It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

A musical biopic with an all-star cast, and if Johnson looked a bit goofy, there are scenes with Cyd Charisse and Esther Williams; Heflin plays the 2nd lead, doing what he can with his role as the arranger and repentant procrastinator. He has been well chosen to make scenes watchable, as his style had brio, and the script also allowed for some depth, if the word isn't too grand, or at least plausibility, to his character. The movie signifies also the dawn or the spring of a few careers, of players who were then in their blessed prime. People like A. Lansbury and Sinatra went on to great careers. The Sally Hessler's selfishness subplot stank of hypocrisy and paternalist judgmental meanness (also, Kern's submissiveness when depriving Sally of her tune, and acknowledging the absolute authority of the producer to cut as he likes). The storyline has the cautiousness of such biopics, with few anecdotes (the Hessler family, Frohman's demise, Herbert the dean, the courtship in the British countryside, Sally's subplot). If the sentiment was phony, it also defines this genre of tributes to Broadway, with their MGM insipidity. There is though a moment, when Jerry, after he had just visited the prodigal Sally, feels the grandeur of the river …. The tunes that I liked very much were those not sugary: 'Life Upon the Wicked Stage', 'Till the Clouds Roll By', 'She Didn't Say Yes' (Lyn and Lee Wilde), 'Ol' Man River' sung by Sinatra; 'Show Boat' seemed indeed the nicest of Kern's works.Mainly, enjoy the music. That's why this movie has been made for. 'Ol' Man River', from the legendary 'Show Boat', thrilled Whale, 10 yrs before this movie has been made. A musical movie isn't always an ambitious experiment in narration, often it's a musical show, which may require a narrative convention, and this, in its turn, however conventional, asks for craft, in order to be achieved. I find it puzzling how many reviewers, when dismissing the musicals for their pretended lack of a plot, seemed to ignore that these were mainly musical shows and that it was as unfair to complain about story as in the situation of an operetta, a revue or a variety. In our age, objecting seems a sign of cleverness.Who would care much if an operetta hasn't a plot, and who would care about the contemporary reviews, other than for historical research? Perhaps some deplored that the songs haven't been matched by plot, etc., that a better movie could of been made, yet this thought remains sour and unfair. Quibbles, indeed. As for Crowther, he used to dismiss many things, and I don't find him a dependable reviewer. Many of his disparaging takes are too whimsical.

This is an extravagant Hollywood production that uses the the story of Jerome Kern as a pretext for showcasing some of Hollywood's most glamorous stars of the early 1940s. Many of the stars in the movie are now virtually forgotten today. The movie contains brilliant song and dance numbers by Lucille Bremer, Virginia O'Brien, Ray MacDonald, June Allyson and Kathryn Grayson, well known and highly popular actors in 1945. Yet the movie has not aged well. It is like an expensive antique that when new was highly valued for its style and class but now is a curio piece that may attract some attention because it seems so odd. And this is sad because Jerome Kern deserves better. His music is not out of style; his music is as popular today as it was when he first performed. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the movie. The story itself is mostly fluff and takes a lot of liberties with the facts concerning Kern's life. Nevertheless, the movie does contain one strong dramatic scene involving Lucille Bremer and Judy Garland which gave both actresses a chance to demonstrate their acting skills. But in this movie that is the exception, not the rule.

This star-studded film begins with the words "....based on the life of Jerome Kern" appearing on the screen. "Based on" is a code phrase which, to Hollywood, means "...has VERY little to do with the life of..."! I've seen lots of based on films--and each one left me wanting to know the REAL life of the subject of the film! And, considering that Kern himself felt his life was too boring for a movie, MGM decided to 'spice it up' a bit.What this film really is, is not so much a biography of Kern but a cavalcade of MGM talent performing his songs with a very tenuous plot holding them all together. While folks back in 1946 might have loved this, I found the number of songs to be a bit overwhelming and it needed more story. In fact, though it looked nice, I think the film was dreadfully dull. I would have hated to have paid to see this in the theaters back in 1946. I only give it a score as high as 4 because the musical numbers, while unnecessary at times, were well done. If you do watch, pay attention to Frank Sinatra singing "Old Man River"--he totally botches it and he's so, so wrong for the song.

This is a flawed but underrated biopic on the life of musical genius Jerome Kern, who penned some of the best songs in the history of musicals.Although it is two and a quarter hours long, its length isn't the problem. For my liking, I found the story rather creaky and sometimes pedestrian, and while a lot of attention has gone into making the dancing, style and singing perfect, less is done perfecting the script, which felt a little underdeveloped. Also, while his final scene with Van Heflin was very touching, Robert Walker was a little bland in the title role.All that said though, there is a lot to enjoy, particularly the truly marvellous songs. "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "Ol' Man River", "Can't help lovin' dat man" and "How'd you like to spoon me?" really do stand out. The choreography is efficient and often dazzling, and the colourful sets and costumes are fabulous. With the exception of Walker, all the other performances were top-notch, though I do think everyone has done better. Van Heflin is great as James, Cyd Charise shows off her wonderful dancing(and legs) to perfection, Angela Lansbury is another definite highlight, and Judy Garland is a delight. Plus Dinah Shore is sublime in a rare treat. The real surprise though was Frank Sinatra, I know some have complained of "Ol' Man River" not being sung by a black person, like in Showboat, but Sinatra's crooning and spontaneous charm more than compensates in a knockout performance.All in all, has its flaws, but it is underrated and worth the look. 7.5/10 Bethany Cox