Happy Mother's Day! - Three Daring Daughters

MGM, 1948

Starring Jeanette MacDonald, Jose Iturbi, Jane Powell, and Edward Arnold

Directed by Fred M. Wilcox

Music and Lyrics by various

Let's celebrate a day devoted to mothers with a movie about a mother and her very devoted offspring. Jeanette MacDonald's last starring role had been in the spy comedy Cairo in 1942. She was last seen in a cameo in Universal's big wartime revue Follow the Boys in 1944. This was intended to be a bit of a comeback for her after she spent time focusing on opera. For Jane Powell, this was her third movie, and her second of five times she'd try to play matchmaker to a single parent. How does the story of a harried mother who marries a concert pianist on a trip, only to discover her daughters want to get her together with her ex-husband, look in a time when divorce and blended families are far more common? Let's begin at the graduation ceremony of older teen Tess Morgan (Powell), who is disappointed when she sees an empty chair in the audience that should be filled by her mother Louise (MacDonald), and find out...

The Story: Louise is late because she fainted at her job as an editor for Modern Design Magazine. Dr. Cannon (Harry Davenport) insists that she takes a vacation alone to help her nerves. She takes a month-long cruise to Cuba. On board, she meets concert pianist Jose Iturbi (Himself), who is playing with the ship's orchestra. They end up falling in love and marrying. Trouble is, Louise told the girls their father was a wonderful man, when he was really a bad father who abandoned his wife and daughters. She didn't want them to feel bad about their father, but her trying to protect them backfires when they go to their father's boss Robert Nelson (Arnold) and ask him to bring their father back so he can re-marry her. They're shocked when she finally admits she married Iturbi and try to drive him away, until they realize just how much in love Louise and her new husband are.

The Song and Dance: This is charmingly low-key for a big MGM musical in the late 40's. It's mostly just MacDonald, the three young ladies, and Iturbi, with Arnold occasionally tossing in blustery reactions as the girls beg him to get their father home or keep him from coming and interrupt his meals. MacDonald is warm and affectionate with the girls, and you can understand why they adore her so much, they try to interfere with her love life. I especially love the sweet scene when the girls call their mother shipboard to serenade her on her birthday. There's some lovely costumes too, with lavish gowns for MacDonald in Cuba and attractive teen and kids' clothing for the girls. 

The Numbers: We open with the young ladies of Miss Drake's School for Girls singing their "Alma Mater" as Tess tries to ask her youngest sister Alix (Elinor Donahue) where their mother is. She finally arrives in time to see Tess perform "Passipied." "The Dickey Bird" is heard three times. The first time has the three girls playing it for their mother, who joins in. The second is in the finale; Iturbi joins in here as well. Tess sings "Flurette" to get Morgan's attention from his meal when the girls first descend on his mansion. 

Iturbi's first solo is "Lieberstraum," which he plays on the ship with an orchestra. He plays "Where There's Love" for Louise the next night. She also briefly performs "You Made Me Love You." His real-life wife Amparo joins him for the "Rumanian Rhapsody In A, Opus 11 No.1" at the big Cuban concert. The girls adorably sing "Happy Birthday" and part of "Dickey Bird" over the phone for their touched and impressed mother. The only chorus number is the brief "Ritual Fire Dance" at the show in Cuba. The dancers sing "Happy Birthday" in Spanish for Louise here, too. 

After Louise and Iturbi return from the cruise, they think he's there to audition Tess. She sings "Juliet's Waltz" from Romeo et Juliet for him. Iturbi conducts the "Allegro Appasinato, Opus 10" with a huge classical orchestra at a concert hall. Louise's second song with Iturbi as she rehearses with him at the concert hall is "Sweethearts."  The girls play "Route 66" at home, claiming Iturbi knows nothing about modern music. Iturbi repeats it and plays it quite well, swing and all. Tess sings "Springtide" with her mother to apologize for driving Iturbi away and calling their father without permission. 

What I Don't Like: The story occasionally edges into something more annoying than cute, especially in the second half. On one hand, what the girls did stepped out of bounds, and the older ones in particular were modern levels of bratty about it. On the other hand, Louise should not have lied about their father, whether she was trying to protect them or not. The complicated story is basically sitcom fluff that would turn up in every other family comedy of the 80's and 90's. Iturbi is no more interesting wooing a woman closer to his own age than he was as the object of Jane Powell's affection in Holiday In Mexico two years before. 

The Big Finale: Just sweet enough to be charming Mother's Day viewing with your own Mom this Sunday.

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming.

DVD

Amazon Prime

Song of Norway

ABC Pictures/Cinerama Releasing Corporation, 1970

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. 

DVD

YouTube

A Song to Remember

Columbia Pictures, 1945

Starring Cornel Wilde, Paul Muni, Merle Oberon, and Nina Foch

Directed by Charles Vidor

Music by Frederic Chopin

This week, we're elevating our cultural status with a dive into biographies of classical musicians and opera stars. Polish composer Chopin remains one of the most beloved in classical circles. Many of his piano pieces continue to be played in concert halls and on classical music collections and radio stations to this day, and he remains one of the best-known musicians of his period. Does this movie do his short but dramatic life justice, or should it be sent back to Warsaw? Let's begin in Poland, with the music teacher Josef Elsner (Muni) as he discovers the young piano protege Frederic Chopin, and find out...

The Story: Elsner receives an invitation from music publisher Louis Playel (George Coulouris) for Chopin to play for him in Paris. Unfortunately, Chopin's family can't afford the trip. Chopin (Wilde) remains in Warsaw, where he sees his own people taken prisoner by Russian police. He and Elsner become Polish freedom fighters, even as Elsner continues to fight to take Chopin and his music to Paris. He's to play for a count's fancy banquet, but refuses when he hears that the Russian head of Poland is one of the guests. 

He and Elsner finally flee to Paris. Playel won't hear Chopin's music now that he's no longer a child protege...until Chopin plays his "Polonaise" for him. He introduces the young man to fellow composer Franz List (Stephen Bekassy). It's List who arranges for him to meet writer and critic George Sand (Merle Oberon), who greatly admires his music. Chopin his heartbroken when he loses his friends in the Polish secret society and walks out of a concert, but a great review from Sand gives him heart. They end up falling hard for each other, even as Elsner finally gets Playel to publish Chopin's work. 

He and Sand spend the next few years in Majorica, an island near Spain. Elsner can't get him to do concerts or send more music to publish and ends up teaching back in Warsaw. Things aren't so great in Poland, though. Chopin ends his relationship with Sand when he hears news of friends who were imprisoned during the 1830 November Uprising and she wants him to stay with her. He returns to Elsner and embarks on a series of concert tours across Europe to earn money for the Polish people...but it ends up being too much for his already weakened health...

The Song and Dance: Muni and a gorgeous production anchor this romantic melodrama. Muni takes top honors as the kindly teacher who never stops believing in his student, even when his student abandons him. Oberon is also excellent as strong-willed, demanding Sand, whose desire for love far outweighs her interest in patriotism. The sets and costumes are stunning for normally low-budget Columbia; the cinematography was Oscar-nominated. It looks every bit 1830 Poland and France, from the charming peasant costumes on Chopin's parents in the beginning to the lavish velvets, brocades, and braiding worn by the members of the French court to George Sand's austere dark masculine suits. 

Favorite Number: Pianist Jose Iturbi played all of the numbers we hear in the film, starting with the number young Chopin plays as Elsner arrives at his home. Playel may not be impressed by Chopin's "Polonaise in E Flat," but the audience certainly was. Iturbi's full recording of this number went on to be a best-seller. The "Heroic Polonaise" at Chopin's debut is every bit as stunning as Sand says in her review later, with Iturbi and Wilde throwing themselves passionately into it. Likewise, the number he plays at the reception hosted by the Duchess of Orleans is intense enough to understand why Playel wanted to publish it. The concert tour medley starts out passionate and gets increasingly weary as Chopin grows more and more ill.

Trivia: The scene where Sand brings a candelabra to Chopin's piano inspired a young Liberace to have one  in his piano act. 

What I Don't Like: This melodrama with music is a load of piffle that has very little to do with history. Chopin and Sand did have a passionate relationship, but she was just as big on Polish patriotism as he was. They did part ways, but for other reasons besides their politics, and she absolutely would not have forced him to choose between her and his country. Elsner was fictional, a representative of his many teachers over the years. While he didn't get to Paris until he was older, he did play outside of Poland as a child protege, including in Russia. 

Wilde was nominated for an Oscar as Chopin, but outside of his attempts to follow along with Iturbi's piano playing, he's dull as dishwater. Honestly, Oberon's Sand is vastly more interesting than this superficial pretty boy. He looks more like a vampire from an adaptation of an Ann Rice novel towards the end than a dying man. 

The Big Finale: Mainly for big fans of classical or romantic-era music or major fans of Muni, Wilde, or Oberon. 

Home Media: The solo DVD is part of Columbia's Screen Classics By Request DVD-R line and is expensive at this writing. You're better off streaming this one - it's currently free at Tubi with commercials. 

DVD - Screen Classics By Request

Tubi