In 1940, Faye and Ameche were at their very peak, and Fonda was getting there. Why the team behind the camera wasn't in equal shape, is beyond me. The script depicts the life of Faye in random and mostly boring or over-romanticized episodes, which force both Faye and Fonda merely to gaze into the air longingly for most of this long, long picture. Ameche fares a bit better, at least he gets to die and thus bow out of this boredom gracefully. Everything screams out for Technicolor, but it never arrives.
Lillian Russell led an exciting, greedy, full life on both sides of the Atlantic. I never believe she came close to the wide eyed angel Alice Faye is on the screen. Another thing: Russell was a renowned lyric soprano, who sang for large audiences in opera houses. She sang a lot of Gilbert and Sullivan - but there's not a bar of G&S sang in the film. Edward Solomon composed about a dozen comic operas during his short life, and Lillian Russel starred in many of them both in the US and in London. Not a bar of Solomon's music is heard in the film. Instead we are smothered by two very typical 1940 sob ballads to represent his music. Even though Alice Faye wasn't a bright soprano but a husky contralto, these facts make the film musically very implausible.
Also, the events represented as facts are pure fiction or selective at best. Russell's first marriage to an elderly orchestra leader, the birth and death of her first daughter are totally omitted. So is her London career - we are left with the impression that she languished in London until Mr Gilbert took pity on her and let her do one number of Mr Solomon on Savoy stage. In fact she had several London hits starring in both G&S and Solomon's operas. Solomon didn't drop dead in their London apartment, but died of typhoid fever after their marriage had been annulled. Russell didn't even sing After the Ball over the long distance to the President, because this song hadn't been composed yet (she sang The Sabre Song by Offenbach).
The film is finally cut short as she realizes Fonda is the love of her life and falls into his arms. Russells later life is omitted, even though she became an honorary Sergeant during the WW I and president's special envoy to Europe after the war.
I can't help but think that this picture would have fared much better with, say, Deanna Durbin in the lead role. At least we would have heard some proper music. This must have been one of the weakest films for every star cast.
Lillian Russell led an exciting, greedy, full life on both sides of the Atlantic. I never believe she came close to the wide eyed angel Alice Faye is on the screen. Another thing: Russell was a renowned lyric soprano, who sang for large audiences in opera houses. She sang a lot of Gilbert and Sullivan - but there's not a bar of G&S sang in the film. Edward Solomon composed about a dozen comic operas during his short life, and Lillian Russel starred in many of them both in the US and in London. Not a bar of Solomon's music is heard in the film. Instead we are smothered by two very typical 1940 sob ballads to represent his music. Even though Alice Faye wasn't a bright soprano but a husky contralto, these facts make the film musically very implausible.
Also, the events represented as facts are pure fiction or selective at best. Russell's first marriage to an elderly orchestra leader, the birth and death of her first daughter are totally omitted. So is her London career - we are left with the impression that she languished in London until Mr Gilbert took pity on her and let her do one number of Mr Solomon on Savoy stage. In fact she had several London hits starring in both G&S and Solomon's operas. Solomon didn't drop dead in their London apartment, but died of typhoid fever after their marriage had been annulled. Russell didn't even sing After the Ball over the long distance to the President, because this song hadn't been composed yet (she sang The Sabre Song by Offenbach).
The film is finally cut short as she realizes Fonda is the love of her life and falls into his arms. Russells later life is omitted, even though she became an honorary Sergeant during the WW I and president's special envoy to Europe after the war.
I can't help but think that this picture would have fared much better with, say, Deanna Durbin in the lead role. At least we would have heard some proper music. This must have been one of the weakest films for every star cast.