The King And I (1956)

Rodgers and Hammerstein took a classic Victorian story, the tale of a willful young Englishwoman sent to tutor the children of the King of Siam, added a charming score, and turned it into a hit Broadway musical. The film version, featuring powerful performances from Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr, was an international success and, even today, is an irresistible watch, particularly the tearful ending.

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Kiss Me Kate (1953)

Shakespeare's The Taming Of The Shrew has gone through many different cinematic guises (most recently in teencom 10 Things I Hate About You), but Cole Porter's musical gives it the most memorable spin. The toe-tapping musical numbers, from Always True To You In My Fashion to the show-stopping Brush Up Your Shakespeare, are never more than a moment away, and the whole enterprise brims with joie de vivre. Originally released in 3-D, for some reason.

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