Carousel (film)

Carousel is a 1956 American drama fantasy musical film based on the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical of the same name, which in turn was based on Ferenc Molnár's 1909 non-musical play Liliom. The film stars Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones and was directed by Henry King. As with the original stage production, the film contains some of Rodgers and Hammerstein's most famous songs and perhaps the most serious storyline of all of their musicals. Billy Bigelow, a rough-talking, macho, handsome carousel barker, and Julie Jordan, a young, innocent mill worker, live in the small town of Boothbay Harbor, Maine. They fall in love, but are fired from their jobs; Billy because he paid too much attention to Julie and incurred the wrath of the jealous carousel owner Mrs. Mullin, and Julie because she had violated the curfew imposed by wealthy mill owner Mr. Bascombe. Billy and Julie marry and live at the seaside spa of her cousin Nettie. Julie admits that Billy, frustrated and bitter because he cannot find work, has started hitting her. Mrs. Mullin hears of this and wishes to rehire Billy, but only if he leaves his wife. However, Julie informs him that she is pregnant. Billy is overjoyed and declines Mrs. Mullin's offer. However, worried about finances and lacking work experience, Billy secretly agrees to join his pal Jigger Craig in robbing Bascombe. During a clambake on a nearby island, Billy and Jigger sneak onto the mainland to commit the robbery, but Bascombe, who is usually unarmed, carries a gun and the robbery is foiled. While Bascombe is momentarily distracted, Jigger flees and leaves Billy at the mercy of the police. Cornered, Billy climbs atop a pile of crates, but they collapse and Billy falls on his own knife. The others return from the clambake, and Julie sees the mortally wounded Billy. She rushes to him and he dies after saying his last words to her. Julie is devastated because she truly loved him, even though she never had the courage to say so out loud.