Customer Reviews

Deep in My Heart [VHS]

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you're a fan of show music from the thirties and forties, you are sure to enjoy "Deep in My Heart." As the story opens, Signund Romberg (Jose Ferrer), composer and recent immigrant to New York, is playing the piano at his friend (Helen Traubel)'s cafe in the early 1900s. One day he is discovered, and begins writing popular music and scores for the Shubert shows on Broadway, including "May Time" and "The Desert Song." He is mentored by actress Dorothy Donnelly (Merle Oberon), who also writes the story for his hugely successful show, "The Student Prince." He falls in love with a young lady at a summer resort and, with Dorothy's help, marries her.

This 1954 film features a song-and-dance number from each of Romberg's musicals, performed by popular guest stars. Ferrer sings and dances surprisingly well, and gives a light-hearted performance. If you are already familiar with Romberg's tunes, you'll find yourself singing along. It's done in the old MGM-style with beautiful color, sumptious sets and costumes, and wholesome family values. An uplifting, entertaining movie.

This film is a curiosity more than anything else. I rented it years ago and found it uneven at best. Like most of MGM's alleged 'composer biographies,' it distorts the details of the composer's actual life (in this case, Broadway stage/operetta afficionado Sigmund Romberg) and hangs all of his magnificent songs on an all-star coatrack. And there lies the attraction: seeing Gene Kelly in his only on-screen appearance with real-life brother Fred; seeing Jose Ferrer's bride Rosemary Clooney in her fresh-faced beauty and ear-delicious voice; watching grande dame soprano Helen Traubel sing "Aufwiedersen" to a dying Merle Oberon; and most of all seeing Ann Miller blend the Charleston with her signature tap dancing (I'm not kidding) and superbabe Cyd Charisse in probably the single most erotic dance performed on film: an Arabian Nights-influenced duet with James Mitchell to the song "One Alone." And how she moves in that all-lace, form-fitting gown is anyone's guess.

A biography of Sigmund Romberg, the musical and operetta composer. Anything which features his music must have some good features, but this is superlative all the way around. Jose Ferrer is charming as Rommie, Merle Oberon gives a nice performance as his love interest, and the list of cameos is starry, with Rosemary Clooney shining in one number and the great operatice soprano Helen Traubel singing "Softly" as it must be, a touching plea full of torment, angst, and ultimately acceptance. Beautiful technicolor, good direction. Very amusing, filled with some of the best songs ever written, and beautifully performed and captured on film.

I saw this in the theater when it was first released and was enthralled with the music. Like most "biopocs" this one is long on entertainment and short on authenticity. The recreations of Romberg's famous shows, with top stars of the day, are worth the price of admission all by themselves. Add in one of the funniest routines ever filmed (Ferrer's acting out of "jazzadoo"), good performances by all the main actors and some of the best music ever written (in my humble opinion) and you have a great show. If you want to learn the real facts about Sigmund Romberg, read about him. If you want a good movie, rent this one. It is now available on DVD as part of the "Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory, Vol. 3" collection.

This is almost pure "schmaltz" but it is still a gem. It is a "biography" of Sigmund Romberg. I have the VHS which I haven't watched for awhile so please forgive my memory. It includes cameos of several MGM stars...the only one of which I can remember for certain at the moment is Howard Keel in a production number of YOUR LAND AND MY LAND FROM "My Maryland". I'm sure that "Stouthearted Men" is included as well as something from "The Desert Song" It ends with "I'll be seeing you" I saw it when it first came out (1953ish) and bought the VHS as soon as I found it. Hey...I remembered it after nearly 50 years. Also starring is Helen Traubel, Metropolitan Opera Wagnerian soprano if the 1940's. Incidentally, she was an American from (I think) St.Louis.

GREAT MOVIE ESPECIALLY FOR US SENIORS WHO REMEMBER GOOD MUSIC--S ROMBERG WAS ONE OF THE GREATS--THE STUDENT PRINCE BEING MY PERSONAL FAVORITE BY HIM & OF COURSE MARIO LANZA SINGING SAME--LANZA IS ONLY ONE REALLY MISSING IN THIS MOVIE--BUT--JOSE FERRER IS GREAT & HAS A FIELD DAY ACTING AS ROMBERG-VERY BELIEVABLE--MANY MANY STARS FROM THE 40S&50S SINGING&DANCING--THIS IS WHAT MUSICALS USE TO BE--THANK YOU FOR THIS DVD--BELIEVE EVERYONE WITH A SONG IN THEIR HEART WILL LOVE SAME--

Sound - using both the Phillips DVD player - DVDR3360H and LG DVD player DR7922W were between one third and one half compared to other commercial DVD's. Constant humming probably due to 50HZ pick with the high audio setting required.

Picture - was faultless on LG recorder. However, when played on the Phillips recorder, there were many sporadic breaks of typically 3 - 8 seconds of darkened screen and sound loss.

May well be incapability problem, as no such effects have been found with other commercial DVD's. If so, this should have been advised on purchase.

The movie "Deep in my Heart" was delivered in just over two weeks from the U.S.A. to Australia. The quality of the movie is very good, and I had a great time watching it which I will do many times. It brought back many memories. Thank You

This one came quickly, was in great definition and audio and many enjoyable extra features. The case was the new extra slim style with full, original info/title sleeve. A nice trend in saving the environment and room in storage space.

This is only one of many biopics about famous composers, which Hollywood used to do so well. MGM drew on their extensive roster of super stars to tell the sorty of Sigmund Romberg. However, as the film was made in the 1950's, it does show its age somewhat, but then we do get a feel for Romberg's music, which makes up for that.
To my mind the most wonderful element is the absolutely stunning ballet performed by Cyd Charisse. It was her performance which remained in my memory ever since I first saw the film those many years ago. MGM did have the knack of staging this sort of ballet with great verve. Now that I have my own copy of the film, I can watch Cyd again and again, and be thrilled every time. That is not to say that the rest of the cast are not also great, but as they only get to perform a small portion from Romberg's many musicals, the viewer is left wishing there was more of the musical element.
Perhaps some tallented producer will view this film, and then film the Student Prince again, so we can all appreciate the tallent of Mr. Romberg. I know MGM did film the Student Prince in the 1950's, but it was with a very poor cast, and so 'a not so memorable' film. But, I shall enjoy watching Cyd Charisse in 'Deep In My Heart', and hope that one day I may see an equally stunning verson of the Student Prince.