Customer Reviews

I Dream of Jeanie

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

 

 

This video features many of Foster's hits, which for music lovers is great, however, if you are looking for a biography about the early composer, this is not it. In fact, there is nothing revealing or unique that tells you anything about Foster's private life. The movie ends with him living happily-ever-after, which in reality, he died pennyless at age 37. The movie is light and entertaining, and was probably popular for its time. Typical Hollywood treatment. To learn more about the man, see PBS's American Experience, Stephen Foster: America's First Great Songwriter.

I thoroughly enjoyed this musical despite several shortcomings. The ridiculous story line has little to do with Stephen Foster's actual life and depicts him as a dull-witted, love-smitten nincompoop. Moreover, given the culture of today, the minstrel show sequences should make most viewers feel uncomfortable. However, the Stephen Foster music is great and Ray Middleton carries the movie. His singing and his over-the-top portrayal of Edwin Christy are truly entertaining and memorable. I highly recommend this movie for lovers of old tyme musicals. The movie print is Trucolor which is O.K. but not great.

I've grown up hearong these songs, but I have never known the story behind the great composer! I am going to refute another customer's view of this movie. In the scene where Stephen tears up his room, the girl he was engaged to (Inez) told him that his music was the reason that she wasn't going to marry him. Steve loved his music, and he loved Inez, but when she told him that she didn't love him anymore, the only sounds he heard were his songs, louder and louder. The very things he loved were all being taken a way, and even his beloved music was turning on him. This is a story about triumph over despair, and one genious' struggle with himself. A truly great classic.

This movie features a treasure trove of Stephen Foster melodies. So it makes for a wonderful way of becoming acquainted with his music. The copy I purchased had kind of a fuzzy picture quality, but nothing too unbearable. While it is true that the happy ending varies from the real life of Stephen Foster, everything else in the movie was derived from actual occurrences. I have to say, I was most impressed by the good quality of singing on the part of all the actors in the movie.
While the cover looks like the movie will be in black and white, it is actually in color which is neat. Watching this movie inspired me to look up some more biographical information on Stephen Foster and I think it will do the same for anyone else watching the film. As Stephen Foster was the United States' first popular songwriter and this movie makes one feel a part of that traditional American heritage. I actually recommend it very much so. And it is family friendly.

This is a great Classic musical about the incomparable musician Stephen Foster.It's a great DVD and a must see!!

The back cover of the DVD case says this classic film has stood the test of time. I wouldn't go that far. I think in some ways it passed the test of time, and in other ways it failed.

First the positives. The music may be old fashioned but it is the strength of the movie. Stephen Foster songs are performed by several artists here, and they put on a good show.

It is odd to see some of the songs done in black face, with some of the black caricatures done for comedy. This movie is from the Al Jolson era. The black face makeup underlines the fact that one of the largest influences on Stephen Foster's music was black music. Yes, another white artist borrowing black music. Shades of Elvis. Even the Beatles started off doing Smoky Robinson and the Shirelles, and who can forget George Harrison's version of the Crystals song He's So Fine, renamed My Sweet Lord.

Stephen Foster is in love with Inez. The problem is, Inez hates his music. She's into classical music. Oh Susanna disgusts her. One problem with this movie is the phoniness of this part of the plot. Inez plays a woman who is too good for this world, who should spend her life singing opera. In a sense, she is the villain of the film because of her snobbishness. I don't buy it. I think the writers decided to choose a snobby villain. It's a safe target, but an unreal one. It's idiotic. I don't believe the character.

I'm not saying that there aren't people who love classical music and despise popular music of the day. Sure there are. What I'm reacting to is that the writers chose an easy target, the snob, and my intuition tells me that this bears no relation to reality. It's just a phony script.

Stephen goes so far as to rip up his song lyrics, being desperately in love with Inez. In this scene, there is a lot of melodrama. He's staggering around his room, upsetting the furniture, ripping the song lyric sheets, all because of Inez's attitude. The scene is embarrassingly bad. It's stupid.

Meanwhile, Inez's little sister Jeanie (thus the song, and the title of the movie), is in love with Stephen. She witnesses her big sister kissing another man, and drags Stephen in to the room to witness it too.

One thing about the plot that I do believe is that Stephen, or for that matter any man, could be so in love with a woman that he obsesses over her despite the fact that she's not right for him and someone else is.

Will we have a happy ending here? Will Stephen get over his doomed love for Inez and transfer it to little sister Jeanie? Well, duh, apparently it was Stephen Foster who wrote I Dream Of Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair, so where does that leave us?

Despite the fact that parts of the plot are downright stupid, other parts of the developing story are enjoyable, and the music is worth your dollar or two. I recommend that you pick up the movie, particularly if you don't have to pay for shipping. Make it part of a larger order and use Super Saver shipping, and you're all set.

The film left me laughing. It was unintentional on the part of the director. Here you have Stephen Foster (surprise surprise) realizing that he loves Jeanie, and he is in the process of telling her so, and suddenly he breaks into song, composing on the spot his lyrics to I Dream Of Jeanie, and belting it out. It's too funny.