The Pied Piper Of Hamelin (1957)

Set in the Middle Ages, when the small village of Hamelin becomes infested with rats, the mayor (Claude Rains) and the city council agree to pay the piper (Van Johnson) who guarantees he will rid the city of the rat population. But when the duplicitous mayor and his council renege on the payment, the piper exacts a terrible revenge. This well known fable (from which the axiom "time to pay the piper" comes) has been told in many forms. Perhaps the most notable, aside from The Brothers Grimm version, being the poem by Robert Browning. Like SONG OF NORWAY, this musical uses the music of Edvard Grieg, this time with lyrics by Hal Stanley and Irving Taylor. The dialog is also spoken in rhyme. The songs are an unmemorable bunch though Kay Starr, the only real singer in the cast, brings a singer's phrasing and stance to her song A Mother's Lament. The acting is broad and I'm not sure even kids will be patient enough to sit through it. But if you always wanted to see Claude Rains sing and dance, this is your chance. Directed by Bretaigne Windust. With Lori Nelson and Jim Backus.