My grandmother loved this movie, with its combination of music, Tyrone Power, big screen gloss and melodrama. Power looks good - it's weird to think he was only three years away from dying of a heart attack. Duchin's life is dramatically strong - plucky upstart, musician who climbs to top, rich wife who died tragically, he recovers and finds love again, then dies tragically himself.
This is done with taste, and skill. Power has worked his tail off to learn piano. He brings the charisma - sensitivity, handsomeness, etc. Novak looks great but isn't very good - she struggled when playing a nice person who wasn't needy and chronically insecure. James Whitmore has the thankless William Demarest role of exposition friend.
Aussies will get a kick out of Victoria Shaw as Duchin's second wife. She's meant to be British but the old Aussie accent sneaks in. She's quite good. Never had a big career, but had a decent one.
Beautiful wide screen shots of New York. Lovely tunes. Some effective scenes such as Novak on her death bed, Power playing on a piano in a bombed out area to a little kid who gives him a hug (hokey but there were such kids, whose family was probably wiped out, looking for happiness), Novak and Power in the rain in Central Park.
The finale where Power has to tell his son he's dying and they play the piano together is very powerful even if the kid isn't the best actor.
One of director George Sidney's best movies.
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