jjnxn-1
Lanza's last film is an enjoyable lightweight concoction with some lovely scenery and the star in glorious voice. The story is a bit hard to swallow but since his films were never the bedrock of reality this one is about par for the course. He performs many songs and as usual those are the strongest parts of the film since Mario was more of a personality than an actor but his part doesn't demand too much of him and he does fine with it. While Lanza sounds wonderful he's not looking his best, probably a result of his hard living ways which of course resulted in his passing shortly after the completion of this film. Someone who is a knockout is Zsa Zsa Gabor, her part is small but she perks up the picture every time she sweeps onto the screen beautifully dressed and oozing a sophistication that would be hard to find today.
glciii
For the First Time is a very beautiful movie worthy of a Lanza. We saw it when we were beginning to see the difference between the birds and the bees.¨For the first time, for the first time, I'm in love...¨ After that, all of us pre-teeners were trying to do a Lanza. Ít is extremely hard to find this kind of movie nowadays. The hundreds of million dollars needed to make a movie like this exceeds all our expectations, and the results often leave us frustrated, disgusted and disappointed. Maybe I'm down with Norman Desmond Syndrome, but I prefer the movies of the yesteryear, like this one. It is said that before one kicks the bucket, even if one is sick, one looks good. Eeriely, this is so with Mario Lanza. He gives his all here, and unsurprisingly so. After the decade of the fifties, gone forever is the Golden age of Hollywood when art is done for art's sake. Then came the Beatniks and the Hippies and the GenXers. Suddenly we are left with performers who challenge the lucidity of Ms. Anita Bryant and the Rev. Jerry Falwell. Our so-called movie moguls nowadays sadly lack the will to tap the likes of Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, José Carreras or Andreas Bocelli. O Sole Mio seems to belong to another dimension. Ubinam gentium sumus?
edwagreen
The voice of Mario Lanza carries this nicely done film. The plot is a good one as a unreliable opera star finds love with a deaf mute girl.Lanza was also a pretty good actor.Zsa Zsa Gabor is in this one as a countess. She looks young but when she speaks, you think it's sister Eva talking from the "Green Acres" television show.Lanza sings a variety of songs. His singing of the opera Othello is superb. I have to confess that I laughed when I saw a "dead" Desdemona besides him. The latter looked like a younger version of former Secretary of State Madeleine Allbright.Our deaf mute gains her hearing only to lose it again with fiancée Mario blaming himself. The plot becomes silly when Mario begins a bar-room brawl and then the patrons of the bar try to exonerate him in court.Sit back and listen to that beautiful golden voice of the late Lanza. What a talent was lost when he left us so unexpectedly.
Cathie Browne
He was really coming into his own in this film, it was released just before he died in 1959 at the tragically young age of 38, murdered (some say) by the Italian mafia, but most likely a heart attack, But anyway in this movie he could even sing a "calypso/rock n roll" in it with the "pineapple pickers" number, as well as his outstanding operatic music too, He was so truly good and believable in this his last movie, helped by a wonderful supporting cast including Kurt Kasner and Zsa Zsa Gabor that helped him with his role tremendously as Tony Costa, Mario was so handsome, a sexy man Yes, indeed Mario shines through this movie.His scene where he sings "Come Prima ("For the First Time") is a top moment indeed!, Aside from the movie's vocal strengths, what also helps save the film is the tender love story between Lanza and his delightful co-star, Johanna Von Koczian. Their flowering love for each other quickly though it develops, seems convincing and heartfelt, you believe they do love one another and without question...yes, Mario Lanza will live forever in this motion picture vehicle from the last year of the 1950's!
AD
