"Lost Horizon" - The Musical?

A little bit of film history: in 1973, a remake of a film was released that was like very few others. Oh sure, they were making remakes 'way back then' (as many of you youngsters so quaintly put it) but this one had a particular history.

It was a remake of a 1937 film Lost Horizon by Frank Capra, which dealt with various people discovering Shangri-La at the top of the world, wherein they could live forever in peace and harmony and such. So, a straight-on peace-loving remake could work in the war-torn, tumultuous early-70s, right?

Well, it may have except for the one thing that put Lost Horizon (1973) on many a Worst Film Of The Year list of that year....

They made it a musical.

Yes, a musical with song-and-dance numbers, that kind of musical.

And did it work? Well, again it may have it they had bothered to people the cast with actual singers and dancers. Instead, they cast it with the likes of Sally Kellerman, Peter Finch (the "I'm as mad as hell" guy from Network), George Kennedy, Olivia Hussey, Michael York, Liv Ullman, John Gielgud, Charles Boyer....

But you see what I'm getting at; none of these actors are exactly known for their singing abilities, are they?

And so it would make sense to cast them in a non-muscial adaption, right?

As I sit here and shake my head in disgust, sighing intermittently, watch the results for yourself as to why Hollywood insiders renamed this film Lost Investments.

The haunting title theme...



"Share The Joy"...



"Living Together, Growing Together"...



"I Must Frighten Her Away"...



"Question Me An Answer"...



"I Come To You"...



"Where Knowledge Ends, Faith Begins"...



"If I Could Go Back"...



"Things I Will Not Miss"...



"The World Is A Circle"...



...aaaand we wrap up with the end credit theme.



NOW you can say you've seen the best parts of the worst movie musical ever made. Hold your head high, my friend; you've every right to.

Dope out.

-TGWD