Starring Toralv Maurlstad, Florence Henderson, Christina Scholin, and Frank Poretta
Directed by Andrew L. Stone
Music by Edvard Grieg; Lyrics by Robert Wright and George Forrest
The phenomenal success of The Sound of Music brought a wave of huge Broadway adaptations to the big screen. Though a few did come out well and were hits in their own right, most either got too big for their britches or were too dated and slow for jaded late 60's audiences or both. Our first two reviews this week fall into the "both" category. Operetta, the most fanciful of all genres, had fallen out of fashion on the big screen in the early 40s when World War II made all-American stories and music more popular. It saw a minor revival in the 50's when several operettas turned up on the big and small screens, but by 1970, even less lavish musicals were having a rough time of it. How does the story of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg look on the super-wide Cinerama screen? Let's begin with our first of many, many (many) shots of the rugged beauty of Norway and find out...
The Story: Edvard Grieg (Maurlstad) would do anything to get his music heard by other musicians or producers in Norway and Denmark. He's encouraged by the woman he loves, Therese Berg (Scholin), but her father (Robert Morley) has already promised her to a wealthier man. Making friends with Richard Nordraack (Poretta), who shares his enthusiasm for the music of their homeland, helps. So does marrying his comely cousin Nina Hagerup (Henderson). Therese subsidizes a series of concerts with the two, inspiring Greig to write for a travel grant to Rome. Nina refuses to go with him. She's happier making friends with Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (Henry Gilbert). Even as Grieg writes an opera and music for Ibsen's (Frederick Jaeger) play Peer Gynt, he receives news that makes him realize how much he misses his homeland...and where he really wants to be.
The Song and Dance: Some good numbers, pretty scenery, and lovely voices are all there is to recommend this. At least everyone sings with their own voices, even those like Maurlstad who aren't known for warbling. Henderson's attractive soprano makes you wish she was able to do a few musicals on the small screen after she hit it big with The Brady Bunch. Opera singer Poretta also has a gorgeous voice that does justice to the soaring title song "Three There Were." And yes, that frequently-seen Norwegian scenery is stunning, with its endless vistas of frosty fjords and orange sunsets against craggy mountains.
The Numbers: We start off with the lively but random chorus routine "Life of a Wife of a Sailor" on the boat after Therese hauls Edvard on deck. "Midsummer's Eve" takes the chorus across the spectacular green Norwegian countryside and up into the mountains. "Freddy and His Fiddle" starts out as a cutesy dance routine for children in native Norwegian costume that's eventually picked up by young people in similar outfits. The show's hit, "Strange Music," is given a spin by Maurlstad's charmingly raspy voice as he composes it for Therese. Nordraack's title song to Grieg at a local cafe is a gorgeous song performed in an absurd setting. He also gets to briefly lavish his tenor into a reprise of "Strange Music."
Nina's introductory number is explaining to the ever-present children why everything has a "Rhyme and a Reason" as they wander through their small town. She gently sings "Little House" while accompanied by Grieg for a small but important audience. "Hill of Dreams" has Nina and her two male friends dashing through the town as they celebrate their success. "I Love You" is a montage of Nina and Edvard's courtship as she realizes her deep feelings for him. "Church Bells Ringing" is the song for the chorus during their wedding. "Be a Boy Again" has Nordraack happily running through the street, playing with children as he acts as one himself. The trio reprise "Hill of Dreams" on an actual hill, wandering among the wildflowers. Nordraack watches his friends over a blazing fire later that night, observing "Three There Were."
Poor Nina is a "Solitary Wanderer" as she plays the piano for kindly Krogstad (Edward G. Robinson). "Christmas Time" is an adorable Norwegian folk song that takes Edvard, Nina, and the chorus into a snow-covered Norwegian holiday wonderland. "In the Hall of the Mountain King" becomes a very peculiar live-action/animated instrumental number as three of the kids fight off badly-animated trolls. Edvard and Nina give out "Ribbons and Wrappings" (and the lovely things inside) to the children. She sings the gentle "Wrong to Dream" at the sparsely-attended concert. "John Heggerton" is Therese's song at a dinner in Rome. The chorus begins "Hand In Hand" just before she confronts Grieg in the hall.
Trivia: Song of Norway opened in 1944 and ran for two years, not bad for the time. Later ballet diva Maria Tallchief was one of the featured dancers. It also managed a substantial year's run on the West End. It's been seen regionally since then, but has not reappeared in New York or London at press time.
This was the last movie filmed and exhibited in Super Panavision 70mm.
Toralv Maurlstad's only movie in English and Frank Poretta's only film.
There were quite a few changes from the original musical, starting with Grieg was lured to Italy by an opera singer, not by an old flame, both of whom were fictional.
Richard Nordraack really did write the Norwegian national anthem.
There seems to be some argument as to whether or not this did well at the box office. Some sources say it was a huge flop; others claim it was never a blockbuster but did manage to turn a small profit.
The Song and Dance: There's a reason the original play hasn't been seen anywhere but the occasional light opera house since this came out. It was dated in 1944, much less 1970, and certainly doesn't come off any less so now. Grieg's gorgeous melodies and the pretty voices singing it don't begin to paper over a movie that suffers from a dull script, The dancing is clumsy, the choreography dull, and what is with the endless parade of children where they aren't needed? They turn up everywhere. I understand giving gifts to them at Christmas, but they don't add much to either "Freddy and His Fiddle" or Henderson's "Rhyme and Reason" number. It's likely someone's idea of making everything more heartwarming, but it just looks crowded.
Speaking of, they're not the only element that's overused. Stone, who was best known for tight thrillers, is out of his element in a musical epic. Even Henderson complained about his bland direction. Though the scenery is pretty, it turns up far too often in numbers like Poretta's title song where we should be seeing the person perform, not the fjords again. The dialogue manages to capture every cliche in the book and then some. Although the producers do say they tried to stick closer to Grieg's life story than the show, that doesn't make it any less annoying. We don't even meet Nina, the love of Grieg's life, until more than 40 minutes into a 2 and 1/2 hour movie. And yes, this movie is way too long. All those pretty backdrops could have been trimmed with none the wiser.
The Big Finale: Unless you're a huge Brady Bunch or Robinson fan or love operetta or kitsch like I do, you can easily skip this one.
Home Media: This is on DVD, but it's out of print at the moment with a jacked-up price to match. If you must see it, you're better off checking it out on YouTube.
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