Cristi_Ciopron A musical biopic with an all-star cast, and if Johnson looked a bit goofy, there are scenes with Cyd Charisse and Esther Williams; Heflin plays the 2nd lead, doing what he can with his role as the arranger and repentant procrastinator. He has been well chosen to make scenes watchable, as his style had brio, and the script also allowed for some depth, if the word isn't too grand, or at least plausibility, to his character. The movie signifies also the dawn or the spring of a few careers, of players who were then in their blessed prime. People like A. Lansbury and Sinatra went on to great careers. The Sally Hessler's selfishness subplot stank of hypocrisy and paternalist judgmental meanness (also, Kern's submissiveness when depriving Sally of her tune, and acknowledging the absolute authority of the producer to cut as he likes). The storyline has the cautiousness of such biopics, with few anecdotes (the Hessler family, Frohman's demise, Herbert the dean, the courtship in the British countryside, Sally's subplot). If the sentiment was phony, it also defines this genre of tributes to Broadway, with their MGM insipidity. There is though a moment, when Jerry, after he had just visited the prodigal Sally, feels the grandeur of the river …. The tunes that I liked very much were those not sugary: 'Life Upon the Wicked Stage', 'Till the Clouds Roll By', 'She Didn't Say Yes' (Lyn and Lee Wilde), 'Ol' Man River' sung by Sinatra; 'Show Boat' seemed indeed the nicest of Kern's works.Mainly, enjoy the music. That's why this movie has been made for. 'Ol' Man River', from the legendary 'Show Boat', thrilled Whale, 10 yrs before this movie has been made. A musical movie isn't always an ambitious experiment in narration, often it's a musical show, which may require a narrative convention, and this, in its turn, however conventional, asks for craft, in order to be achieved. I find it puzzling how many reviewers, when dismissing the musicals for their pretended lack of a plot, seemed to ignore that these were mainly musical shows and that it was as unfair to complain about story as in the situation of an operetta, a revue or a variety. In our age, objecting seems a sign of cleverness.Who would care much if an operetta hasn't a plot, and who would care about the contemporary reviews, other than for historical research? Perhaps some deplored that the songs haven't been matched by plot, etc., that a better movie could of been made, yet this thought remains sour and unfair. Quibbles, indeed. As for Crowther, he used to dismiss many things, and I don't find him a dependable reviewer. Many of his disparaging takes are too whimsical.

TxMike Even though Jerome Kern died just about 5 weeks before I was born in 1945, he and I have an indelible connection. When I was in graduate school back in the 1960s I managed to work myself into a student musical which ran for 28 performances over 4 weeks. The musical was "Leave it to Jane", an early and popular Jerome Kern musical which had an early long run off-Broadway. I never knew much about Kern over the following 46 years but now, with this movie, most of the gaps were filled in.Robert Walker plays the role of Jerome Kern, starting in the early 20th century when Kern was in this 20s and trying to become recognized as a Broadway composer. In that time American theater seemed to be enamored with British musicals, so Kern traveled to London to hone his craft. There he met his eventual wife. When he finally became recognized then his career took off and he became one of the most prolific and recognized composers of songs we love.This movie used Kern's songs, and scenes from many of his musicals, including one from "Leave it to Jane" about a football rivalry. And most of the songs are performed by some of the best-known performers of the 1940s, including such artists as Frank Sinatra, June Allyson, Judy Garland, Lena Horne, Van Johnson, Dinah Shore, and a very young Angela Lansbury , just to name a few.For me, a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable movie. Here's to the memory of Jerome Kern. On DVD from my public library, the picture and sound are very good for such an old movie.

SHAWFAN Yes, Robert Walker was not a great Jerome Kern and Van Heflin was completely fictional, and yes, the story line was tedious and sappy, but...all those incredible stars in one movie (despite some of the greatest ones like Kally and Astaire and Robeson being left out) in some of the most beautiful songs ever written (some of the greatest ones likewise also left out like "The Way You Look Tonight") just coming at you one after the other in sumptuous settings: what an unrepeatable and irreproducible gem of a movie! And the fact that Kern missed the Lusitania by oversleeping was replaced by a more dramatic plot line that had him trying unsuccessfully to catch that boat (We're all so glad he didn't!) and follow Frohman to England I thought was an actual dramatic improvement on what really happened.But you know, to me the most telling aspect of the whole movie which reflected so perfectly American mores and prejudices of the day was the fact that nowhere in the movie was the fact alluded to that Jerome Kern was---Jewish! And to this day none of your 40 other reviewers betrayed an awareness of this fact. The Jewish movie studio heads like Louis B. Mayer and Arthur Freed were not about to compromise the success of their glorious effort by turning any portion of the movie-going public off. But that thick American anti-Semitism of the day was about to receive its rebuke just a few seasons later in Gregory Peck's Gentlemen's Agreement.An incredible video has just been released by National Public Television on the Jewish heritage in the American popular musical. And astonishing as it is to realize that with the exception of George M. Cohan and Victor Herbert (Irish), Cole Porter (Christian denomination?) and Andrew Lloyd Weber (?) all the great Broadway composers and lyricists from Jerome Kern to Leonard Bernstein to Stephen Sondheim have indeed been Jewish and Jerome Kern was one of the greatest of them all. But this movie did its best to keep all that a secret (and succeeded.)

dsewizzrd-1 Rated 'G' for gagworthy this tortuously long (over two hours) musical–come–medley–come-extended video clip purportedly follows the life of musical musician Jerome Kern.With only one even half decent song ("Old Man River"), and only one even half decent show ("Sunny"), the rest is dreary wailing of interminable length.The clips from the musicals is interspersed with a dull and reactionary story about Kern's life, marrying an 'English' woman with an American accent as thick as ketchup.The not very attractive daughter of an associate learns her place after being turned down for a part in the show. It ends with a medley and finally with Frank Sinatra singing his (bad) version of "Old Man River".