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This is a good old movie. I had seen it when I was a kid but forgot most of the story, except that it was supposed to be a fairly accurate telling of Jane Froman's life, and the plane crash that almost killed her. Starting from her first entry in to the entertainment business, it is a big budget musical that covers both her career and romances, and the plane crash that left her crippled for life. You can get a very good idea of why Froman was so popular when entertaining soldiers in World War II, as one solider puts it: she was wounded just like them. Susan Hayward is the perfect choice for the role: beautiful, feisty, and talented. David Wayne and Thelma Ritter are two of the major co-stars, and play their roles fabulously as always. Robert Wagner has a small but significant role as a shell-shocked veteran, and Rory Calhoun appears as her second husband. As the opening credits point out, all of the singing in the film is actually Froman herself.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
One of my favorite biopics. That said, Fox claims the film has been “restored” — even has a short feature about said restoration— but much of the film is anything but. Bad color registration occurs repeatedly. This film deserves a better transfer and a Blu-ray, along the lines of what Fox did for “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” if such a thing is possible.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Ms. Hayward's 3rd Oscar nomination and her most sympathetic performance has always been a favorite for many. She plays singer Jane Froman (who overdubbed Hayward's singing)that is a remarkable accomplishment in itself. Susan would sit in the corner of the recording booth and watch Froman record the soundtrack, watching her every nuance. Her lip syncing is the best in the annals of film. You actually believe Susan is singing. The film leans towards sentimentality at times but with Susan in nearly every shot, she never allows it to become maudlin. Her performance is is magnificent and she is a stunning visual treat. Froman who was always voted one of the best dressed women, and allowed Susan to wear some of the most beautiful costumes in motion pictures. This was also the first time she was allowed to cut her long and famous red mane to shoulder length (she somewhat resembled Froman in real life). Her hair was insured for a million dollars and her contract stipulated it could never be cut more than a half inch. Fellow nominee and real life friend, Thelma Ritter also gives a tremendous performance as Clancy. Ritter, one of the all time great character actresses was nominated 6 times and never won--shame on you Academy. A young Robert Wagner in a breakthrough role credited Hayward for his big scene. He was called upon to cry and could not. Hayward had the cameras in back of her when she was singing to him and coaching him during the scene that illicited the necessary tears. Susan was a loner and never took any fellow thespian under her wing except Wagner. This was the highest grossing musical of the year. Watch it and find out. Susan is warm and nothing short of wonderful. It's a thrill to finally have this great movie on disc. Enjoy and watch again and again. You won't tire of it thanks to the lavish sets, costumes, great songs, and terrific performance by Ms. Hayward and Ritter.Read full review
I first saw this movie when I was a young boy, only 11 years old. For some reason, I vividly remembered the story about this beautiful woman with a beautiful voice, and remembered it for the past 50 plus years! What stuck in my mind was here in a red dress performing in front of her audiences. BUT, it never was available on either VHS or DVD format until I recently saw it for sale from another company. It was a little too expensive to buy at the time, but when checking EBay, found it at a reasonable price. Upon viewing it after this long absence, and reading the details, I still was pleased by the singing and the beauty of Susan Hayward, who portrayed Miss Froman with incredible accuracy! Her story was inspiring, since she went through some very touch recovery from her injury. I always admired the people who gave their time a talent to our service men and women overseas; still do! It's been viewed multiple times since it was delivered, and will be one of my favorites forever. It was in perfect condition, and I was surprised that it included "lobby cards"-pictures taken of scenes in the movie. We've never been disappointed in the delivery of product purchased through Ebay, as this came promptly as well. We'll continue to look for the bargains that bring us such enjoyment whenever we open our packages.Read full review
What a great job Susan Hayward did with the singing -- the viewer can believe she is really singing although it is the voice of Jane Froman. I enjoyed this film many years ago on TV and have been looking for it ever since. Had the 10" record but hadn't realised the score was different from the film until I found the DVD on eBay. Both are great. This enjoyable 1950s film is an entertaining portrayal of Jane Froman with lots of songs and memorable scenes including a tearjerker with Thelma Ritter and a medley of songs with WWII troops. The cast also includes Rory Calhoun and a young Robert Wagner.
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