Plot Details: This opinion reveals everything about the movie's plot.

I was lucky enough to be channel surfing about 15 years ago when I saw a beautifully staged aria from Madama Butterfly on TV. Being an opera lover I stayed tuned to see what it was. It was the amazing story of Marjorie Lawerence- an opera singer who's career was "interrupted" by polio.

Eleanor Parker plays Marjorie Lawerence, a farm girl from Australia with dreams of being a singer. She is recognized in a local competition which sends her to Paris. From there she gets a debut through her vocal teacher in the part of Musetta at the Monte Carlo opera house.
She is courted by many men, but falls head over heels with Tom King, played by Glenn Ford. He meets her at the hotel after her debut & shares her exuberance, a cab and quite a few kisses.
They lose track of each other as her career rises and he continues to work at building a practice as a doctor. They meet up after many years and despite a brother, played by very young Roger Moore, who wishes a more wealthy & famous suitor- they end up marrying.
He wants a wife and children and that is difficult with a truly international career. They compromise, but she has to take a South American tour without Tom, and there she contracts Polio.
She returns to the states & her husband, angry and wallowing in self pity. This movie is about her struggle against that. Forget the singing even- more importantly and more universally significant is the message of not giving up and not giving in to self pity.

The movie does follow her book very closely and the opera arias are just beautifully staged! They don't make movies like this anymore. Eleanor Parker does a masterful job on lipsynching to Eileen Farrell's tremendous singing! Parker does weird histrionics occasionally like leaning backward on a high note, but it is still a remarkable job of lipsynching in 3 different languages.
Eileen Farrell who plays a voice student in the beginning of the film actually does all the singing for the movie, uncredited as usual during that time. She does soprano roles, mezzo and sings in French, German and Italian and every aria is superb! Glenn Ford lends nice support as the husband who believes in his wife despite his idea of having her at home with children as opposed to a life of touring and singing.
This is a movie that can be enjoyed by anyone- the opera scenes are never too long and the major theme of the movie is the triumph of the human spirit.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS