Interrupted Melody (1955)

Director:

Curtis Bernhardt

Writers:

Marjorie Lawrence (life story)
William Ludwig (written by) ...

Release Date:

October 1955 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Musical

Plot:

The film chronicles Australian-born opera star Marjorie Lawrence's success, her battle with polio, and her eventual career comeback.

Plot Keywords:

Opera | Polio | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Glenn Ford	...	Dr. Thomas 'Tom' King
Eleanor Parker	...	Marjorie 'Margie' Lawrence
Roger Moore	...	Cyril Lawrence
Cecil Kellaway	...	Bill Lawrence
Peter Leeds	...	Dr. Ed Ryson
Evelyn Ellis	...	Clara
Walter Baldwin	...	Jim Owens
Ann Codee	...	Madame Gilly
Leopold Sachse	...	Himself
Stephen Bekassy	...	Count Claude des Vignaux
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sandy Descher	...	Suzie (scenes deleted)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-8 | Sweden:Btl | Argentina:Atp

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Greer Garson was originally set to play the lead role of Marjorie Lawrence, but the film was postponed for about one year. Garson wanted the part very badly and researched the role extensively. One month after she left MGM (the studio filming the movie), Eleanor Parker was cast.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Marjorie 'Margie' Lawrence takes a same-day return trip by steam train from her merino sheep farm at Winchelsea to Geelong, she does so on Anzac Day. At 4 minutes 12 seconds, the sign says "Friday April 25". The first Anzac Day was on 25th April 1916. Friday 25th April 1924 is the only possible Friday Anzac Day.

Quotes:

Marjorie Lawrence: After her brother reprimands her for dating the doctor instead of the Count: "The trouble with you, Cyril is that my success is going to your head."

Movie Connections:

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Soundtrack:

Waltzing Matilda

No Aussie accent

Eleanor Parker, a much underrated actress of the 1950s, probably hit the high point of her career when she essayed the role of Marjorie Lawrence in this biographical portrait.

Marjorie Lawrence was an Australian opera star whose career was cruelly interrupted by polio in the 1930s. The film follows Lawrence from her winning a singing contest in her native Winchelsea, Australia through her career with the Metropolitan Opera and her struggle with regaining her health. Lawrence is supported every step of the way by husband Dr. Thomas King,ably played by Glenn Ford. But it's Eleanor Parker's movie all the way.

Funny for a movie about an Australian, Parker doesn't even attempt an Australian accent. This is in the MGM tradition of Clark Gable who did not attempt any British accent in Mutiny on the Bounty. It worked just as well for Parker, though I'd be curious what a native Australian might think. Lawrence was the second female opera star who became a national treasure for Australia, the first being Nellie Melba. Parker shouldered a lot of tradition in this film and did it well.

The voice used by Parker for the operatic sequences is that of Eileen Farrell of the Metropolitan Opera. The sequences are well done, but the real drama in the scenes of Lawrence battling polio.

This film coincidentally enough came out at the same time that Dr. Jonas Salk discovered his vaccine preventive for polio. I still remember as a lad getting those polio shots at my public school. No movie studio could have planned that coincidence, but MGM reaped enormous profit because of it. As for Jonas Salk, no man of medicine has ever been admired in the same way in my lifetime.

Eleanor Parker was nominated for best actress, but lost that year to Anna Magnani in The Rose Tattoo. Look for a young Roger Moore in the role of Parker's brother and business manager.

My favorite scene in the whole film is Parker as Lawrence entertaining the troops overseas in World War II. Especially when she sings Waltzing Matilda to her native Australian diggers. It was like the whole beating heart of the Australian continent coming alive for an instant. Absolutely inspired.

This film gets the highest possible recommendation from me.