The films covered in this book include 31 films from what is frequently considered the greatest years of the musical film: 1956-1976. From The King and I to The Slipper & the Rose, many of arguably the greatest musical films ever made are included. The musical film was a natural .development of the stage musical after the emergence of sound film technology. Typically, the biggest difference between stage and film musicals is the use of lavish background sets and locations that would be impratical in a theatre. Musical films characteristically contain elements reminiscent of theatre; performers often treat their song and dance numbers as if there is a live audience watching.