The Great Victor Herbert

I cannot argue with other comments that the story line focuses more on the romance between the Mary Martin and Allan Jones characters, much in the manner of "Showboat", than on the life of Victor Herbert. But in the 1930's, would that have been a box office draw? Instead of the Life of VH, perhaps it should have been the Music of VH. There is an abundance of this.

For me, the thrill of the movie came near the end of the movie when Susanna Foster sings "Land of Romance". It has been over a decade since I caught this movie for a second time at a local 'old movies' theater. At first the audience was stunned; then it burst into spontaneous applause. I remember the shivers running up and down my spine. My trivia memory recalled the information provided to an inquiring public by a local journalist when the movie first came out back in the late 1930's. 'That note hit by Miss Foster was a far F above high C.'

She may not have had four octaves a la Yma Sumac but the then teen-ager certainly had a range!

Now I like Victor Herbert. And I like Mary Martin and Allan Jones. But it would have been nice to see a real biography of Victor Herbert. Walter Connolly as Herbert does have a decent resemblance to him in his latter years

Jones and Martin sing beautifully though. The Herbert music is just there to adorn the plot line concerning these two musical performers. Jones's John Ramsay is a frail character, very similar to Gaylord Ravenal in Showboat who Jones also played.

As for Mary Martin, it's a mystery why she never had a good Hollywood career. She did films with Bing Crosby and Dick Powell as well as this one. She performed well, but movie audiences didn't take to her. The best musical moment in the film is Jones and Martin in a duet of Thine Alone. The recordings I have of the song are individual and it was written as a duet. There's also a pleasant scene with Jones and Martin riding bicycles swapping Herbert songs as they ride.

The real Victor Herbert with his womanizing and his Irish patriot background and his musical training in Germany where he developed a love for all things German would have been a fascinating study. He was also a cello virtuoso before he turned full time to composing. I have to take strong exception to the reviewer who said Cuddles Sakall would have been a good Victor Herbert. Sakall as Irish, HELLO.

Nice movie, but the real Vic would have been so much better.

This isn't a story about Victor Herbert - it's a romance between two musical-comedy with Herbert's music and character as strong supporting players. The story is ok, but nothing outstanding - sort of a take on "A Star Is Born": she's a rising star he's big but on his way down. Pride takes the place in this where in STAR it's alcohol. Like I said, pleasant enough and the vocals are very good - my throat hurt at the end of the film from straining to music. Looking at his filmography - doesn't look like Andrew L Stone had much luck with biographies about composers: SONG OF NORWAY and THE GREAT WALTZ (remake). Primary reason to watch for me: one of the few and, actually, the third film role of Mary Martin - that was a treat.

Andrew L. Stone indulges his taste for musicals based on mildly outdated composers with this one. Walter Connolly plays the composer as half warm-hearted artist, half daring businessman. The story, though, is show biz all the way, as aspiring singer Mary Martin -- in her first speaking role in the movies -- marries matinee idol Allan Jones, despite the insistence of his manager, Jerome Cowan, that lady theater-goers won't yearn for a married man. He turns out to be right, and Jones' career goes into the tank as Miss Martin's explodes.... and then she quits the theater so he won't feel bad. It doesn't work.

Miss Martin is rather repressed for anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing her on the stage, and Jones was a good singer who looked good, and little more. It's carried by Connolly, who is around mostly to introduce songs and kickstart the plot; as usual, whatever he's given to do, he does it entertainingly. He wouldn't be around to do it much longer. Five months after this movie was released, he had a fatal stroke and died at the age of 53.

This movie is one of my mothers favorites, a story not of the life of Victor Herbert but a fictionalized account of his impact on those who sang his works. Mary Martin shines and gives only a glimpse of the beautiful voice soon to be featured on Broadway. For those who doubt her range and depth of talent, her early work on Decca Records confirms the talent she possessed-how unfortunate for Hollywood that "The Great Victor Herbert" is one of the few times she was showcased in her proper element! The love story is a tearjerker with the old time happy ending engendered by the radiant Susanna Foster. I hope someday this movie is out on video so that future generations can see the talent only tapped in this movie!