Overrated

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

It was 1952:the year of "Singing in the Rain", of "The Belle of New York", with Fred Astaire and Vera Ellen, of "Son of Paleface", of Betty Hutton's music fest in "Somebody Loves Me", and of another songfest in "With a Song in My Heart", in which Susan Hayward does her visual take on notable singer Jane Froman, while Jane does the vocals behind the camera. If you prefer a film with a maximum of musical numbers and a minimum of dialogue, this film, along with "Somebody Loves Me" should fill the bill. That's not to say there wasn't a story to go with the music. There was plenty of time in this film for both. The dialogue mainly relates to Jane's first 2 husbands(there was a 3rd):Don Ross(David Wayne) and John Burn(the handsome Roy Calhoun), and to the physical disabilities after barely surviving a plane crash while flying to entertain the troops in Europe, during WWII. The film begins and ends with a NYC newsman's ball honoring Jane as the most courageous participant. She sings the title song. Between is a flashback covering her singing career. Susan was an Academy award nominee for her portrayal, which included much well done lip synching. Another Academy award nominee was the memorable Thelma Ritter, as Jane's faithful nurse after her accident. Besides her wisecracking, she was notable for her earthy wisdom and intolerance of pessimism by Jane about the progress of her leg healing. Jane could have played herself, being only a decade older than Susan. Presumably, the impediment of her damaged legs, plus a marked tendency to stutter since her father vanished when she was a little girl, discouraged casting herself in the title role. Susan was an excellent stand in.I counted 27 songs that were sung. Would have been nice if there was more dancing and complex sets. With just a couple of exceptions, they were sung in the order given in the 'Soundtracks' of this website section. The last 10 songs listed, plus the unlisted "My Indiana Home" constitute the finale medley. This essentially functions as a salute to the American spirit and to a sampling of states and cities. It begins and ends with "America the Beautiful"... Near the beginning of the film, David Wayne and Max Showalter do a comical vaudevillian act to "Hoe that Corn". Some of the songs Susan/Jane sing include "Get Happy", "Blue Moon", "Embraceable You", "Tea for Two" "It's a Good Day", "They're either too Young or too Old", and "I'll Walk Alone". In addition, David Wayne plays and sings "Montpurnesse" while in Jane's hospital room.The dialogue strongly hints, but doesn't confirm, that Jane's first marriage is essentially finished, and that John Burn: the copilot who rescued her from the plane crash, would be the successor. Apparently, she wasn't actually too passionate about her first husband, and came to see John Burns as her real soul mate. Historically, this would last only a few years, before she found her 3rd husband.Available free at YouTube, in glorious Technicolor.

Musical biographies of famous composers and singers are a mixed bag. For singers, look at Al Jolson, then compare that with a film about Eddie Cantor. Grace Moore got a mixed bag, while dancer Marilyn Miller's silver lining was slightly invisible. Doris Day scored highly as roaring 20's sob sister Ruth Etting. Like Etting, for the story on Jane Froman, Hollywood got it right, creating a story where the heart is as big as the area Froman toured, entertaining the troops after her own serious accident almost destroyed her career.Susan Hayward struck gold for the role of the ambitious, but generally nice Jane Froman, rising to the top of radio simply just through her talent. Singing advertisements during the radio show commercials brought her to frequent guest star, then to recording star, and finally, appearing in films and on Broadway. Marriage to a nice guy (David Wayne) she probably doesn't love but still feels loyalty towards proves how decent she was. Then, war rolls around, and Jane is off to entertain the troops. Tragedy intervenes and after a difficult recovery period, she is back on her feet, sadly in crutches, and becomes the darling of the camp shows, deservedly winning their loyalty.Utilizing Froman's voice for the soundtrack, Hayward acts out each song as if she were singing it herself. She is radiant in a rousing "Get Happy!", opera-like in the elaborately staged title song, and a true star with "On the Gay White Way". Hiding her crutches, she entertains a group of soldiers (including a very handsome Robert Wagner) and later goes off to the camps where she once again encounters Wagner, now very different than the first time she saw him. When he asks her to sing "I Walk Alone", there is a profound irony to the sequence that will most likely drench you in tears.One of the major musical highlights of the film is a salute to the American spirit that goes all over the map. "Texas?", she shouts vigorously to one spirited soldier, "Never heard of it!". While Jane's body may be crippled, her spirit wasn't, and that's what makes this film exciting and totally memorable. She singles out the quiet soldier in the wheelchair who has followed her from camp to camp with the response to his request, "For you, anything." Hayward was known for tough girls hiding their hearts of gold, but in this film, her heart is on her sleeve, and it is obvious that Hayward took this part into her own heart as well. The very same year, Froman also recorded the Vivienne Segal songs for the revival cast album of "Pal Joey", and years later, there was a double C.D. of both this movie and that cast album that is a must buy if you can find it.Thelma Ritter has a major role as the nurse who is instrumental in helping Hayward recover, and one sequence has her standing up to the frustrated patient by letting her know in no uncertain terms will she put up with her self-pity. This is why during the 1950's, Ritter was nominated for an Oscar practically every year. Her own heart of gold was laced with truth, and that's what makes her special. Una Merkel is also memorable in a small role as a kindly nun who encounters Hayward and Ritter in the hospital and encourages her recovery through her singing. Helen Westcott has a profound smaller role as a woman Hayward encounters on her overseas plane ride, while funny man Max Showalter is amusing in his few scenes as Wayne's former vaudeville partner.There are so many wonderful moments in this all time fabulous musical that I could never list them all. This is a story that remains timely today, and with all of the old musicals being revised for Broadway, this would be a perfect story. Hayward would have another success as a real-life singer (Lillian Roth) in the profound "I'll Cry Tomorrow", but there, it was the tough Susan Hayward in control, not the softer, more vulnerable one. This is the one I prefer.

There is a very simple reason why they don't make movies like this now. As a matter of fact, there are at least two, equally valid, reasons. There are no heroes like Jane Froman and there are no actresses like Susan Hayward. I first saw this movie as a child and yesterday I watched it for perhaps the 20th time after reading a brand new biography of Jane Froman (Say It With Music). The story in the movie is close enough to the facts and the music, Jane Froman's music, was in fact the real thing. I bought two copies of the new DVD. One to play and to keep just in case because this one is a keeper. A truly wonderful movie. Uniquely wonderful.

I found this film both informative and entertaining. It is the story of the life and trials of Jane Froman. I'm surprised it has never been released on video. I was however under the impression that Jane Froman "dubbed" all of the vocals for the movie. Thanks to the previous comment stating Susan Hayward did her own singing. One interesting thing I heard (probably on a TV documentary or biography) was that this was the only movie of hers that Ms. Hayward allowed her children to see. No doubt that rule lasted only until they were "of age", if not, they missed some really great performances by this star. David Wayne, Rory Calhoun and Thelma Ritter also turned in sterling performances. Watch for a very early appearance by Robert Wagner.