Paul Verlaine is a struggling composer whose assistant Germaine is secretly in love with him. Starring John Garrick and Merle Oberon.Paul Verlaine is a struggling composer whose assistant Germaine is secretly in love with him. Starring John Garrick and Merle Oberon.Paul Verlaine is a struggling composer whose assistant Germaine is secretly in love with him. Starring John Garrick and Merle Oberon.
Photos
Andreas Malandrinos
- Brissard
- (as Andrea Malandrinos)
Toni Edgar-Bruce
- Vera
- (as Tonie Edgar Bruce)
Kynaston Reeves
- Colonel Fitzroy
- (as P. Kynaston Reeves)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis film was first shown on USA television Sunday 3 December 1939 on New York City's pioneer, and still experimental television station W2XBS. Post WWII USA television viewers got their first look at it in Los Angeles Sunday 17 April 1949 on KTSL (Channel 2), in Salt Lake City Monday 20 June 1949 on KDYL (Channel 4), in New York City Sunday 26 June 1949 on WPIX (Channel 11), and in Chicago Wednesday 22 March 1950 on WGN (Channel 9).
- ConnectionsFeatured in Land Girls: Secrets (2009)
Featured review
Amazingly dull.
Paul Verlaine (John Garrick) is a struggling young composer in Paris. Most folks have little interest in his work, however, he's spotted by a rich and spoiled brat (Margot Grahame) who takes him under her wing. Despite the wonderful (but awful singing) Germanine (Merle Oberon) loving him, he is lured to the rich lady who he thinks loves him. However, their marriage soon sours and she begins cheating on him and partying all night long. During this time, he's amazingly dense until he happens to catch her with one of her lovers--then bad things happen.
As I sat and watched "The Broken Melody" (a.k.a. "Vagabond Violinist"), I had to really struggle to keep paying attention. It's because despite the subject matter, the movie was incredibly dull. Part of it was the very emotionless acting, part of it was sloppy direction and part of it was because the film lacked any sort of punch. Even when the main character was sent to Devil's Island, the film seemed amazingly uninteresting. Much of it was because Paul seemed quite dumb and difficult to like. The most likable was Germaine, but she sang like a cow caught in an electric fence. Overall, an incredibly dated and dull film from start to finish. The only fun I had was listening to some of the characters forget their French accents in some scenes only to pick it up in the next!
As I sat and watched "The Broken Melody" (a.k.a. "Vagabond Violinist"), I had to really struggle to keep paying attention. It's because despite the subject matter, the movie was incredibly dull. Part of it was the very emotionless acting, part of it was sloppy direction and part of it was because the film lacked any sort of punch. Even when the main character was sent to Devil's Island, the film seemed amazingly uninteresting. Much of it was because Paul seemed quite dumb and difficult to like. The most likable was Germaine, but she sang like a cow caught in an electric fence. Overall, an incredibly dated and dull film from start to finish. The only fun I had was listening to some of the characters forget their French accents in some scenes only to pick it up in the next!
helpful•26
- planktonrules
- Oct 27, 2013
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- The Broken Melody
- Filming locations
- Twickenham Studios, Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK(studio: produced at Twickenham Film Studios)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 2 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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