With a Song in My Heart (film)
With a Song in My Heart | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Walter Lang |
Written by | Lamar Trotti |
Produced by | Lamar Trotti Darryl F. Zanuck (uncredited) |
Starring | Susan Hayward Rory Calhoun David Wayne Thelma Ritter Robert Wagner |
Cinematography | Leon Shamroy |
Edited by | J. Watson Webb Jr. |
Music by | Alfred Newman |
Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date | April 4, 1952 |
Running time | 117 min |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $3.25 million[1][2] |
With a Song in My Heart is a 1952 biographical film which tells the story of actress and singer Jane Froman, who was crippled by an airplane crash on February 22, 1943, when the Boeing 314 Pan American Clipper flying boat she was on suffered a crash landing in the Tagus River near Lisbon, Portugal. She entertained the troops in World War II despite having to walk with crutches. The film stars Susan Hayward, Rory Calhoun, David Wayne, Thelma Ritter, Robert Wagner, Helen Westcott and Una Merkel. Froman herself supplied Hayward's singing voice.
The film was written and produced by Lamar Trotti and directed by Walter Lang. The title song, "With a Song in My Heart", (Rodgers and Hart, 1929) became famous in the UK as the theme to the long-running BBC radio show, Family Favourites.
Plot[]
Jane Froman (Susan Hayward) is a humble staff singer at a Cincinnati radio station, but in no time she rises to the uppermost rungs of network radio fame. Jane gratefully marries her agent Don Ross (David Wayne), but soon both realize they're not truly in love. Jane's popularity soars, and she leaves on a European tour. When her plane crashes, she is partially crippled. Unable to walk without crutches, she nonetheless goes on to entertain U.S. troops during World War II.
Cast[]
- Susan Hayward as Jane Froman
- Rory Calhoun as John Burn
- David Wayne as Don Ross
- Thelma Ritter as Clancy
- Robert Wagner as GI Paratrooper
- Helen Westcott as Jennifer March
- Una Merkel as Sister Marie
- Richard Allan as Dancer / Tenor
- Max Showalter as Harry Guild
- Ed Oliver as Bandleader
Singing groups the Four Girl Friends, the Modernaires, the Melody Men, the Sklyarks, and the Starlighters appeared in the movie.[3]
Production[]
The rights to Jan Froman's life story were sought by a variety of production companies, including MGM, Warner Bros, Sam Goldwyn, 20th Century Fox, and Wald-Krasna (at RKO).[4] In September 1950 Fox announced that Lamar Trotti would write and produce The Jane Froman Story.[5][6] Froman says she decided to go with Fox after talking to Trotti even though MGM offered $25,000 more. She says the price paid was "mid six figures".[4]
In March 1951 Fox announced that the male leads would be played by David Wayne and Dale Robertson and that the film would be called I'll See You in My Dreams.[7] In April 1951 Jean Peters was announced as the star.[8] In May the lead went to Susan Hayward.[9]
The title was changed to You, the Night and the Music.[10] Rory Calhoun replaced Robertson in June.[11]
In July 1951 Robert Wagner was added to the cast.[12]
Joyce McKenzie was cast as the woman who took Froman's seat[13]
Froman acted as technical adviser, but refused to watch the sequence involving the airplane crash.[14]
Soundtrack recording[]
As per the times, the soundtrack album for With a Song in My Heart was a studio recording, and it initially included eight songs and a shorter version of the "American Medley" sung by Jane Froman, with a short orchestral introduction by George Greeley, who conducted the orchestra and chorus. The Capitol Records album was released in multiple formats: Capitol L-309 (LP), DDN-309 (4 record 78rpm-Box Set); KDF-309 (4 record 45rpm singles Box-Set); and FBF-309 (2 EP Box-set).[15] This album was the best-selling album of 1952 and spent 25 weeks at the top of the Billboard chart.[16] Jane Froman also released a single of the title song with Capitol Records.
Reception[]
The film was a box office success. Wagner's small role received a lot of acclaim, resulting in 3,000 fan letters a week arriving at the studio – this encouraged Fox to build him up as a star.[17]
Awards and honors[]
It won the Academy Award for Original Music Score and was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Susan Hayward), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Thelma Ritter), Best Costume Design, Color and Best Sound, Recording (Thomas T. Moulton).[18]
The film won the Golden Globe award for best picture in the musical or comedy category, and Susan Hayward won the Golden Globe award for leading actress in a musical or comedy.
The film is also recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
- 2006: AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers – Nominated[19]
Soundtrack songs from the film[]
Although the film won the Academy Award for the Best Original Score, there were a number of American standards represented. All except three songs featured the voice of Jane Froman; and were performed by Susan Hayward.[20]
- "Dixie" – 1859 song by Daniel Decatur Emmett
- "With a Song in My Heart" – Music by Richard Rodgers; lyrics by Lorenz Hart
- "Hoe That Corn" – Music by Max Showalter; lyrics by Jack Woodford (performed by Max Showalter and David Wayne)
- "That Old Feeling" – Music by Sammy Fain; lyrics by Lew Brown
- "I'm Through With Love" – Music by Fud Livingston & Matty Malneck; lyrics by Gus Kahn
- "Get Happy" – Music by Harold Arlen; lyrics by Ted Koehler
- "Jim's Toasty Peanuts" – Music and lyrics by Ken Darby
- "The Right Kind" – Music by Alfred Newman; lyrics by Don George & Charles Henderson
- "Montparnasse" – Music by Alfred Newman; lyrics by Eliot Daniel (Sung by David Wayne)
- "Blue Moon" – Music by Richard Rodgers; lyrics by Lorenz Hart
- "On the Gay White Way" – Music by Ralph Rainger; lyrics by Leo Robin
- "Home on the Range" – Music by Daniel E. Kelley; lyrics by Brewster M. Higley
- "Embraceable You" – Music by George Gershwin; lyrics by Ira Gershwin
- "Tea for Two" – Music by Vincent Youmans; lyrics by Irving Caesar
- "It's a Good Day" – Music and lyrics by Peggy Lee and Dave Barbour
- "They're Either Too Young or Too Old" – Music by Arthur Schwartz; lyrics by Frank Loesser
- "I'll Walk Alone" – Music by Jules Styne; lyrics by Sammy Cahn
Songs included in an "American Medley"
- "America the Beautiful" – Music by Samuel A. Ward; lyrics by Katharine Lee Bates
- "Wonderful Home Sweet Home" – Music and lyrics by Ken Darby
- "Give My Regards to Broadway" – Music and lyrics by George M. Cohan
- "Chicago" – Music and lyrics by Fred Fisher
- "California Here I Come" – Music by Joseph Mayer; lyrics by Al Jolson & Buddy G. DeSylva
- "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" – Music and lyrics by James A. Bland
- "Stein Song" (University of Maine)" – Music and lyrics by E.A. Fenstad & Lincoln Colcord
- "Back Home Again in Indiana" – Music by James F. Hanley; lyrics by Ballard MacDonald
- "Alabamy Bound" – Music by Ray Henderson; lyrics by Bud Green & Buddy G. DeSylva
- "Deep in the Heart of Texas" – Music by Don Swander; lyrics by June Hershey
References[]
- ^ Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History, Scarecrow Press, 1989 p224
- ^ 'Top Box-Office Hits of 1952', Variety, January 7, 1953
- ^ "With A Song In My Heart (1952)". TCM (Turner Classic Movies). Retrieved January 12, 2017.
- ^ a b A.H. WEILER (Oct 1, 1950). "BY WAY OF REPORT: THE CLUTCHING-HAND MURDEROUS-MOOD. SCHOOL OF MELODRAMA IS IN SESSION AGAIN ON LOCAL SCREENS". New York Times. p. 113.
- ^ Scheuer, Philip K. (Sep 18, 1950). "Korean 'Operation O' Rushed by RKO Studio; Jane Froman Storied". Los Angeles Times. p. B9.
- ^ "FOX TO FILM LIFE OF JANE FROMAN: Trotti Will Produce Picture Telling of Singer's Struggle After 1943 Plane Crash". New York Times. Sep 18, 1950. p. 19.
- ^ Hopper, Hedda (May 4, 1951). "David Wayne Gets Role in Movie Life Story of Singer Jane Froman: Looking at Hollywood...". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. a6.
- ^ "STUDIO BRIEFS". Los Angeles Times. Apr 25, 1951. p. A7.
- ^ "Drama: Beverly Tyler Lead With Audie Murphy". Los Angeles Timesc. May 3, 1951. p. A8.
- ^ Hopper, Hedda (May 23, 1951). "Thelma Ritter Goes Into Jane Froman Story: Looking at Hollywood". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. b4.
- ^ Hopper, Hedda (June 6, 1951). "Cummings to Revive 'Of Thee I Sing' on Stage: Looking at Hollywood". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. b5.
- ^ "Of Local Origin". New York Times. July 5, 1951. p. 21.
- ^ Schallert, Edwin (June 23, 1951). "Drama: Wechsler Will Produce 'Anne;' Heston and Wife Named Play Principals". Los Angeles Times. p. 9.
- ^ "Drama: Role in Metro's 'Jumbo' on O'Connor Schedule". Los Angeles Times. Aug 17, 1951. p. 16.
- ^ Capitol Album Discography
- ^ Allmusic.com
- ^ Hopper, Hedda (Jan 25, 1953). "Dad Relaxes, Lets Wagner Be a Star: Actor Forges Through Trifling Roles to Emerge Most Promising Juvenile". Los Angeles Times. p. D3.
- ^ "The 25th Academy Awards (1953) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-08-20.
- ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-08-14.
- ^ Soundtracks from Film, IMDb
External links[]
- English-language films
- 1952 films
- 1950s biographical drama films
- 1950s musical drama films
- 20th Century Fox films
- American films
- American biographical drama films
- American musical drama films
- American aviation films
- Best Musical or Comedy Picture Golden Globe winners
- Biographical films about singers
- Films scored by Alfred Newman
- Films directed by Walter Lang
- Films featuring a Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe winning performance
- Films that won the Best Original Score Academy Award
- Jukebox musical films
- Musical films based on actual events
- Films with screenplays by Lamar Trotti
- Cultural depictions of pop musicians
- Cultural depictions of American women
- 1952 drama films
- Photoplay Awards film of the year winners