With a Song In My Heart

20th Century Fox, 1952
Starring Susan Hayward, David Wayne, Rory Calhoun, and Thema Ritter
Directed by Walter Lang
Music and Lyrics by various

I'll be posting reviews of female-centric musicals and biographies of famous female performers on weekdays March in honor of Women's History Month, starting with this big hit. Beloved radio and TV star Jane Froman survived a crash and multiple operations, making her life perfect fodder for the Hollywood treatment, especially as the studios began to take chances on slightly darker biographical stories in the 50's. How does her story come off now? Let's head to a dinner honoring Froman (Hayward) to find out more about her from those who knew her best.

The Story: Froman began as a perky co-ed determined to land a job at a Cincinatti radio station. She's late for her audition, but vaudeville performer Don Ross (Wayne) helps her land a role as a staff singer anyway. Within months, she's the top singer in radio, performing at clubs and on stages for sell-out crowds. She even lands a role in the Ziegfeld Follies. Ross is in love with her and keeps at her to marry him. Jane finally agrees, even though she's not that into him.

She jumps at the chance to sing with the USO after the United States enters World War II. On a flight to Lisbon, Portugal, in 1943, Jane switches seats with a fellow singer...just before the plane crashes into the Tagus River. She and the co-pilot John Burn (Rory Calhoun) are among the 15 survivors. Burn falls for her as they recover together, but she's still married to Ross. When she returns to the US, she continues performing as soon as she recovers...but her damaged legs continue to need operations. With the support of Burn, Ross, and her tough-minded nurse Clancy (Ritter), she finally finds the strength to keep singing for the grateful troops in Europe.

The Song and Dance: Hayward got an Oscar nomination as Froman; she's especially effective in the second half when she almost gives up trying to fight her injuries. Ritter's also excellent as the tough-as-nails nurse who becomes Froman's greatest supporter and caretaker. There's some gorgeous costumes and lovely gowns here as well. I love that glorious full-skirted white dress Hayward wears while swirling in the title number.

Favorite Number: "With a Song In My Heart" starts with Hayward and Richard Allen singing the classic Rodgers and Hart duet, then launching into a glittering, glamorous dance routine joined by dozens of other dancers swirling around them. Most of the other numbers are a lot less elaborate. Songs like "I'm Through With Love," "They're Either Too Young or Too Old" and "Get Happy" mainly consist of Hayward belting with Froman's voice in glittering gowns. She does get to perform a charming "Tea for Two" and "Embraceable You" with Robert Wagner as a paratrooper towards the end. Shell-shocked Wagner and the troops join her for a medley of songs about America in the finale, including "Dixie," "Deep In the Heart of Texas," "Chicago," and "Give My Regards to Broadway."

Trivia: Froman dubbed Hayward's vocals. She also served as a technical adviser on the film, though she understandably didn't want to be on set when they filmed the airplane crash sequences. She continued to have trauma from that event for the rest of her life.

The movie does largely stick to the truth for a Hollywood bio, though it fudges things a bit with when and how she met and married her husbands. She actually married Ross much earlier, in the 30's rather than right before the war. At the time the movie came out, she revived her career on a popular early TV show, and later sang in Vegas. Her marriage to Burn ended in divorce; she married an old college sweetheart in 1962.

What I Don't Like: No amount of glamour or songs can disguise that, at it's core, this is a standard romantic melodrama. When it focuses on the music and Froman's struggles to the top and recovery from her accident, it's strong stuff. Her relationships with the men in her life are far less interesting. Wayne is a bit annoying and rather obnoxious later, when he feels like he's piggybacking on her success; Calhoun is bland and dull. No wonder the sweet Wagner got all the fan mail, to the point where 20th Century Fox decided to groom him for a major career.

The Big Finale: Worth a look if you're a fan of Hayward or inspirational biographies.

Home Media: Alas, it's out of print on DVD. Check used venues or your local library like I did.

DVD