Top 10 Chaotic Behind-the-Scenes Stories About Movie Musicals

“Grease” (1978)
In the middle of this nostalgic, ‘50s-set musical, the students of Rydell High compete in a dance marathon in the gym. The scene was filmed in a real high school gym instead of a set. Film sets are already sweltering. Lights, cameras, and all that machinery can heat up even the most well-ventilated space. Add in dozens of people and a high-energy dance routine, and watch the temperatures skyrocket. Now, let’s just say this gym wasn’t equipped for airflow. As the story goes, the place was extremely hot, and the entire cast and crew purportedly endured temperatures topping out at 116 degrees.

“Annie” (1982)
“Easy Street” is one of the great villain songs. Carol Burnett, Tim Curry, and Bernadette Peters performed the number in the 1982 adaptation of the hit Broadway show, but the version they originally shot was very different. Deciding that the large-scale, jam-packed sequence they’d devised was excessive, the filmmakers reshot the whole thing. There was just one problem. Carol Burnett had treated herself to a touch of plastic surgery in the interim. As a result, when Miss Hannigan comes out of a closet towards the start of the scene, she debuts a brand new chin.

“La La Land” (2016)
A pivotal scene sees Mia and Sebastian falling in love over a sunset scene on a hill. This was shot on location, and required an actual setting sun behind the actors. This left Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, and the entire crew very little room for error. Many of the numbers were filmed in extended takes, but the added pressure of the natural light disappearing ratcheted up the difficulty level by a hundred. As a result, they only got eight takes of the number over two days. Everyone was ecstatic. However, Gosling still has his issues with his performance, particularly one errant hand movement.

“Mary Poppins” (1964)
Walt Disney had enough trouble trying to combine animated characters with live-action ones, but he and the author of “Mary Poppins” were like oil and water. The 2013 biopic, “Saving Mr. Banks,” tells a fictional version of her tensions with Disney, but it paints a much rosier picture of events. Serving as a consultant on the film, Travers stonewalled the writers at every opportunity. She challenged any attempt to Disneyfy her story and her beloved heroine. It was not uncommon for her to mark up versions of the screenplay with the word “no,” usually underlined several times. Things got so tense between them that Disney refused to even be in town when she was there at one point.

“Evita” (1996)
It took years to bring the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical to the screen. The production went through multiple directors, writers, and leading actors before it finally started shooting in 1996. Meryl Streep and Michelle Pfeiffer were both set as the lead before Madonna took the role of former Argentine first lady Eva Péron. Unfortunately, the film almost caused an international incident. Indeed, protests erupted in Argentina over Madonna’s casting. The production actually had to hold a press conference to quell anxieties about Hollywood trampling Péron’s legacy. This didn’t work. Local theaters screening the film were met with further outrage.

“Guys and Dolls” (1955)
Two legends were cast in this Broadway adaptation, but the set wasn’t big enough for the both of them. Frank Sinatra apparently coveted the role of Sky Masterson, but Marlon Brando got it instead. Sinatra was given the slightly smaller part of Nathan Detroit. The crooner reportedly couldn’t stand the “A Streetcar Named Desire” actor’s naturalistic style. Rumor has it that to mess with him one day, Brando kept messing up takes of a scene where Sinatra had to consume cheesecake, forcing him to eat more and more. One source alleges their feud got so bad that the famously mafia-connected Sinatra had his co-star kidnapped and threatened. Maybe this supposed brush with organized crime influenced Brando’s most famous role.

“Singin' in the Rain” (1952)
The three leads of this masterful MGM musical were put through the wringer to make these dances look effortless. In one scene, Debbie Reynolds danced until her feet bled, and she often endured harsh rehearsals with co-star Kelly. Donald O’Connor threw himself into the highly physical “Make ‘Em Laugh” number and made it look easy. Yet we’re sure it was anything but (though it’s unclear if claims he had to spend days recovering are legitimate.) Most impressive might be Gene Kelly’s iconic dance to the title song. It is easily one of the most free-flowing and graceful routines ever committed to the silver screen. You wouldn’t know he was suffering from a 103-degree fever when he filmed it.

“The Sound of Music” (1965)
Given its serene Austrian setting and good-natured protagonist, it’s probably hard to believe things weren’t just as sweet on the set. But this production was troubled from its very first scene. The sweeping shot that finds Julie Andrews spinning in circles on a hill was hard to film, as the force of the helicopter kept knocking her to the ground. But director Robert Wise’s biggest hurdle proved to be the film’s historical accuracy. Austrian locals initially refused to permit him to shoot scenes with swastikas. However, when he threatened to use very real wartime footage of the town covered in Nazi banners, they came to an understanding.

“Cats” (2019)
Anyone who saw this musical knows that it’s easily one of the worst movies ever. But at the very top of the list of things that went wrong is the visual effects. Rather than settling for the elaborate catsuits of the stage musical, the creators behind 2019’s “Cats” opted for the very finest special effects. That was fine, except the effects team faced a punishing schedule, long hours, and impossible demands for feline realism. After all, as one designer had to tell the director, “cats don’t dance.” As a result, a now-legendary cut that features some very anatomically correct rear ends is said to exist.

“The Wizard of Oz” (1939)
Sometimes, movie magic is not magical at all. Frankly, the making of this family-friendly classic could inspire a list all on its own. At one point, Wicked Witch of the West actress Margaret Hamilton was severely burned during a pyrotechnic stunt gone wrong. Original Tin Man actor, Buddy Ebsen, had to exit the production after a severe toxic reaction to the aluminum dust used in his makeup. Oh, and the snow in the poppy field scene was actually asbestos, which is highly toxic in its own right. From near-fatal injuries to dangerous props to dark urban legends, the set of “The Wizard of Oz” was pure nightmare fuel.


Did these chaotic backstories make you think differently about these movies? Let us know in the comments.