In fact, for me, a close second best to 1950's 'Three Little Words', which just gets the edge for having a little more energy pace-wise and never giving the impression that it should have been shorter.
Despite pretty much all of them being heavily fictionalised, with some like 'Till the Clouds Roll By' and 'Words and Music' really coming to life in the musical numbers and losing interest pretty significantly in the biographical sections, all of the 1940s-1950s composer musical biopics (titles being 'Till the Clouds Roll By', 'Rhapsody in Blue', 'Night and Day', 'Words and Music', 'Three Little Words' and this) are worth watching at least once.
Based on the life of operetta composer Sigmund Romberg, whose magnificent tunes often paired with librettos that could be silly and thin but with enough elegance and charm, 'Deep in My Heart' is very loose biographically but as a piece of entertainment in its own right it does excel. It is let down only really by the story dragging pretty badly in the middle section where there's less emphasis on song and more on biography, with the biographical sections despite being nicely written and excellently played lacking the momentum shown when the music/dancing takes centre stage. At over 2 hours, with parts dragging, it does feel like a long haul at times and did feel like it could have been 15-20 minutes shorter.
However, 'Deep in My Heart' is a beautiful-looking film, photographed with elegance and lavishly designed. Can't get enough of Jane Powell and Cyd Charisse's dresses either. The music is magnificent (more on the highlights later), with none of the singers and dancers not doing justice to it, while the script has some cute, witty and sometimes sophisticated humour and also some emotional moments like the very moving Carnegie Hall finale.
Jose Ferrer gives a bravura performance in the title role, essential for being the one holding everything together. He is very well supported by a lovely Merle Oberon and a fine Walter Pidgeon. Stanley Donen directs beautifully in the first and last thirds, if plodding a little in the middle act. The choreography in "It" and "One Alone" is on the same level as the music, electrifying in "It" and erotic in "One Alone".
There are many musical/performing highlights here. A big standout is the Cyd Charisse/James Mitchell dancing in "One Alone", sensuous doesn't describe it, while Ann Miller electrifies in "It" and Jane Powell and Vic Damone make hearts swoon in "Will You Remember". Helen Traubel also sounds great, and 'Deep in My Heart' offers rare and delightful chances of seeing Ferrer and real life wife Rosemary Clooney together in "Mr and Mrs" and brothers Fred and Gene (yes that Gene) Kelly in "I Love to Go Swimmin with Wimmen". Tony Martin sounds glorious in "Lover Come Back to Me" as does Howard Keel in "Your Land and My Land".
In conclusion, flawed but with so many wonderful things. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Despite pretty much all of them being heavily fictionalised, with some like 'Till the Clouds Roll By' and 'Words and Music' really coming to life in the musical numbers and losing interest pretty significantly in the biographical sections, all of the 1940s-1950s composer musical biopics (titles being 'Till the Clouds Roll By', 'Rhapsody in Blue', 'Night and Day', 'Words and Music', 'Three Little Words' and this) are worth watching at least once.
Based on the life of operetta composer Sigmund Romberg, whose magnificent tunes often paired with librettos that could be silly and thin but with enough elegance and charm, 'Deep in My Heart' is very loose biographically but as a piece of entertainment in its own right it does excel. It is let down only really by the story dragging pretty badly in the middle section where there's less emphasis on song and more on biography, with the biographical sections despite being nicely written and excellently played lacking the momentum shown when the music/dancing takes centre stage. At over 2 hours, with parts dragging, it does feel like a long haul at times and did feel like it could have been 15-20 minutes shorter.
However, 'Deep in My Heart' is a beautiful-looking film, photographed with elegance and lavishly designed. Can't get enough of Jane Powell and Cyd Charisse's dresses either. The music is magnificent (more on the highlights later), with none of the singers and dancers not doing justice to it, while the script has some cute, witty and sometimes sophisticated humour and also some emotional moments like the very moving Carnegie Hall finale.
Jose Ferrer gives a bravura performance in the title role, essential for being the one holding everything together. He is very well supported by a lovely Merle Oberon and a fine Walter Pidgeon. Stanley Donen directs beautifully in the first and last thirds, if plodding a little in the middle act. The choreography in "It" and "One Alone" is on the same level as the music, electrifying in "It" and erotic in "One Alone".
There are many musical/performing highlights here. A big standout is the Cyd Charisse/James Mitchell dancing in "One Alone", sensuous doesn't describe it, while Ann Miller electrifies in "It" and Jane Powell and Vic Damone make hearts swoon in "Will You Remember". Helen Traubel also sounds great, and 'Deep in My Heart' offers rare and delightful chances of seeing Ferrer and real life wife Rosemary Clooney together in "Mr and Mrs" and brothers Fred and Gene (yes that Gene) Kelly in "I Love to Go Swimmin with Wimmen". Tony Martin sounds glorious in "Lover Come Back to Me" as does Howard Keel in "Your Land and My Land".
In conclusion, flawed but with so many wonderful things. 8/10 Bethany Cox