Song Without End (1960)

Director:

Charles Vidor

Writer:

Oscar Millard

Stars:

Dirk Bogarde, Capucine, Geneviève Page

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dirk Bogarde	...	Franz Liszt
Capucine	...	Princess Carolyne Wittgenstein
Geneviève Page	...	Countess Marie D'Agoult
Patricia Morison	...	Georges Sand
Ivan Desny	...	Prince Nicholas
Martita Hunt	...	Grand Duchess
Lou Jacobi	...	Potin
Albert Rueprecht	...	Prince Felix Lichnowsky
Marcel Dalio	...	Chelard
Lyndon Brook	...	Richard Wagner
Walter Rilla	...	Archbishop
Hans Unterkircher	...	Czar
Erland Erlandsen	...	Sigismond Thalberg (as E. Erlandsen)
Alexander Davion	...	Frederic Chopin (as Alex Davion)
Katherine Squire	...	Anna Liszt

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

franz liszt | composer | frédéric chopin | classical music | pianist

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Taglines:

His Scandalous Affairs Shocked the World!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 October 1960 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Crescendo

Filming Locations:

Berndorf Theater, Vienna, Austria

Company Credits

Production Co:

William Goetz Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

141 min 130 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) 4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Charles Vidor had completed about 15 percent of the picture when he died on 4 June 1959. He was replaced by George Cukor.

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Quotes

Countess Marie: I met Franz at a musical party. I remember he played a ballade in A-flat major by Chopin. I thought I'd never seen anything as beautiful as Franz looked when he sat at the piano. I... I wanted to cry. He watched me as he played; Franz never fails to notice a pretty woman in his audience. Afterward, he followed me into the hall. I remember he said, "May I escort you somewhere, madame?" And I said, "Yes." And he said, "Where?" And I said, "Paradise." He didn't smile - he said, "I'll call a ...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in The Making of '...And God Spoke' (1993)

User Reviews

The Life of composer Franz Liszt

Song Without End is indeed a film that does not display the characters in a believable situation. However, the music score is among the greatest in motion pictures.

I will always remember that performance of ' Les Prelues'as being the most powerful that I have ever heard even from the best symphony orchestras.The performances of the late Jorge Bolet are magnificent.Especially during the clever arrangement of the Concerto/Hungarian Fantasia. It is clear that Dirk Bogarde is not playing the piano,yet one cannot help but take pleasure in the greatness of the music whomever is playing.

The producer of the film also takes great pains in letting the audience know that Franz Liszt often performed the music of other composers like Wagner and Berlioz.He also was a great fan of Chopin. This is addressed in the film with care and intelligence.

I remember this film as a child and can still remember the great music.Thank God! for the score from Song Without End.