Wonderful Design traces how music bestows glamour and offers a fresh look at the stylistic conventions by which glamour is embodied in film musicals.

As one of the most beloved and beguiling genres of entertainment, the film musical wears its style ostentatiously. The genre allows for hyperbolic expression, extravagant sonic and visual decor, and extremely stylized forms of movement and performance. By staging a glittering spectacle, by releasing a current of lush sentiment, by unveiling a world of elegance and romance, the film musical woos us with patterns, textures, finesse and sensory display. In this book, author Lloyd Whitesell asks what, exactly, makes film musicals so glamorous. As he argues, glamour projects an aura of ethereality or sophistication by way of suave deportment, sensuous textures, elevated styles, and aesthetically refined effects. Glamour, in other words, is what unites "Cheek to Cheek" from Top Hat and the title song from Beauty and the Beast, each a sonic evocation of luxury, sparkle, grace, and finesse. Whitesell redirects our attention from visual cues like sequins and evening gloves to explore how glamour resides in the sonic. Discussing dozens of musical numbers, analyzing ingenious orchestration, and appraising the distinctive styles of favorite musical stars, Whitesell illuminates fundamental traits of the genre, its aesthetic strategies, and cultural ambitions.

Considering nearly 100 films across time periods, the author analyzes musical numbers in such works as Love Me Tonight (1932), Top Hat (1935), Follow the Fleet (1936), Ziegfeld Follies (1946), The Band Wagon (1953), and Dreamgirls (2006). The inclusion of music examples is a plus. That said, watching the film clip or listening to the song while reading will make the experience even richer. Appropriate for those interested in cinema, music, or their intersection, this book engages a broad range of scholarship and adds valuable insight to the conversation. Summing up: Highly recommended