love is won right at the beginning, then is tragically squandered by Billy Bigelow, although not ultimately lost. Besides such memorable numbers as the "Carousel Waltz" theme itself and "You'll Never Walk Alone"--the ultiimate graduation song--, one of my all-time favorites is "When (the) Children Are Asleep," the beautiful duet, shared by Carrie and Mr. Snow on the way to the clambake, in which they dream of their married future together:


    When the children are asleep we'll sit and dream

    The things that every other dad and mother dream.

    When the children are asleep and lights are low

    If I still love you the way I love you today

    You'll pardon my sayin' I told you so.

    When the children are asleep, I'll dream with you.

    We'll think what fun we have had and be glad that it all came true.
  • jjnxn
    August 14, 2011
    jjnxn
    One of the darkest if not the darkest of the big Hollywood or Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals this has an almost throughly unsympathic anti-hero and somewhat of a doormat, at least at first, for a leading lady. However it also has some of the most beautiful music ever written sung... read more by two great artists. "If I Loved You" is a song so full of cautious yearning and guarded longing with beautiful simplicity it tells you so much about Billy and Julie any other back story would be wasted. "You'll Never Walk Alone" is starkly moving and "June Is Busting Out All Over" provides some much needed levity in the heavy proceedings. Shirley Jones, at perhaps the peak of her lovliness, and Gordon MacRae, always one of the most attractive men in films with his All American robustness, with their chemistry and charisma make the two main characters people you care about which especially in Billy Bigelow's case is not the easiest accomplishment. As far as their singing performances Shirley as was always the case is in exquisite voice but the real standout has got to be Gordon, blessed with a gorgeous baritone and a fine expressive style, he is terrific here particularly in his big showstopping set piece "Soliloquy". A beautiful film about imperfect people, and the redemption of one, that may not be politically correct if viewed through the prism of modern times but looked at from the persepective of the times it was made in is a great entertainment.
  • flixsterman
    April 24, 2010
    flixsterman
    A nice, congenial presentation of Rogers & Hammerstein's stage-play, but not as dynamic as Oklahoma!. Still, Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones are perfectly suited for their respective roles. A pleasant 1950's musical.
  • jennifxu
    October 17, 2007
    jennifxu
    Loving the songs, not sure how much I like this version though, as all the actors look like they're about 40 years old.
  • purplemegan
    August 21, 2007
    purplemegan
    Totally cheesy and silly. It was really dumb. And there were several neverending song and dance numbers...they just went on forever. I thought the State Fair songs were silly but these were even worse. At one point they were having a clam bake on an island and that had just s... read moreung about how awesome the month of June is before the scene. They were sitting there and a character asked them all if they had a good time and they broke into another song starting with "we had a real nice clam bake..." So 3/4 of the movie was about the man and the events going up towards his death interspersed with scenes of him in purgatory trying to argue his case and go down to his daughter. He was on earth for like 2 seconds in the movie and he tried to talk to his daughter and ended up hitting her. They let him have more time and go see her graduate and the way he saved the day was to whisper "believe it" in her ear while she was singing a song.
  • mrswhite072895
    November 11, 2011
    mrswhite072895
    Maybe it's just a product of its times, but Julie just seems like such an airhead too stupid to realize how much of a bum her husband was.
  • lolagirl2332
    October 12, 2010
    lolagirl2332
    The dancing and singing is excellent. The plot is not too great, however. It drags on and goes on unecassary tangent. Worth watching, though definetley not Rodgers and Hammerstien's best work.
  • mochizukisan
    December 17, 2009
    mochizukisan
    Weak and miscast. Bad enough to make one think the musical itself is at fault, not the horrid performances.
  • jam233
    August 28, 2009
    jam233
    This movie contains everything I hate about these types of musicals. It is was over sentimental, unnaturally colorful, it's overblown with phony art direction and wooden performances. Even the songs aren't that great. It's just too much of everything.
  • avp60685
    April 1, 2009
    avp60685
    a sweet love story of a carousel worker and his girl. Sadly he gets killed but he keeps looking out for her once in heaven and realizes that his daughter is a lot like him. The music is beautiful

View All Carousel Reviews

Critic Reviews

Don Willmott
August 30, 2008
Don Willmott, Filmcritic.com

The fact that Carousel is Rogers and Hammerstein's least accessible and darkest musical is what makes it so compelling Full Review

Walter Chaw
February 8, 2007
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central

Carousel on screen is something less, alas. Full Review

July 22, 2008
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

March 25, 2006
New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Emanuel Levy
June 26, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Daniel M. Kimmel
February 8, 2004
Daniel M. Kimmel, Worcester Telegram & Gazette

No review available.

Carol Cling
December 5, 2003
Carol Cling, Las Vegas Review-Journal

No review available.

Tony Toscano
September 26, 2002
Tony Toscano, Talking Pictures (U.S.)

No review available.

June 24, 2006
Time Out

Click to read the article Full Review

May 24, 2003
Film4

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • The Sound of Music
    The Sound of Music (68%)
  • South Pacific
    South Pacific (100%)
  • My Fair Lady
    My Fair Lady (60%)
  • The King and I
    The King and I (84%)

More Movies like Carousel

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Carousel : Watch Free on TV

Carousel Trivia

  • in "Face/Off", who shot Mikey Archer on the carousel?  Answer »
  • Which Film By Tim Burton Have Jack Skellingtons Head On The Top Of A Carousel?   Answer »
  • What musical contains the famous songs: "June is Bustin out all over" and "You'll never Walk alone" (Rodgers and Hammerstein musical that is being remade- work is currently in progress)   Answer »
  • Name the two stars who were cast as the leads in both of the musicals "Oklahoma!" and "Carousel."  Answer »
More Carousel Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Carousel to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?