I don't know how many liberties were taken with JANE FROMAN's real life story, but I'm sure the screenplay took the usual amount in fictionalizing the events surrounding Froman's tragic plane accident where she survived but remained paralyzed for the rest of her life.
And some of the fiction is the usual stuff that makes up movie bios. For example, THELMA RITTER's character of the nurse was invented for the film, so I'm told. And the relationship of Froman to her husband and then the pilot who was instrumental in rescuing her, these are facts which are probably not quite as simplistic as pictured in the film.
But still, I enjoyed it for the music, or to be more specific, the songs sung by Jane Froman in that rich contralto voice that emanates so convincingly from SUSAN HAYWARD. Hayward is lovely and appealing as the singer, though I tend to agree with Bosley Crowther in The N.Y. Times who said that she sings the numbers "as though she knows she's singing them for posterity". Hayward never did anything halfway. Nothing subtle about her performance, but she's good.
With musicals of this sort considered old-fashioned today, there aren't too many around who even know who Jane Froman is (or was), which is why I suppose they haven't yet released this to DVD, but they should.
The supporting cast is a good one, with RORY CALHOUN and David WAYNE, as well as the always sharp-tongued THELMA RITTER, doing fine jobs.
Trivia note: I did enjoy the very mawkish, sentimental scene with soldier ROBERT WAGNER being re-united with Hayward. It worked, despite seeming like a scripted contrivance.
And some of the fiction is the usual stuff that makes up movie bios. For example, THELMA RITTER's character of the nurse was invented for the film, so I'm told. And the relationship of Froman to her husband and then the pilot who was instrumental in rescuing her, these are facts which are probably not quite as simplistic as pictured in the film.
But still, I enjoyed it for the music, or to be more specific, the songs sung by Jane Froman in that rich contralto voice that emanates so convincingly from SUSAN HAYWARD. Hayward is lovely and appealing as the singer, though I tend to agree with Bosley Crowther in The N.Y. Times who said that she sings the numbers "as though she knows she's singing them for posterity". Hayward never did anything halfway. Nothing subtle about her performance, but she's good.
With musicals of this sort considered old-fashioned today, there aren't too many around who even know who Jane Froman is (or was), which is why I suppose they haven't yet released this to DVD, but they should.
The supporting cast is a good one, with RORY CALHOUN and David WAYNE, as well as the always sharp-tongued THELMA RITTER, doing fine jobs.
Trivia note: I did enjoy the very mawkish, sentimental scene with soldier ROBERT WAGNER being re-united with Hayward. It worked, despite seeming like a scripted contrivance.