Harmony Lane

19351935
PassedPassed
1h 29m

IMDb RATING

5.9/10

110

YOUR RATING

Adrienne Ames, Douglass Montgomery, and Evelyn Venable in Harmony Lane (1935)

Drama

The life and loves of composer Stephen Foster, from his early success through his decline, degradation, and death from alcoholism.The life and loves of composer Stephen Foster, from his early success through his decline, degradation, and death from alcoholism.The life and loves of composer Stephen Foster, from his early success through his decline, degradation, and death from alcoholism.

IMDb RATING

5.9/10

110

YOUR RATING

Director
- Joseph Santley
Writers
- Elizabeth Meehan(screenplay)
- Joseph Santley(screenplay)
- Milton Krims(story)
Stars

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Storyline

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Trivia
This film received its earliest documented telecast in the New York City area Sunday 1 June 1947 on WCBS (Channel 2). In Baltimore, it first aired Sunday 11 April 1948 on WMAR (Channel 2), in Chicago Saturday 31 July 1948 on WGN (Channel 9), in Philadelphia Sunday 15 August 1948 on WPTZ (Channel 3), in Cincinnati Saturday 11 September 1948 on WLW-T (Channel 4), and in Salt Lake City Sunday 24 July 1949 on KDYL (Channel 4).

Goofs
At the end of the movie, singer/composer/showman Edwin Pearce Christy, the founder of the blackface group Christy's Minstrels, announces the death of Stephen Foster at a benefit performance. Foster died on January 13, 1864. Christy could not have delivered the eulogy as he took his own life two years earlier on May 21, 1862, while facing financial ruin brought on by the Civil War.

Quotes
Stephen Foster: [Finishes playing a song] That's it. Now if I could only get a lyric.
Susan Pentland: You might sell it?
Stephen Foster: And if I did, I could buy you such lovely things. A parasol. Blue... to match your lavender dress.
Susan Pentland: [laughs] That would be nice.
Stephen Foster: And all sorts of surprises. A little white cottage. The one that has always been waiting for you and for me. With hollyhocks... maybe some moonbeams... maybe fields of sunflowers that run all the way into the horizon.
Susan Pentland: All that with just one song?
Stephen Foster: I'd write some more. Then you and I could be together always. Would you like that?
Susan Pentland: Yes, Stephen.
Stephen Foster: Just you and I.
Susan Pentland: [laughs] And the piano.
Stephen Foster: By all means, the piano.
[They laugh]

Connections
Featured in Bamboozled (2000)

Soundtracks
Oh! Susanna
Written by Stephen Foster
Whistled and later sung by Douglass Montgomery
Also performed in different tableaus in different parts of the world

User reviews11

Review

Top review

5/10

The old folks at Foster's home didn't like his music

Poverty Row Mascot Pictures probably because the songs of Stephen C. Foster were all in public domain decided to produce this cheaply done musical about Foster. It cost the studio not a dime to buy rights to his work.

Douglass Montgomery played the tragic composer who came from a middle class background and whose father disapproved of his interest in a musical career.

The tragedy of Foster as shown here is that the woman who truly loved him, Evelyn Venable refused to wait for him and he married society conscious Adrienne Ames. When she left him he takes to drink and eventually can't find his muse.

William Frawley played minstrel performer and impresario E.P. Christy. Frawley before he became best known as the irascible Fred Mertz was a vaudeville performer. He was also one of the great drunks in Hollywood as you see here.

The musical numbers are done on the cheap, but the acting is not too bad. Montgomery does well as the frail and tragic Foster.

Still you can see it all done better at 20th Century Fox with Don Ameche as Foster and Al Jolson as E.P. Christy in Swanee River.

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