Former carnival barker Billy Bigelow (MacRae) marries the sweet and lovely Julie Jordan (Jones), a factory worker in a Maine coastal town. Frustrated by his inability to find work as he's about to become a father, Bigelow makes a misguided attempt to better their circumstances, with tragic results. Ultimately, Billy receives a single shot at redemption for his past sins.

The score's the thing in this bittersweet musical, based on yet another Rodgers and Hammerstein play. Though on release the film's darker themes played less well with audiences than its jauntier predecessor "Oklahoma," time has been kind to this picture. Once again MacRae and Jones make a winning, handsome couple, and their mellifluous voices do full justice to timeless classics like "If I Loved You" and "You'll Never Walk Alone." Ride this "Carousel."