Interrupted Melody

Interrupted Melody

Original French poster
Directed by Curtis Bernhardt
Produced by Jack Cummings
Written by Marjorie Lawrence (autobiography)
Screenplay by Sonya Levien
William Ludwig
Based on Interrupted Melody 1949 autobiography[1]
Starring Glenn Ford
Eleanor Parker
Roger Moore
Cecil Kellaway
Music by Alexander Courage,
Adolph Deutsch
Cinematography Joseph Ruttenberg,
Paul Vogel
Edited by John D. Dunning
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates
  • March 25, 1955 (1955-03-25) (United States)
Running time
 106 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $2,367,000[2]
Box office $4,028,000[2][3]

Interrupted Melody is a 1955 biographical musical film in CinemaScope and Technicolor, which tells the story of Australian opera singer Marjorie Lawrence's struggle with polio. The film was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Curtis Bernhardt and produced by Jack Cummings from a screenplay by Marjorie Lawrence, Sonya Levien, and William Ludwig.

The operatic sequences were staged by Vladimir Rosing. The film stars Glenn Ford, Eleanor Parker, Roger Moore and Cecil Kellaway. The singing voice of Lawrence was provided by Eileen Farrell; Farrell also appears on screen as a student struggling to hit a high note in a scene with the singing teacher Mme. Gilly (Ann Codee).

Plot summary

The story traces Marjorie's (Eleanor Parker) long, hard road to the top, her success on two continents, and her turbulent marriage to American doctor Thomas King (Glenn Ford). While touring South America in 1941, Lawrence is stricken with polio, which not only abruptly ends her career but briefly robs her of the will to live.[4]

Cast

Production

According to Eleanor Parker, the filmmakers could not use Marjorie Lawrences voice because she had lost her upper register. The singing was done by Eileen Farrell, who plays a small part in the film. Glenn Ford would only appear in the film if he got top billing. Parker says "I wanted to do what was right for the picture so I said let him have the top billing. Glenn was a kind of a difficult man, but he was right for the picture and a very fine actor."[5]

Reception

Box Office

According to MGM records the film made $1,801,000 in the US and Canada and $2,227,000 overseas resulting in a profit of $101,000.[2]

Awards

It won the Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay, and was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Eleanor Parker) and Best Costume Design, Color for Helen Rose.

Musical tracks

Parker could read music and had a firm soprano voice with perfect pitch. She prepared for the singing aspect of her role by listening to the numbers for weeks and she sang them during the filming in full voice instead of just lip-synching.[6] Walter Ducloux conducted the MGM Studio Symphony Orchestra. MGM published a selection of eleven numbers on an original motion picture soundtrack album.

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lawrence-marjorie-florence-7115
  2. 1 2 3 The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  3. ↑ Domestic take see also "The Top Box-Office Hits of 1955", Variety Weekly, January 25, 1956.
  4. ↑ http://www.allmovie.com/movie/interrupted-melody-v96651
  5. ↑ "Eleanor Parker: Incognito, but Invincible" (PDF). Noir City Sentinel. Summer 2010.
  6. ↑ "Eleanor Parker: More Than Just the Sound of Music Baroness" by Richard Corliss, Time, December 20, 2013

External links

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