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Rating: 
Summary: A pretty good show
Review: Although as a movie, this film is no great cinematic achievement, and as a biography is even worse, the film does boast a fine roster of production numbers and cameo appearances which save the picture and make it watchable. Based on the life of legendary composer Jerome Kern (Robert Walker, in an excellently executed performance), the film follows Kern's friendship with composer Jim Hessler (Van Heflin), first stage hits, marriage, and the first theatrical performance of Kern's legendary "Show Boat". Kern passed on shortly before the film's completion, and as a tribute to him, the cameo performers make the very best of Kern's classics: a very young Angela Lansbury is very fetching in a delightful Cockney number, "How D'Ya Like To Spoon With Me?" June Allyson is sweet and sunny with the Egyptian-set "Cleopatterer". But the cameo performance that steals the show is Judy Garland, as singer Marilyn Miller, particularly charming with "Look For The Silver Lining", dressed in dowdy clothes, washing dishes. (Look for Garland's big song-and-dance to Kern's "Who?"- Garland was four months pregnant!) Lena Horne is divine with "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man of Mine" and "Why Was I Born", Van Johnson and Lucille Bremer do a great song-and-dance duet to "I Won't Dance", Dinah Shore is charming with "The Last Time I Saw Paris", and to top it all off, Frank Sinatra performs a great big bessello "Ol' Man River" at film's end. A wonderful film, if nothing else, for its outstanding production numbers.
Rating:
Summary: Colorful and musical.
Review: I own both a VHS and a DVD copy of this film, and oddly enough, the VHS tape yields a much clearer, more colorful picture! Go figure. The film is a wonderful study, not of a biography proper (it's often reported that the script was highly fictionalized), but of a top-flight execution of a musical. And if you're any kind of musical afficionado (and over 30), you'll enjoy the innovative ways this film stuffs so many stars into one motion picture- from Judy Garland as real-life Kern star Marilyn Miller, to the various stage pieces featuring Angela Lansbury, Ray McDonald, June Allyson, Tony Martin, Kathryn Grayson, Lucille Bremer, Van Johnson, and a BRUNETTE Dinah Shore singing "The Last Time I Saw Paris." And five of the singers- Grayson, Martin, Virginia O'Brien, Lena Horne, and Caleb Peterson- are magnificent in a mini-production of "Show Boat." (Interesting sideline: though it is only a small cameo, the gorgeous Horne is obviously performing the role of the mulatto singer Julie- a role she hoped to play in the actual "Show Boat" film. She was even approached by Broadway producers to do a revival of the show, but MGM would not allow it. Her striking essay of "Can't Help Lovin' That Man-" in her own fair skin and piercingly beautiful eyes- makes one wonder what might've been.) Blink and you'll miss Gower Champion dancing with Cyd Charisse. Sneeze and you'll miss Esther Williams signing autographs.
Rating: 
Summary: Good musical with many Kern songs
Review: Overall, a very good biography of Jerome Kern that tracks his career as a songwriter. So-so script, talented cast, and great Kern music. A pregnant (it's hard to notice at first) Judy Garland is featured as a Broadway star who perform's Kern's songs. Also in the cast are Lucille Bremer, (Garland's older sister in "Meet Me In Saint Louis," her playing someone younger than Garland, Van Johnson, Van Heflin, June Allison, Angela Lansbury, Lena Horne, and Frank Sinatra (singing Ol' Man River).
Rating: 
Summary: GREAT BAWULS OF THUNDAH!!!!
Review: This poor stepchild of a movie ......saw it barely as an infant centuries ago and mama was not impressed by the length [got a bit of a whipping for staying out too late that time] ..... then years later in a 3rd world country in a musty little cinema with locals barely understanding what was going on - movie broke down a few times - gunshots from the projectionist's booth ..... [!]HOWEVER, this DVD print is DREADFUL [but it IS CHEAP] and upon occasion - somewhere towards the end in a non-crucial moment, the same happens ... we don't decode .... cheap stuff! CAN ONLY HOPR THAT SOMEONE RESTORES THIS ONE TO FULL DOLBY 5.1 and CLEANS UP THE NEGATIVE> WHY? Well, there's LENA HORNE as the doomed JULIE singing "Can't Help Loving dat Man of Mine" in "Showboat" [looking spectacular in Egyptian II a shade developed especially for her by Max Faxtor - alas in the full lenth Miss Ava Gardner inherited the skin tone from Factors]. However, this is just ONE of the reasons to get this DVD .....there's also Judy Garland, Angela Lansbury, Van Johnson, old blue eyes Frank, Cyd Charisse, Eather William and a truckload of stellar talent. It's a lavish production - very lavish - currently snubbed by this poor version - but destined to be resurrected in spelndor [please?] Footnote ...Whatever Happened to LUCILLE BREMER? She's a pivot character in this saga, looks and dances great - especially with Van Johnson [wow!] Pity - ah, but that's Hollywood.....
Rating:
Summary: just filling in the gaps and fixing to watch this soon
Review: [from the sleeve] "Star-studded musical biography of Jerome Kern with great song numbers featuring some of MGM's finest talent: Robert Walker, Judy Garland, Dinah Shore, Van Johnson, Lena Horne, Cyd Charisse, Frank Sinatra, Angela Lansbury, Tony Martin & June Allyson." 1946, Color, 135 minutes
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