A Song to Remember [1945] [DVD]Paul Muni (actor) Merle Oberon (actor) Format: all-region dvd (worldwide) Runtime: 113 min Quality: Digital
Hollywood biographies of classical composers are usually fair game for jest, and this account of Chopin's life is no exception. It features some flowery dialogue, (You can make miracles of music in Majorca), a wildly over-the-top performance by Paul Muni as the composer's tutor, and Merle Oberon miscast as the trousered George Sand who tells her lover to
discontinue that so-called Polonaise jumble you've been playing for days.
But the melodies, the gorgeous Technicolor photography, the opulent production and the seductive piano playing of José Iturbi (who dubbed for Cornel Wilde in the title role) add up to a lush and mostly irresistible experience. |