6 Best Gordon MacRae Movies

By Vlad Zakh · January 25, 2026

Gordon MacRae brought a rich, classically trained tenor to 1950s Hollywood musicals and became the definitive leading man of two landmark Rodgers and Hammerstein adaptations. Oklahoma! and Carousel are those two. The Best Things in Life Are Free follows a songwriting trio, By the Light of the Silvery Moon tests a young couple’s engagement, and Tea for Two and On Moonlight Bay round out the list.

The Best Things in Life Are Free (1956)

TMDB ★ 6.2

Gordon MacRae features in this musical biopic of the songwriting trio behind some of the era's most popular Broadway tunes.

Directed by Michael Curtiz · 1h 44m · Rated NR

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Carousel (1956)

IMDb ★ 6.6 RT 63%

A dead carnival barker is given one day back on Earth to make things right with his family.

Directed by Henry King · 2h 08m · Rated G

1 win & 3 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Oklahoma! (1955)

TMDB ★ 6.9

A cowboy and a farm girl's courtship is threatened by a menacing rival determined to win her.

Directed by Fred Zinnemann · 2h 28m · Rated G

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent: Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953)

TMDB ★ 6.5

Gordon MacRae is in this musical about a young couple whose engagement is tested by misunderstandings and the return of a wartime hero.

Directed by David Butler · 1h 41m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Tea for Two (1950)

TMDB ★ 6.7

Connie Gilchrist appears in this Doris Day musical about a wealthy young heiress who bets she can say no to every request for an entire day to fund a Broadway show.

Directed by David Butler · 1h 38m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

On Moonlight Bay (1951)

TMDB ★ 6.7

Gordon MacRae is in this Doris Day musical about a tomboyish teenage girl whose romance with the boy next door is complicated by their feuding fathers.

Directed by Roy Del Ruth · 1h 35m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Gordon MacRae Movies

The Best Things in Life Are Free (1956)

Carousel (1956)

Oklahoma! (1955)

By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953)

Tea for Two (1950)

On Moonlight Bay (1951)

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