The Great Victor Herbert (1939) DVD-R

Starring Allan Jones, Mary Martin, Walter Connolly, Lee Bowman, Susanna
Foster
Directed by Andrew L. Stone

Print: black/white
Runtime: 91 min.
Genre: musical
Print Quality: B

In his last film assignment, portly Walter Connolly fills the title role (in
more ways than one) in The Great Victor Herbert. Very little of Herbert's
life story is incorporated in the screenplay (a closing title actually
apologizes for the film's paucity of cold hard facts); instead, the writers
allow the famed composer's works to speak for themselves. In the
tradition of one of his own operettas, Herbert spends most of his time
patching up the shaky marriage between tenor John Ramsey (Allan
Jones) and Louise Hall (Mary Martin). Many of Herbert's most famous
compositions are well in evidence, including "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life",
"March of the Toys" and "Kiss Me Again", the latter performed con brio by
teenaged coloratura Susanna Foster. Evidently, the producers were able
to secure the film rights for the Herbert songs, but not for the stage
productions in which they appeared, which may explain such bizarre
interpolations as having a song from Naughty Marietta, which takes place
in New Orleans, performed before a wintry Alpine backdrop!