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The Great Victor Herbert
a.k.a: The Gay Days of Victor Herbert (UK)
Paramount Pictures
Released: December 29, 1939
Run Time: 91 minutes
Set in late 19th century, early 20th century, this film follows Victor Herbert during his peak but does not tell the story of his life. It rather tells a love story through his music. Overall, the storyline very much resembles that of “Show Boat.”
The film starts as the beginning of the end; it opens with the same scene that ends the movie. Peggy, the daughter of two operetta stars, John and Louise, is singing “To the Land of My Own Romance” on stage. John is also on stage singing the finale. When the show is over, Victor Herbert settles down with some friends at a party to celebrate Peggy’s opening. They ask him how and when he discovered her. He says he discovered her 14 years ago, and begins his story…
John Ramsey is the famous, male lead of Herbert’s operettas. Louise Hall, a young aspiring singer and a fan of Herbert’s music, stumbles upon a birthday celebration parade for Herbert that is led by John. He leads the orchestra and sings, “Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life,” while Louise begins to sing along. Once he hears her voice, John sweeps up to the orchestra, and they finish the song together. Then, convinced that Herbert will find a part for her, John rushes her away to the birthday party and makes Victor listen to their duet of “There Once Was an Owl.” Victor finds her voice promising, and offers to find her a part in the next show. Ambitious and confident as ever, John works to launch her career. John brings Louise to Herbert’s birthday party and she sings, “A Kiss in the Dark,” and at another party the sing a duet of “Thine Alone.” Soon after, they get married. Barney Harris, John’s manager, warns him that marrying and helping her will destroy his career. But, John’s pride won’t let him get in the way. Later, as they are taking a bicycle ride, John sings a bit of “I’m Falling in Love With Someone” to express his feelings for her. She joins in to sing a bit of “I Might Be Your Once in a While” and the two exchange in a short medley of other songs. Dr. Richard Moore, her friend, plays the man who doesn’t get the girl, but exists in the movie as her source of reassurance and moral support during hardships.
Louise becomes John’s new leading lady, and her career sky rockets. During one rehearsal, they sing “Wonderful Dreams/All For You” in a beautiful snow scene. But, everything doesn’t go quite so well; just as Barney predicted, Louise grows more famous and valuable to the theatre than John. He grows outraged when his wife receives top billing, and protests to Victor. Victor tries to calm him down and shows John what Louise demanded be done; she demanded that John be billed first. Embarrassed by his behavior, John apologizes and leaves. After that, Louise ends her singing career, believing that she must provide for her husband at home. Soon after, they have a baby girl named Peggy, delivered by Dr. Moore. The same day, John reads some un-flattering reviews about his performances. Victor comes to visit the baby, and asks John to sing a song he wrote for Peggy, “Bye, Bye Baby.” Still agitated from the reviews, John barely makes it through the song, and quietly sings the last verse, almost in tears. Louise sees the review in his hand, takes it from him to read, and the scene ends. Louise decides that in order to solve their problems, she and their daughter must leave for a while. She and the baby live in Sweden for a few years, while John’s career nose-dives to the point where he can no longer play leading roles. He sends Louise checks every month and writes, leading her to believe that he is still getting big parts.
When Victor visits her, he breaks the news and she hurries back to stand by John. Victor tries to help by offering John a small part. He manages to make John accept by telling him that nobody else could act out the part (when the truth is that everybody else turned down the part). John, assuming that he is doing Victor a favor, takes the part but only on the condition that Victor pays him the wages of a leading man. At rehearsals he sings “Someday.” Afterwards, Barney brings him his contract, and he learns that Victor is paying for half of his wages out of his own pocket. He storms out on stage to tell Victor that he will not accept charity, and walks out on the show. The family’s financial troubles worsen as John refuses all offers for small parts. At Christmas time, Dr. Moore brings them expensive gifts. John, on the other hand, had to sell his watch to be able to afford presents for Louise and Peggy (now in her teens). Humiliated, he packs his bags and leaves to sing in bit parts in Australia. He tells Louise that all he knows is that he must go. Louise tells him that she’s glad he’s leaving, after all the trouble he’s caused. Peggy resents him for hurting her mother all these years. She sends John out the door crying the words, “I hate you!” Of course, the story can’t end here; they will all regret later what they said and did to each other.
Left alone with Peggy, Louise returns to the stage after several years. During rehearsals, she is so nervous about John that she forgets her lines, even though she has played the part so many times before. Peggy, though, knows the whole part. She sings “Kiss Me Again” for Victor and the crew, and they marvel at her voice. The night of the show, Louise is sick, so Peggy plays the part. Just as the first act is about to end, John, who has returned, notices his daughter’s name on the theatre posters and walks in. Peggy is doing poorly out of her nervousness, and feels like she cannot go on. Sensing her trouble, John goes backstage. He sees Louise, and they hug, kiss, forgive, and promise to never leave each other again. Then, he switches places with an extra and goes onstage to help Peggy. From here begins the scene that began the movie. The song is, “To the Land of My Own Romance.” John sings the introduction, Peggy sees him, smiles, cries, and begins her part. She is so tearful that she has to stop. Almost unable to go on, John motions for her to try again. She starts over and finishes strong. As the sing the finale, Louise cries with joy to see her family reunited.
Credits
Director…Andrew L. Stone
Producer…Andrew L. Stone
Writers…Russel Crouse, Robert Lively, Andrew L. Stone
Costumes…Edith Head
Cinematography…Victor Milner
Original Music…Phil Boutelje, Arthur Lange
Film Editing…James Smith
Art Direction…Hans Dreier, Ernst Fegte
Choreographer…LeRoy Prinz
Assistant Director…Stanley Goldsmith
Cast
Judith Barrett…Marie Clark
Lee Bowman…Dr. Richard Moore
Walter Connolly…Victor Herbert
Jerome Cowan…Barney Harris
Mary Currier…Mrs. Victor Herbert
Hal K. Dawson…George Faller
James Finlayson…Lamplighter
Susanna Foster…Peggy
John Garrick…Warner Bryant
Allan Jones…John Ramsey
Mary Martin…Louise Hall
Richard Tucker…Michael Brown
Emmett Vogan…Forbes
Pierre Watkin…Albert Martin
Awards
1940
Nominated for Oscars in:
1) Best Cinematography, Black-and-White. Victor Milner
2) Best Music, Scoring. Phil Boutelje, Arthur Lange
3) Best Sound, Recording. Loren L. Ryder (Paramount SSD)
Soundtrack
• “To the Land of My Own Romance” (in opening scene, replayed at closing scene)
o Sung by Susanna Foster, Allan Jones
o Music: Victor Herbert
o Lyrics: Harry B. Smith
• “Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life”
o Sung by Allan Jones, Mary Martin
o Music: Victor Herbert
o Lyrics: Rida Johnson Young
• “There Once Was an Owl”
o Sung by Allan Jones, Mary Martin
o Music: Victor Herbert
o Lyrics: -
• “Thine Alone”
o Sung by Allan Jones, Mary Martin
o Music: Victor Herbert
o Lyrics: Henry Blossom
• “A Kiss in the Dark”
o Sung by Mary Martin
o Music: Victor Herbert
o Lyrics: B. G. De Sylva
• “I’m Falling in Love with Someone” (in a short medley)
o Sung by Allan Jones
o Music: Victor Herbert
o Lyrics: Rida Johnson Young
• “I Might Be Your Once in a While” (in a short medley)
o Sung by Mary Martin
o Music: Victor Herbert
o Lyrics: Harry B. Smith, Robert Smith
• “Wonderful Dreams” (in a short medley)
o Sung by Allan Jones, Mary Martin
o Music: Victor Herbert
o Lyrics: -
• “All For You” (in a short medley)
o Sung by Allan Jones, Mary Martin
o Music: Victor Herbert
o Lyrics: -
• “Bye, Bye Baby”
o Sung by Allan Jones
o Music: Victor Herbert
o Lyrics: -
• “Someday”
o Sung by Allan Jones
o Music: Victor Herbert
o Lyrics: WM Le Baron
• “Kiss Me Again”
o Sung by Susanna Foster
o Music: Victor Herbert
o Lyrics: Henry Blossom
Other credited songs:
Punchinello
Absinthe Frappe
Rose of the World
March of the Toys
Neopolitan Love Song
Al Fresco