amygoodman-58719 I just watched this movie again the other day, after not having seen it since it came out in 1964. But I'm not sure if one of my favorite scenes in this movie ever happened! When Hank and Audrey go to meet Fred Rose in his Nashville office in 1946, he asks Hank to write a song about seeing an old love, and then takes Audrey out to coffee meanwhile. They return later, and Hank has come up with a few verses of "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You)" right to Rose's specification. I thought this was a great event, but according to some biographers from his band, Hank wrote that famous tune in the back of the touring car. He didn't record it until 1951, so I doubt he wrote it in 1946. In one online article about Rose and Williams, this event is said to be factual; but I suspect the author got it from this movie. - Am I wrong on this? - Of course, his last wife is absent from the film. His morphine addiction is missing. That, with his alcohol abuse, maybe was due to pain from a congenital missing disc in his back. And he died lying in the back seat of his car with a bottle of booze, having had a few morphine shots earlier, during a long drive. I don't imagine he did any singing in a roadside bar during that car trip. However, the beautiful scene at the end, with the audience singing to mourn him, did happen, I am happy to find out. So, as many reviewers here say, this film is apparently not accurate, but it is still a fun movie. Apparently, Hank's first wife, Audrey, wrangled with MGM for 10 years over the plot, delaying the movie.But I am looking forward to the Tom Hiddleston portrayal of Hank in "I Saw the Light", coming out in November 2015. I hope they get all the details of his all too short, gritty life right this time ! There's a clip on the web now.Like Janis Joplin, only the cool die young.

the_great If you are a songwriter or have ever written a song, you must marvel at the work of Hank Williams, and this movie shows us the magic of songwriting. Where do the greatest songs come from? And if we happen to write one, is it our responsibility to let the world hear it?Unlike so many other movies based on the lives of legendary musicians, this one is fun to watch (and not just listen). George Hamilton is great as Hank Williams, and it's his performance that saves the biopic from turning to a tiresome melodrama somewhere in the middle. You see, he doesn't seem to be all that serious even when the script calls him to be, and that my friend, however strange it may seem, is the key to success. So many biopics based on the stories of bitter ex wives and rivals suggest that our favorite artists never had a sense of humor.All the actors do a good job. Beautiful Susan Oliver plays a credible nag, and although the script doesn't put the blame on anyone (which is good), the performance allows us to question her motives from the get go.All the songs heard in this movie are classics. We hear two different versions of I saw the light, and the later one makes otherwise a sad ending the perfect ending.

bob wisener Anyone who believes this movie is a true depiction of Hank Williams' life must know nothing about the man's life or walked into the wrong movie. At age 10, after seeing this movie twice at my small town's theater, I almost had a fight with my best friend and next-door neighbor about the account of Williams' death, which anyone who knows the true story will find ludicrous. Meaning no disrespect to the actress or the person on this board who considers her a great actress, but Susan Oliver's on-screen appeal escapes detection. And asking George Hamilton to portray one of the most charismatic performers of the 20th Century is simply laughable. Red Buttons gives it the old college try and Arthur O'Connell is OK as Fred Rose. In the right hands, a film version of Hank Williams' life story might be compelling entertainment. This isn't it.

wdbhill Hank Williams was a very complex individual. Like all of us, he struggled with good and evil.The movie depicted a very simple man thrust into stardom. The sound track was done by a 14 year old Hank Williams Jr. The movie would have been much better if the songs of Hank Williams were included.I think the movie could be done better today with better actors. The story line could more true to the actual life of Hank Williams. Back in the 40's and 50's the life of a country singer was rough and rowdy.When this picture was made, Audrey Williams (Hank's wife) dictated every move. Trying to make Hank a legend. It wasn't necessary, he already was a legend. The movie was also used to launch a young Hank Williams Jr into the national spot light. None of this was necessary. Hank Williams Jr. has become a legend in his own right in spite of his mother trying to make him another Hank Williams.At any rate, if you are interested in Hank Williams this is a very good movie and deserves your viewing.I hope to see another movie made about the life of Hank Williams.