Best Music Movies of 1957

A shy Greenwich Village book clerk is discovered by a fashion photographer and whisked off to Paris where she becomes a reluctant model.

After serving time for manslaughter, young Vince Everett becomes a teenage rock star.

Set to a classic Duke Ellington recording "Daybreak Express", this is a five-minute short of the soon-to-be-demolished Third Avenue elevated subway station in New York City.

Julie Andrews was nominated for an Emmy for portraying the titular scullery maid who finds true love with a prince in this legendary adaptation of one of the most famous fairy tales of all time. A musical, made-for-television, with music by Richard Rodgers and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, it is the only of the legendary composing team's musicals created specifically for that medium. It was originally broadcast live on CBS on March 31, 1957, and was a phenomenal success, viewed by more than 107 million people. Though it originally aired in full color, only a black & white kinescope of the production has survived.

After three bumbling Soviet agents fail in their mission to retrieve a straying Soviet composer from Paris, the beautiful, ultra-serious Ninotchka is sent to complete their mission and to retrieve them. She starts out condemning the decadent West, but gradually falls under its spell—with the help of an American movie producer. A remake of Ninotchka (1939).

An opportunistic singer woos a wealthy widow to boost his career.

An Iowa pajama factory worker falls in love with an affable superintendent who had been hired by the factory's boss to help oppose the workers' demand for a pay raise.

After writing a tell-all book about her days in the dance troupe "Barry Nichols and Les Girls", Sybil Wren is sued for libeling her fellow dancer Angele. A Rashômon style narrative presents the story from three points of view where Sybil accuses Angele of having an affair with Barry, while Angele insists that it was actually Sybil who was having the affair. Finally, Barry gives his side of the story.

Deke Rivers is a delivery man who is discovered by publicist Glenda Markle and country-western musician Tex Warner who want to promote the talented newcomer to fame and fortune, giving him every break he deserves. Romantic complications arise as Susan, another singer in the group, offers him devoted admiration as Glenda leads him on with promises of a golden future.

Failing vaudeville performer, Len, is taken under the wing of the German Shepherd wonder dog, Kelly, and a new act is born. Len hopes all his dreams are coming true when he finds himself in Hollywood ... but Kelly is the one in demand on the big screen.

Old man of class and character living in a London square after both have suffered from time. Before his house is pulled down the residents surprise him with a party.

The life and loves of Music hall singer Vesta Tilley, who married into the nobility

A live television adaptation of the popular musical about sharpshooter Annie Oakley joining Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and falling in love with her co-star, Frank Butler.

A glimpse into the world and methodology of dancer Martha Graham.

Revolutionist and Army General compete for a woman

Torch singer Helen Morgan rises from sordid beginnings to fame and fortune only to lose it all to alcohol and poor personal choices.

A Liverpool gang member wins a singing contest is then called up for National Service where he clashes with another soldier.

Cloud Nine, the local teen hangout, has been taken over by a pair of escaped killers, who hold the local teens hostage. The bartender realizes it's up to him to save the kids.

On receiving an inheritance from her grandfather, Canadian Jeannie MacLean decides to visit the family's Scottish roots. On the plane she meets businessman Stanley Smith, and romance blossoms in Edinburgh. The complications begin when Stanley breaks a date with Jeannie to woo voluptuous redhead Helene, and Jeannie is flattered by the attentions of the impoverished Lord McNairn; he's heard about her good fortune, and gallantly offers to show her the city.

Alan Freed is "Mr. Rock and Roll" as he sets out to prove that rock 'n' roll doesn't cause juvenile delinquency. Terrific original rock 'n' roll legends perform their classics!

This is the story of the early life and rise to fame of Tommy Steele. His manager wanted him to be a tough rock'n'roller and so challenge Elvis Presley but Tommy is too nice.

Jamboree adheres to the usual formula of late-1950s rock&roll films: A plethora of musical numbers linked together by the wispiest of plotlines. Kay Medford heads the cast as manipulative showbiz agent Grace Shaw. Hoping to land pop singer Pete Porter (Paul Carr), Grace connives to break up Pete's romance with female vocalist Honey Wynn (Freda Holloway). But who cares? The audience came to see such musical faves as Fats Domino, Count Basie, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jodie Sands, Ron Coby, Slim Whitman, Carl Perkins, Frankie Avalon, Charlie Gracie and the Four Coins. As a promotional tie-in, Jamboree also features appearances by 21 of North America's top rock-and-roll deejays.

Bop Girl Goes Calypso is a 1957 American United Artists film directed by Howard W. Koch and starring Judy Tyler. It featured Calypso music, and music by the Bobby Troup Trio and bassist Jim Aton. The calypso craze of the late 1950s drives this fun musical about grad student Bob Hilton (Bobby Troup), who sets out to prove that rock 'n' roll and bop are going the way of the dinosaur, to be replaced by the refreshing rhythms of calypso.

When a romantic orchestra won't change their boring style into something more modern to get gigs, their girlfriends split and form a rock and roll orchestra that quickly becomes talk of the town. The guys are furious since they are relegated to their opening act as a comical number, but when the League of Virtue protests against the new satanic music, the old-fashioned music seems to win the day.

Sisters Jane and Penny are arrested for hitchhiking on their way to Los Angeles when they stop for a quick skinny dip in a rural town. Local agricultural magnate Tropp is a sponsor for a local prison work program and the women get put in the fields to work off their sentence. Tropp is dating the widowed judge in order to ensure a stable supply of cheap labor in order to undercut his competition. The prisoners suffer ill treatment, but the judge's son has signed on as a hired hand and begins to figure out the scam as he begins falling in love with Jane, and Penny dreams of making it big in showbiz.

An ocean-side nightclub owner loves a singer who only has eyes for a gambler.

In this 1957 biography film of the jazz-great Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, he and his band tour the world as American good-will ambassadors bring jazz at its best to the people of the world. Within the film, the life of Louis Armstrong is portrayed through the music. One of the outstanding scenes in this "biography/docudrama" shows blind songwriter W. C. Handy, with tears streaming down his face, as Armstrong, backed by Leonard Bernstein leading the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, play Handy's immortal "St. Louis Blues."

In the early days of rock and roll, a disc jockey and his friend, a writer, want to put a rock show on TV.

Two of the biggest musical celebrities of the 20th century come together with Christmas songs old and new in this classic holiday special from 1957.

The Eurovision Song Contest 1957 was the second edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Frankfurt-am-Main, West Germany and was held at the Großer Sendesaal des hessischen Rundfunks on Sunday 3 March 1957. The show was hosted by German actress Anaid Iplicjian.

The Eurovision Song Contest 1957 was the second edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Frankfurt-am-Main, West Germany and was organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Deutsches Fernsehen (ARD). The contest was held at the Großer Sendesaal des hessischen Rundfunks on Sunday 3 March 1957 and was hosted by German actress Anaid Iplicjian. Like the first edition, the competition was still mainly a radio programme, but there was a noticeable increase in the number of people with televisions this year.

Paul Czinner recorded, using a multiple cameras technique, the performance of prima ballerina Galina Ulanova of the Russian Bolshoi, doing "Giselle, " while the troupe was on tour in England in 1956.

Pinocchio is a 1957 TV musical broadcast shown live on NBC, directed and choreographed by Hanya Holm. This version features songs by Alec Wilder.

Len Lye usually timed his films with great care to match their soundtracks, but for All Souls Carnival, he and composer Henry Brant worked separately, preferring to see if the score and visual track would synchronise by chance. Lye also experimented with a new Direct Film technique, drenching the filmstrip in colourful paint and marker pen.

The mysterious Mrs. Eleanor Carter moves to Springville with her two teenage children Jimmy and Cathy. Eleanor makes friends with the town's social leader Mrs. Wellington, who supports her idea for a town youth center, and she is aided by Tom Griffith, the high school principal. At the town's annual picnic, to which Eleanor has bought a band, the town busy-body Eunice reveals what she had learned from Eleanor's past.

The story revolves around the Dinky Doos, a provincial musical troupe living from hand to mouth.

A jukebox operator helps promote a calypso craze.

Juile, an airline hostess, has her mind made up to marry South American millionaire Rico Vargas, in spite of the efforts made by her former boyfriend, Lee Darling, a television star, to win her back. Rico's sister, Astra, makes a play for Lee, who only responds to make Julie jealous. As the plane bearing Juile and others (includng all the credited musicians and bands) is about to depart, Herb Jefferies smuggles Lee on board so he can have a chance to dissuade Julie.

Christina, the daughter of a Greek-immigrant family who does not share their belief that a woman's place is with her husband at the fireside, is a trick-shot artist. With her Uncle Jim, a strolling troubadour, and his sidekick Andy, a mandolin player, heads west to make her fortune.

A young boy is sitting in a room one day, bored, when suddenly a leotard-clad woman calling herself Mr. B Natural appears in his room. Mr. B Natural describes to the boy the wonder and beauty of music, and tells him that if he learns to play an instrument, he can be "a happy king!" The boy decides to take Mr. B Natural's advice.

"The Sound of Jazz" is an historic episode from the "The Seven Lively Arts" anthology series featuring jazz greats in concert. Hosted by John Crosby, it offers some fascinating performances from Count Basie, Billie Holliday, Thelonious Monk and many more. This 58-minute program is a truly original and unique broadcast from CBS Studio 58 in New York on December 8, 1957.

Robert Snyder's acclaimed 26-minute short following Pablo Casals in Prades during his self-imposed exile from Franco's dictatorship in Spain. In this film, Casals performs his only solo recording of the Bach Suite No. 1. The film was recorded in 1955 and beautifully filmed in 35mm black and white within the walls of the town's abbey.

Two of the biggest musical celebrities of the 20th century come together with Christmas songs old and new in this classic holiday special from 1957, filmed in colour. As Frank Sinatra casually trims his Christmas tree on a very hip, fashionable bachelor apartment stage set, his good friend Bing Crosby drops by, bearing an armful of gifts. They go on to perform their favourite Christmas songs, among them Jingle Bells, Sinatra's version of Mistletoe and Holly and Crosby's famed White Christmas.