Song of Norway (1970)

User Rating:

3.1/10   

Director:

Andrew L. Stone

Writers:

Homer Curran (play)
Milton Lazarus (musical play)
(more)

Release Date:

4 November 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Musical

Tagline:

A song for the heart to sing...for the world to love!

Plot Keywords:

Composer | Independent Film | Based On Play

Cast

Toralv Maurstad	...	Edvard Grieg
Florence Henderson	...	Nina Grieg
Christina Schollin	...	Therese Berg
Frank Porretta	...	Richard Nordraak
Harry Secombe	...	Bioernstjerne Bjoernson
Robert Morley	...	Berg
Edward G. Robinson	...	Krogstad
Elizabeth Larner	...	Mrs. Bjoernson
Oskar Homolka	...	Engstrand
Frederick Jaeger	...	Henrik Ibsen
Henry Gilbert	...	Franz Liszt
Richard Wordsworth	...	Hans Christian Andersen
Bernard Archard	...	George Nordraak
John Barrie	...	Mr. Hagerup
Wenche Foss	...	Mrs. Hagerup
Ronald Adam	...	Gade
Aline Towne	...	Mrs. Thoresen
Nan Munro	...	Angry Woman
James Hayter	...	Butler to Berg
Erik Chitty	...	Helsted
Manoug Parikian	...	Violinist
Richard Vernon	...	Councilman
Ernest Clark	...	Councilman
Eli Lindtner	...	Bjornson's Secretary
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Morocco	...	Anitra's Dance
Rolf Berntzen	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Susan Claire	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Gordon Coster	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Tracey Crisp	...	Receptionist (uncredited)
Jane Darling	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Ros Drinkwater	...	Friend of Liszt (uncredited)
Hermione Farthingale	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Michele Hardy	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Avind Harum	...	Freddie (uncredited)
Roy Jones	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Jane Kells	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Charles Lloyd Pack	...	Chevalier (uncredited)
Robert LuPone	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Matt Mattox	...	Featured Dancer (uncredited)
Tordis Maurstad	...	Mrs. Schmidt (uncredited)
Paddy McIntyre	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Denise O'Brien	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Stephen Reinhardt	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Cyril Renison	...	Butler in Rome (uncredited)
Susan Richards	...	Aunt Aline (uncredited)
Robert Rietty	...	Winding (uncredited)
Carl Rigg	...	Captain Hansen (uncredited)
Peter Salmon	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Rosalind Speight	...	Friend of Liszt (uncredited)
Jeffrey Taylor	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Ilse-Nore Tromm	...	Girl's Mother (uncredited)
Barbara von der Heyde	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Jennie Walton	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Barrie Wilkinson	...	Dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
Andrew L. Stone

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Homer Curran		play
Milton Lazarus		musical play
Andrew L. Stone		screenplay
Andrew L. Stone		story

Produced by
Andrew L. Stone	....	producer
Virginia L. Stone	....	producer

Original Music by
Chet Forrest		(as George Forrest)
Bob Wright		(as Robert Wright)

Cinematography by
Davis Boulton

Film Editing by
Virginia L. Stone		(as Virginia 'Lively' Stone)

Art Direction by
William Albert Havemeyer

Costume Design by
Fiorella Mariani
David Walker

Makeup Department
Mary Bredin	....	hair stylist
Jan Dorman	....	hair stylist
Kay Freeborn	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Peter Crowhurst	....	production manager
Fred Slark	....	production manager: second unit
Ted Wallis	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Yakima Canutt	....	second unit director
Paul Cowan	....	second assistant director
Bill Graf	....	second assistant director
Leif Jul	....	first assistant director: second unit
John O'Connor	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Van Allen James	....	sound editor
John Purchese	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Lou Bogue	....	gaffer
Mike Matthews	....	lighting camera operator: second unit
Stan Mestel	....	camera operator
Kelvin Pike	....	camera operator

Animation Department
Jack Kinney	....	animator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dan Lloyd	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Peter Halsey	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Brenda Lucas	....	musician: piano solo
John Ogden	....	musician: piano solo
Roland Shaw	....	music supervisor
Roland Shaw	....	musical director
Roland Shaw	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Avind Harum	....	assistant choreographer
Larry Oaks	....	assistant choreographer
Lee Theodore	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• ABC Pictures
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Distributors

• Cinerama Releasing Corporation (1970) (UK) (theatrical)
• Cinerama Releasing UK (1970) (UK) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Buena Vista Pictures (1995) (worldwide) (all media)
• Pearson Television International (2002) (UK) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Lee Lighting  lighting
• London Symphony Orchestra, The (LSO)  orchestra

Runtime:

138 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints)

Certification:

UK:U | Iceland:L | Finland:S | Norway:7 | USA:G

Company:

ABC Pictures

Trivia:

Florence Henderson's movie debut.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Strauss and Vienna: On Location: The Great Waltz (1972)

Gorgeous Norwegian scenery in search of a plot...

SONG OF NORWAY is an unbearably dull musical pastiche of clichés heard in every musical ever made that purported to be the saga of a composer's struggles to find recognition for his music. Edvard Grieg's struggles are so dull as to be non-stop in this awful compilation of Norwegian scenery by the truckload with no story to carry it.

It is notable that the man who plays Grieg, TORALV MAURSTAD, never did make another American film, so disastrous were the reviews and box-office for this dull saga. Note also that FLORENCE HENDERSON was not able to make another film in Hollywood but went directly to television and stayed there for a very successful run on "The Brady Bunch". See the film and you will judge yourself why it was an abject failure. And don't be fooled by the presence of OSKAR HOMOLKA, EDWARD G. ROBINSON and ROBERT MORLEY in the cast. They have little or nothing to do.

Music lovers may be enchanted by Grieg's works, but not the way they are presented here. Nor is there any resemblance between the zestful SOUND OF MUSIC and its picturesque way of dealing with the Von Trapp Singers and this dull as dishwater musical that would work better as a travelogue of Norway with the plot excised.

See it at your own risk.