Till the Clouds Roll By

I have always liked this movie and as time goes on it seems to be a bit dated but if you like Technicolor and musicals you will like this movie. Most of the stars are unfamiliar to audiences today and you must suspend your belief in this being a true story of Jerome Kern and just enjoy the music and dance. Great Judy Garland sequences and great color. Unfortunately, the movie's copyright has lapsed and you can only get inferior versions on DVD. Occasionally, TCM will show this film with a good print. Jerome Kern, by his own admission, was not very exciting, so having Robert Walker play him didn't harm the man's reputation. Good job by Van Heflin. The worst performance has to be the woman who plays Kern's wife. All musical numbers are well done and great entertainment. I recommend this for anyone who wants to see an old 40's musical, keeping in mind what audiences in those days liked and expected.

Well this is an interesting film from the times when MGM was simply an enormous studio pouring out more film then, it seems we could ever watch.

I have to say this film is simply boring and the length is far too long. The idea of the film is great and there's one more factor that makes it memorable.

They say MGM had more stars then were in the galaxy. They have plenty in this film and some still stand today. Judy (Garland), Angela (Lansbury) and Frank (Sinatra) all gave the film zest with their musical numbers. However the only problem with the film is, it's very hard to watch in just one showing.

However if you like the history of MGM, watch the studio with power, zest and plenty of stars to pass the time as those clouds roll by.

This movie, about the life and times of stage composer Jerome Kern works best when it showcases pieces of his famous musical productions such as SHOWBOAT, LEAVE IT TO JANE, SALLY, OH BOY amongst others. The story of his life just proves a lot less interesting...no that's not the right word I'm looking for...I mean a lot less captivating than his music. When we see stars such as Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Tony Martin, Angela Lansbury, June Allyson, Lena Horne, Katherine Grayson, Cyd Charisse, Ray McDonald amongst others singing and performing on stage, there's magic in the air. Robert Walker as Kern does prove likable enough in the lead role and there's an innocent charm at work in these proceedings but things do run on perhaps a little too long.

I gave Till the Clouds Roll By a 5/10. It's worth seeing for the music, and I'd have rated it higher had it been shortened to just the music. It could have got another bump by allocating the entire time to performances -- there was time for over twice as many songs, and there's no problem finding enough good Kern songs to fill the time. Kern wrote well over 1000 songs, and though of course not all are memorable, finding 50 or 100 good ones is easy.

But the choice and arrangements are nearly random. The order in which the songs are presented makes little musical or dramatic sense. They are done by a variety of performers with no consistency. The time after Show Boat is mostly ignored -- hey folks, Kern was actively writing for another 15 years and did his best work from Show Boat on. So even had the movie contained a full three hours of music, the best I could call it would be a haphazard revue with very good performers and memorable songs.

The worst, as others have pointed out, is the story line. To make it clear: THIS STORY LINE IS ALMOST ENTIRELY FICTITIOUS. Oh, of course the shows mentioned are accurately described. But I own a biography of Kern, and the name "Hessler" does not appear -- the character of Jim Hessler is totally fictitious. Kern's wife Eva was British, but the circumstances of their meeting do not resemble the movie. It's probably true that Kern just missed sailing on the Lusitania, but for totally different reasons (Frohman planned the trip for both of them, and Kern overslept). Etc etc ad nauseum. Why bother? The movie would have been much improved by letting the music speak for itself.

Edward

Jerome Kern is the subject of this biopic that MGM put together as an after thought because even though it's about the great composer's life, little is learned about him. The movie was directed by Richard Whorf as a great spectacle, one in which the magnificent talent employed by the studio is showcased interpreting Mr. Kern's music.

The composer is seen arriving in New York and being referred to a man who is supposed to be the best in arranging songs. The fictitious James Hessler is seen as an influential figure who worked close with Mr. Kern and acted as his mentor and collaborator. By his own admission Mr. Kern was not an exciting figure, but he left behind a body of work that still is vital and has survived the passing of time, as his songs became standards.

The main reason for watching the film is to enjoy the MGM stars doing what they did best, singing and dancing for our benefit. In a spectacular and colorful finale, we are treated to a wonderful production number involving Jerome Kern's best known songs.

Robert Walker's take on the composer makes a bland figure out of Mr. Kern. Van Heflin as Hessler proves to be much better. In the musical numbers we are treated by Lena Horne, June Allison, Tony Martin, Cyd Charisse, Lucille Bremen, Van Johnson, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Angela Lansbury and others.

Although the film doesn't break new ground, it's a wonderful way to catch up with the stars in the background in some great renditions of Jerome Kern's beautiful songs.