# classic movie dramas as operas



## alanneilh (Aug 7, 2016)

I've been thinking about some of my favorite 1940s movie dramas that might work as operas. A few come to mind. Two Bette Davis films: "Jezebel" and "Mr. Skeffington". I realize that perhaps some people have not seen Both of these, but they would make interesting operas. Another possibility (this one from the 1950s): "A place in the sun". thoughts?


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## Scopitone (Nov 22, 2015)

I think Casablanca could work really nicely. You've got some comedy, heroism, a mustache twirling villain, a fantastic Leading Lady, and some opportunities for great group songs such as when they sing La marseillaise.

Plus of course the opportunity for great Arias from Rick and Ilsa and some of the other characters in singles, duets, trios, and more.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

I haven't seen the movies the OP cites; however, I've long thought that 12 ANGRY MEN (1957) would make a good one-act opera. 

I am really surprised that there has never been an opera based on CASABLANCA.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Scopitone said:


> I think Casablanca could work really nicely. You've got some comedy, heroism, a mustache twirling villain, a fantastic Leading Lady, and some opportunities for great group songs such as when they sing La marseillaise.
> 
> Plus of course the opportunity for great Arias from Rick and Ilsa and some of the other characters in singles, duets, trios, and more.


Very valued point .


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

I saw Marco Tutino hinting at making an opera out of Miseria e Nobiltà.. well he basically shared a photo on facebook saying it would make a perfect opera. 

Gone with the wind would make a great epic opera.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Tuoksu said:


> I saw Marco Tutino hinting at making an opera out of Miseria e Nobiltà.. well he basically shared a photo on facebook saying it would make a perfect opera.
> 
> Gone with the wind would make a great epic opera.


I'm also surprised no one has tried to make a GONE WITH THE WIND opera. It was made into a musical back in the 1980's. Ironically, it wasn't a success in the US but was a hit in London.

I haven't seen the movie, but what about LA STRADA as an opera? This is another movie that was made into a musical, only to flop on Broadway. I even read where someone thought it would have made a much better opera than musical.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Scopitone said:


> I think Casablanca could work really nicely. You've got some comedy, heroism, a mustache twirling villain, a fantastic Leading Lady, and some opportunities for great group songs such as when they sing La marseillaise.
> 
> Plus of course the opportunity for great Arias from Rick and Ilsa and some of the other characters in singles, duets, trios, and more.


I wonder if the opera would keep or delete "As Time Goes By"?


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## Buoso (Aug 10, 2016)

I know it might seem a bit unusual with the lack of any significant (or even minor) female roles but an operatic version of the Bridge on the River Kwai would I think work very well. The tragic nature of the film is very operatic in part and in the hands of someone like Verdi could have used the recurrence of a theme much in the same way the original score does with colonel bogeys march to emphasize the drastic change in attitude of Nicholson (probably best played by a baritone).


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Buoso said:


> I know it might seem a bit unusual with the lack of any significant (or even minor) female roles but an operatic version of the Bridge on the River Kwai would I think work very well. The tragic nature of the film is very operatic in part and in the hands of someone like Verdi could have used the recurrence of a theme much in the same way the original score does with colonel bogeys march to emphasize the drastic change in attitude of Nicholson (probably best played by a baritone).


And a very big choir .


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## Scopitone (Nov 22, 2015)

Bellinilover said:


> I wonder if the opera would keep or delete "As Time Goes By"?


It could be a recurring theme, as well as the basis for some kind of romantic flashback for Rick and Ilsa where they're not singing, just dancing.

One of the issues that occurs to me is that with classic films, the actor is ingrained. It would be weird to see someone else playing Rick Blaine or Rhett Butler.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

I think "Inherit the Wind", about the infamous Scopes "Monkey Trial " would be a really good subject for an opera, possibly with John Adams as the composer .


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## QuietGuy (Mar 1, 2014)

William Inge's "Splendor in the Grass" would be good. (Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood starred in the movie.)

Bette Davis' "Now Voyager" would be neat too.

BTW, Good thread idea!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

_Gone with the wind _could be a very good score for a opera.


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

Bellinilover said:


> I'm also surprised no one has tried to make a GONE WITH THE WIND opera. It was made into a musical back in the 1980's. Ironically, it wasn't a success in the US but was a hit in London.
> 
> I haven't seen the movie, but what about LA STRADA as an opera? This is another movie that was made into a musical, only to flop on Broadway. I even read where someone thought it would have made a much better opera than musical.


Oh yeah La Strada would make such a perfect Opera! The music could use some of Nino Rota's score which I find really good. I didn't know about the musical as I'm not fan of musical at all, but I'm sure a well-written Opera with a tweaked version Fellini's screenplay as a libretto and Rota's soundtrack as the music would be perfect!

Gelsomina should be played by Mara Zampieri :lol: she reminds me of her a lot. And a dramatic Baritone would be perfect for Zampano. The fool is totally a tenor!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Tuoksu said:


> Oh yeah La Strada would make such a perfect Opera! The music could use some of Nino Rota's score which I find really good. I didn't know about the musical as I'm not fan of musical at all, but I'm sure a well-written Opera with a tweaked version Fellini's screenplay as a libretto and Rota's soundtrack as the music would be perfect!
> 
> Gelsomina should be played by Mara Zampieri :lol: she reminds me of her a lot. And a dramatic Baritone would be perfect for Zampano. The fool is totally a tenor!


Even at the tender age of 65 you think?


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## Loge (Oct 30, 2014)

Tod Browning's Freaks (1931) would make an interesting opera, if the music was like early 20thC Strauss or Berg.

A composer could have a field day with the material, like Pagliacci on acid. As for the dwalves, just pull the old Toulouse Lautrec trick.






And sticking with the same era how about The Blue Angel (1930), it has a simple story and an enigmatic lead.


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

Pugg said:


> Even at the tender age of 65 you think?


especially! haha have you seen her facebook photos?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Tuoksu said:


> especially! haha have you seen her facebook photos?


I did look at some pictures on google picture search, will do though.


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## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

Pugg said:


> _Gone with the wind _could be a very good score for a opera.


with Verdi as a composer. There is something "shakespearean" in a plot of this movie


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

helenora said:


> with Verdi as a composer. There is something "shakespearean" in a plot of this movie


Yes, with lots of chorus and wonderful arias for Scarlett.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Francamente, mia cara, non me ne frego nulla.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> Francamente, mia cara, non me ne frego nulla.


And we where just about to ask you to made the synopsis, oh well, better luck next time.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Pugg said:


> And we where just about to ask you to made the synopsis, oh well, better luck next time.


I'll be happy to do it if you can get Wagner to write the libretto, compose the score, and convince Donald Trump to build him a theater.

Of course it would be titled "Vom Winde Verweht," but I'm sure Donald could afford to have a translation made.


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

I think Gone with the Wind would be a Puccini thing


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## Metairie Road (Apr 30, 2014)

Woodduck



> '...and convince Donald Trump to build him a theater.'


In homage to himself of course, it would be named the 'Trump' theatre. He would get other people to pay for it and then contrive a way not to pay the contractors.

If the ghost of Wagner himself were conducting I wouldn't be able to walk through the door.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Metairie Road said:


> Woodduck
> 
> In homage to himself of course, it would be named the 'Trump' theatre. He would get other people to pay for it and then contrive a way not to pay the contractors.
> 
> *If the ghost of Wagner himself were conducting I wouldn't be able to walk through the door.*


At the moment I feel exactly the same way about Bayreuth. At least we know Trump has nothing under his hair. What's the Wagner family's excuse?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> At the moment I feel exactly the same way about Bayreuth. At least we know Trump has nothing under his hair. What's the Wagner family's excuse?


Nothing in their skull, and money sings in their eyes.


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## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> I'll be happy to do it if you can get Wagner to write the libretto, compose the score, and convince Donald Trump to build him a theater.
> 
> Of course it would be titled "Vom Winde Verweht," but I'm sure Donald could afford to have a translation made.


hahahaha, that's nice.

but I would go for Almodovar to write a libretto and make a production , would be more up-to-date , with changing clothes and genders , etc hahaha. but perhaps not for Donald's taste :lol:


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

_Lord of the Rings_ would make a great opera, particularly the last part of it. Of course whoever was doing the libretto would realize that they needed a couple of prequels to tell the back story. That would still not be enough so a 3rd prequel would need to be made from _The Hobbit_, but that could be shorter and with no intermissions.


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## Metairie Road (Apr 30, 2014)

I think '*Hobson's Choice*' has all the makings of a great opera. Not an epic story by any means, just a small human drama. The character of Henry Hobson, a dictatorial know-it-all patriarch - yet rather sad and pathetic and not entirely dis-likeable (in an Archie Bunker kind of way) - finally gets his well deserved comeuppance from his eldest daughter. A perfect opera scenario. Imagine The story of King Lear in a domestic setting and with more laughs (if you can).

The Harold Brighouse play has been adapted as a ballet. I've only seen a clip of this on Youtube, but it looks rather good. I'd like to see it all.






And speaking of comeuppances '*The Magnificent Ambersons*' has potential for operatization (no such word, I made it up).

Best wishes
Metairie Road


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

Becca said:


> _Lord of the Rings_ would make a great opera, particularly the last part of it. Of course whoever was doing the libretto would realize that they needed a couple of prequels to tell the back story. That would still not be enough so a 3rd prequel would need to be made from _The Hobbit_, but that could be shorter and with no intermissions.


The Lord of The Ring cycle  amazing!


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Tuoksu said:


> Oh yeah La Strada would make such a perfect Opera! The music could use some of Nino Rota's score which I find really good. I didn't know about the musical as I'm not fan of musical at all, but I'm sure a well-written Opera with a tweaked version Fellini's screenplay as a libretto and Rota's soundtrack as the music would be perfect!
> 
> Gelsomina should be played by Mara Zampieri :lol: she reminds me of her a lot. And a dramatic Baritone would be perfect for Zampano. The fool is totally a tenor!


The musical was by Lionel Bart, the same man who wrote the highly successful OLIVER! LA STRADA was a huge flop, though, closing after just one performance. Gelsomina was played by Bernadette Peters. All of this is recounted in a book about unsuccessful musicals called NOT SINCE CARRIE; the author remarks that LA STRADA could probably have worked as an opera.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

There are some operas that are based on films or stories that have been made into film earlier:

Taki-no Shiraito is an opera by Akira Senju who is also the composer of the music to Full Metal Alchemist based on the Japanese film The Water Magician from 1933 the film is about a young woman who performs with a water act one day she meet a coachman and she offers to pay his law studies later she have financial shortage so she takes a loan gets robbed kills the loan shark in self defense gets arrested and the guy she have financed his law studies is the prosecutor. She tells her story to the court and kills herself by biting off her tongue and the prosecutor shoots himself in the head. In fact a very good film that I think is a film that could be made into an opera and apparently others think the same:






Howard Shore have made an opera based on The Fly:






Jake Heggie have made an opera based on Dead Man Walking:


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

*Sedotta e abbandonata*  à la Cavalleria Rusticana


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