Interrupted Melody - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia

Interrupted melody original 1955 trailer

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).

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Interrupted melody original theatrical trailer

Plot summary

Interrupted Melody Interrupted Melody 1955

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.

Cast

Interrupted Melody And Then I Watched INTERRUPTED MELODY 1955

Glenn Ford as Dr. Thomas King

Eleanor Parker as Marjorie Lawrence

Roger Moore as Cyril Lawrence

Cecil Kellaway as Bill Lawrence

Peter Leeds as Dr. Ed Ryson

Evelyn Ellis as Clara

Walter Baldwin as Jim Owens

Ann Codee as Mme. Gilly

Leopold Sachse as Himself

Stephen Bekassy as Comte Claude des Vignaux

Production

According to Eleanor Parker, the filmmakers could not use Marjorie Lawrence's 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."

Box Office

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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.

Awards

Interrupted Melody Interrupted Melody 1955 Curtis Bernhardt Glenn Ford Eleanor

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

Interrupted Melody INTERRUPTED MELODY One Sheet Movie Poster Glenn Ford Eleanor Parker

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. Walter Ducloux conducted the MGM Studio Symphony Orchestra. MGM published a selection of eleven numbers on an original motion picture soundtrack album.

"O don fatale" from Verdi's Don Carlos

Act 1 finale from Verdi's Il trovatore

"Un bel dì" from Puccini's Madama Butterfly

"Habanera" from Bizet's Carmen

"Seguidilla" from Carmen

"Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" from Saint-Saëns' Samson and Delilah

Brünnhilde's Immolation Scene from Wagner's Götterdämmerung

Excerpts from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde

"Annie Laurie" by Alicia Scott

"Over the Rainbow" by Harold Arlen

"Voi que sapete" from Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro

Medley: "Anchors Aweigh" by Charles A. Zimmermann; "Marines' Hymn", based on works by Jacques Offenbach; "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" by Sam H. Stept