How sad is this?

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Good concept, poorly executed.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

I am a great-niece of Marjorie Lawrence. It's a very sad fact that Marjorie is best known outside of Australia. However, she was recently honored as one of 100 Australian Entertainers of the Century. It's also a bit of a shame that this movie is a Hollywood producer's interpretation of an American publisher's version of my Great-Aunt's life. The real family story is actually much more interesting. Auntie Marj never smoked a cigarette in her life - but it seems everyone smoked in the movies of the 50s. My mother and my aunt attended the world premiere here in Melbourne. I remember meeting Auntie Marj as a child in the 70s.

I studied opera with Marjorie Lawrence in the 1970's and she was an incredible, vital, and exciting personality. She was larger than life and her presence dominated any gathering she attended.The movie captures many of her physical mannerisms. Her voice was most suited to the Wagnerian repertoire and the selection of the great Eileen Farrel to sing the more popular arias chosen for the film was an excellent one. However, Miss Lawrence was disappointed that her own voice wasn't used as had been agreed, which I understand resulted in a settlement in her favor.Her husband, Doctor King, was an great gentleman and devoted to her.Following the years depicted in the film, she became an educator at Southern Illinois University where she was very respected and loved.

Eleanor Parker is one of my favorite actresses from the '40s and '50s and does a marvelous job here, lip-synching to perfection various Wagnerian opera arias (as well as Puccini and Verdi). The storyline is somewhat similar to that of Jane Froman's career in that both were singers who, although paralyzed, continued with their singing careers and entertained servicemen as well. Glenn Ford lends solid support as the understanding, long-suffering husband who is always there when she needs his moral support. Roger Moore has a small role as her brother.Everything moves smoothly under Curtis Bernhardt's direction. The opera segments are beautifully staged and filmed (in gorgeous technicolor, of course). Parker demonstrates her acting skills to the fullest and Eileen Farrell does a superb job on the vocal dubbing.Well worth your time--inspirational and enjoyable even if you're not an opera lover. Filmed in wide screen technique, it loses something on video showings.

While only the over-60 crowd of opera lovers will remember Marjorie Lawrence, she was well known in opera circles in the 1930s and 40s. A remarkable Wagnerian soprano, her battle with polio and continuance of her career was greatly admired by many; her entertainment of service personnel during WWII was remarkable, considering her handicap. The movie is typical 1950s Hollywood treatment, but interestingly told. The operatic passages are sung by Eileen Farrell, a noted Wagnerian soprano of the time.