Beginning with The Jazz Singer in 1927 and ending with Sweeney Todd in 2007, this comprehensive critical history examines the greatest movie musicals of all time. Organized alphabetically, 168 films are analyzed on the basis of importance, entertainment value and musical presentation. Included are Broadway adaptations (West Side Story), screen originals (The Wizard of Oz), all-star revues (The King of Jazz), musical biopics (The Glenn Miller Story), "dance pictures (Fame) and animated features (Aladdin).

Each entry contains full cast and production credits, a list of awards, background information, and a synopsis incorporating the musical numbers in order of appearance. Appendices itemize the "greatest musical" selections of the American Film Institute and Entertainment Weekly magazine.