imzadi_deanna
Last night, I was surfing channels on foxtel (cable provider), where I came across a movie that was set in the Australian outback. AS this was not common for 1950's movies, I stayed to have a look for a while. This was at 10pm. I went to bed at 12am - due to how good this movie is! I recently was in a car accident that left me with spinal damage, and a friend of mine still in hospital. I want to tape it for her, as it taught me that no matter how hard it is, you can do it...so there, I am now empowered!Thanks
mjc-9
I was fortunate enough to be chosen as the stunt double for Eleanor Parker in this extraordinary film. I was in awe of her performance and cannot say how much I enjoyed working with her for several of her films. I thought the script was marvelous and did win an award I believe. Eleanor Parker is the true lady she portrayed in this once in a lifetime film. I never tire of seeing it - over and over again.
selwyn-2
I really enjoyed this movie, which I caught purely by chance. Although an opera lover all my life, and I belong to the relevant generation to have known her, I needed this film to jog my memory about Marjorie Lawrence. I was delighted and impressed with Eleanor Parker's performance: she brought to it what I should imagine must be something of the slight rambunctiousness of the Australian outback. But much more than that: in spite of a long career on the screen, from a personal standpoint I remember her best as Lenore in another favourite of mine "Scaramouche", where she played a lighthearted romantic opposite to Stewart Granger, and thus I remember her. To see her as the Diva was truly interesting and impressive. Using the phrase of another reviewer, she was totally believable. Her miming to the voice track was almost perfect and - as far as I could see - became a little ragged only once - during a rendering of "Softly Awakes My Heart" from "Samson & Delilah" by Camille Saint-Saens - and we're talking here about French, German and Italian libretti! Her body movements were also just a little exaggerated for an opera singer on stage: she tended to throw her arms about rather too much, and her "Madame Butterfly" suffered from this affliction. But on the whole (an overwhelming whole, I might add), I found this biopic completely heartwarming and totally enjoyable.
rondine
I was lucky enough to be channel surfing about 15 years ago when I saw a beautifully staged aria from Madama Butterfly on TV. Being an opera lover I stayed tuned to see what it was. It was the amazing story of Marjorie Lawerence- an opera singer who's career was "interrupted" by polio. The movie does follow her book very closely and the opera arias are just beautifully staged! They don't make movies like this anymore. Eleanor Parker does a masterful job on lipsynching to Eileen Farrell's tremendous singing! Parker does weird histronics occasionally like leaning backward on a high note, but it is still a remarkable job of lipsynching in 3 different languages. Eileen Farrell who plays a voice student in the beginning of the film actually does all the singing for the movie, uncredited as usual during that time. She does soprano roles, mezzo and sings in French, German and Italian and every aria is superb! Glenn Ford lends nice support as the husband who believes in his wife despite his idea of having her at home with children as opposed to a life of touring and singing in the kind of international career she has dreamed of and accomplished. Look for a very early appearance by Roger Moore as Marjorie's brother. This is a movie that can be enjoyed by anyone- the opera scenes are never too long and the major theme of the movie is the triumph of the human spirit.
AD
