Carousel (1956 film)

Carousel
Theatrical film release poster
Directed by	Henry King
Produced by	Henry Ephron
Written by	Ferenc Molnár (play Liliom) Oscar Hammerstein II (musical book) Phoebe Ephron (screenplay) Henry Ephron (screenplay)
Based on	Ferenc Molnár's Liliom
Starring	Gordon MacRae Shirley Jones Cameron Mitchell Barbara Ruick Claramae Turner Robert Rounseville Gene Lockhart Susan Luckey John Dehner Jacques d'Amboise William LeMassena
Music by	Richard Rodgers
Cinematography	Charles G. Clarke
Edited by	William H. Reynolds
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date	February 16, 1956
Running time	128 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$3,380,000
Box office	$3.75 million (US rentals)

Carousel is a 1956 film adaptation of the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical of the same name which, in turn, was based on Ferenc Molnár's non-musical play Liliom. The 1956 Carousel film stars Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones, and was directed by Henry King. Like the original stage production, the film contains what many critics consider some of Rodgers and Hammerstein's most beautiful songs, as well as what may be, along with the plots of Allegro and South Pacific, the most serious storyline found in their musicals.

The story revolves around Billy Bigelow, a rough-talking, macho, handsome carousel barker, and Julie Jordan, a young, innocent mill worker, both living their busy lives in the small town of Boothbay Harbor, Maine. They fall in love, but both are fired from their jobs for different reasons – Billy because he paid too much attention to Julie and incurred the wrath of the jealous carousel owner Mrs. Mullin, and Julie because she stayed out past the curfew imposed by the understanding but stern mill owner, Mr. Bascombe. Billy and Julie marry and go to live at the seaside spa of her cousin Nettie, but Billy becomes bitter because he is unable to find work, and in his frustration, strikes Julie (this moment is not shown at all in the film). Mrs. Mullin, the jealous carousel owner who is infatuated with him, hears of this and goes to Nettie's to offer Billy his old job back, but will not re-hire him unless he leaves his wife. Billy seems to be considering the idea when Julie asks to talk privately. Julie, fearing he will be enraged, timidly tells him she is pregnant. But Billy is overjoyed and now firmly refuses Mrs. Mullin's offer. However, newly worried about not having enough money to provide for his child, and unskilled at anything except being a carousel barker, Billy secretly agrees to join his pal Jigger Craigin in robbing the wealthy Bascombe.