Customer Reviews

Interrupted Melody [VHS]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was 14 when this movie opened and I saw it at least five times (but I have never in my life worn a baseball cap backward, so I guess I have not really contradicted the previous reviewer). I repeated because the Liebestod (as sung by Eileen Farrell, though I did not know that until much later) was one of the greatest musical experiences of my life--then and since, though I had been a devout opera fan before that movie and have been a serious Wagnerian ever since. The movie somewhat romanticized Marjorie Lawrence's life, but Eleanor Parker and Glenn Ford, who played her husband, built a credible dramatic picture of the calamity of serious physical illness striking a great artist. Lawrence did sing Isolde at the Met as her last performance there--whether she rose to fall across Tristan's body must be for some other historian to tell--I certainly wasn't there. But the movie inspires both admiration and creative enthusiasm in anyone who can respond at all to great music and the great determination it requires to perform it well.

I think this is a beautiful film, well acted, written and beautifully sung by Eileen Farrell. The opera segments are wonderful and Eleanor Parker has the best role of her career. By all means see it, especially if you are an opera buff. The quality is actually quite good, although a full re-mastering should be done.

Eleanor Parker, a dramatic actress of the higher second rung in 50s Hollywood, takes on legendary Australian Wagnerian soprano Marjorie Lawrence who, at height of career (20s & 30s), was stricken with polio. Lavishly staged scenes from operas -- sung by the astonishing Eileen Farrell (American pop/Wagnerian songstress of 40s & 50s) -- make this quite the feast for dually addicted film/opera fans. Best of all is footage of Parker/Lawrence making a tough comeback by belting out the 'Siegfried' Brunnhilde and Isolde from reclining position. They really don't make them like this anymore. How many 14-year-old males with their bills pointed backwards would buy tickets?

This title is part of the new Warner Archive Collection, a noble effort. Be warned, it is not a professionally pressed DVD but a burned DVD-R copy. It will not play on player/recorders or computers. It will only work on "play only" devices. That said, I'm happy that Warner is releasing this series of slightly less than marketable titles. I just wish that, for the price, they played on all equipment. It is indeed a 16:9 transfer and the color is lush and the sound is good.

Eleanor Parker was alot like Barbara Stanwyck and Kate Winslet who preceded her in that her work was consitently of the highest calibre that there was the tendency to take her for granted. Her performance in "Interrupted Melody" is probably the crowning jewel of her career. As Marjorie Lawrence, a world renowned opera singer who is subsequently stricken with polio, Parker has to assay both a stage performer and a woman struggling with an illness that cripples both her body and soul. In the earlier scenes Parker is mesmerizingly coquettish in the opera scenes despite the fact that she is lip synching to the voice of Eileen Farrell. When illness strikes the film could have veered into mawkishness but Parker keeps the film grounded by avoiding overplaying the scenes. My favorite scene in the film is when Lawrence is contemplating a comeback by performing at a V.A. hospital. Her choice of "Over the Rainbow" is both inspiring and touching. Not to be overlooked is Glenn Ford as her supportive husband who sacrifices his medical practice to care for his wife. This is not just a great musical biography but a great film, period.

when I was 12 years old, but of course I didn't have my hat on backwards and I am not a boy. I saw it with my best-friend, then and now, who was also a victim of polio.

This film was very touching and memorable. The acting was great. The music is beautiful. The real-life drama of overcoming catastrophic personal crisis with courage and determination was touching to watch. It was particularly significant to view with an individual who, while not famous, had to face the overwhelming uphill battle of dealing with the unfortunate personal tragedy of learning to live with the reality of infantile paralysis.

The beauty of this film and the feelings it evoked have stayed with me all these years and it remains one of my favorite movies of all time. Certainly they don't make films like this today because not many 12 year-old boys or girls would attend. Thank goodness it is available on video to those of us who still recognize good cinema.

The sound quality of my VHS copy is fine (and believe me, I'm hard to please in that area). Yes, this movie belongs on DVD in Dolby 5.1.

The story is so good, you'll swear it is fiction. But it isn't. A country girl from the Australian outback who becomes a world-famous opera singer? Come on! But it's all true.

The first half of the movie is her struggle and rise. From sneaking off the ranch to an audition (of which her father vehemently disapproves) to her scholarship to study singing in Paris--except that the person she's supposed to study with knows nothing about this and refuses to take her. How she gets this woman's attention is priceless.

The meeting with the young doctor after her debut at the Monte Carlo opera. Her big night and no one to share it with! The doctor agrees to celebrate with her, and the two fall in love. But she has her life and he has his. They part. A few years later, she makes her debut at the Met and everyone is fawning over her. The doctor comes backstage and congratulates her; but there are so many, she doesn't recognize/remember him until he has walked off, hurt and disappointed. And...well, you can see, this is quite a story.

The polio occupies the first part of the second half, then there is the story of her struggle to make a comeback. The movie is not a downer at all, in spite of the polio. It's triumphant, moving, touching, and sweet. And the music selections are some of the most popular of the opera repertoire.

Don't miss it.

This movie is the outstanding, true story of one of Opera's finest stars of the 20th Century, Australian Marjorie Lawrence, played by actress Eleanor Parker. Along with Glenn Ford and a very young Roger Moore, the acting is also superb.

However, MGM/Turner Home Video should be slapped on the hand for a very poor sound transfer. After all, the movie is full of Lawrence's music, both opera and popular songs of the era. Yes, the sound track is in stereo, but MGM/Turner didn't reproduce it with dolby digital, even though the picture was digitally transfered. Just about every time throughout the movie when she sings, especially when she hits those beautiful high notes, the sound crackles like an old, scratched 78RPM record. Come on, MGM/Turner! There's no excuse for this. If you're going to take the time to digitally transfer the picture, you've got to do the audio justice. This should have been a no brainer! Hopefully, this will be corrected on future video issues. Or, please give this movie what it really deserves--a full make over on to DVD.

However, the poor sound reproduction shouldn't keep one from purchasing the video. The story is so compelling and powerful, it makes a nice addition to any video library.

Five stars for the story and acting. But one star for the audio quality. Average it out.

Excellent telling of the life of Australian Opera singer Marjorie Lawrence,who after reaching the top of her profession,married a Doctor and wanted to give up her career.However professional commitments intervene and whilst abroad rehearsing for an opera,contracts polio.The undeniable star power of Eleanor Parker and Glenn Ford carries this interesting movie along,and the closing moments are extremely moving and powerful.Parker won an Oscar nomination for this,and it's easy to see why.Although Ford is sidelined a bit,he makes all his scene's count,especially the teary final moments.The music is tremendous,the colour bright,and the many costumes reflect the 50's glamour that was so prevalent in movies of that time.Well done.10/10

I love this "oldie" and was disappointed in the quality of the print.
Guess I had hoped for too much!
I still enjoyed the story.