 A film version of the musical was made in 1956 , starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones . It follows the musical 's story fairly closely , although a prologue , set in the Starkeeper 's heaven , was added . The film was released only a few months after the release of the film version of Oklahoma ! . It garnered some good reviews , and the soundtrack recording was a best seller . As the same stars appeared in both pictures , however , the two films were often compared , generally to the disadvantage of Carousel . Thomas Hischak , in The Rodgers and Hammerstein Encyclopedia , later wondered " if the smaller number of Carousel stage revivals is the product of this often @-@ lumbering [ film ] musical " . 
