The Great Victor Herbert

The Great Victor Herbert (1939)

MusicRomance

In his last film assignment, portly Walter Connolly fills the title role (in more ways than one) in The Great Victor Herbert. Very little of Herbert's life story is incorporated in the screenplay (a closing title actually apologizes for the film's paucity of cold hard facts); instead, the writers allow the famed composer's works to speak for themselves. In the tradition of one of his own operettas, Herbert spends most of his time patching up the shaky marriage between tenor John Ramsey (Allan Jones) and Louise Hall (Mary Martin). Many of Herbert's most famous compositions are well in evidence, including "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life", "March of the Toys" and "Kiss Me Again", the latter performed con brio by teenaged coloratura Susanna Foster. Evidently, the producers were able to secure the film rights for the Herbert songs, but not for the stage productions in which they appeared, which may explain such bizarre interpolations as having a song from Naughty Marietta.

Director: Andrew L. Stone
Writers: Robert Lively, Russel Crouse.

Casts

	Allan Jones as John Ramsey
	Mary Martin as Louise Hall
	Walter Connolly as Victor Herbert
	Lee Bowman as Dr. Richard Moore
	Susanna Foster as Peggy
	Judith Barrett as Marie Clark
	Jerome Cowan as Barney Harris
	John Garrick as Warner Bryant
	Pierre Watkin as Albert Martin
	Hal K. Dawson as George Faller
	Richard Tucker as Michael Brown
	Mary Currier as Mrs. Victor Herbert
	Emmett Vogan as Forbes
	James Finlayson as Lamplighter
	Sandra Lee Richards as Peggy - as a Young Girl

Crew