Movie Monday Review: Interrupted Melody

Eleanor Parker and Glenn Ford

Interrupted Melody (1955)

Starring: Eleanor Parker, Glenn Ford, and Roger Moore.

Summary

Young Australian farm girl (Eleanor Parker) wants to sing opera. With a fantastic opera voice, Marjorie Lawrence wins a singing contest that will send her to Europe to learn professionally. Her family helps her go and she takes many lessons with a professional teacher. Soon, she is cast in her first part and is a success.

Upon finishing her opening night, she wants to celebrate. She calls back home to her family, wishing they could be there to help her celebrate. A young doctor, Tim King (Glenn Ford), overhears her conversation, and offers to take her out on the town to celebrate, because no one should celebrate alone. They have a wonderful time, becoming quite attached, and she is so grateful, but he must leave for America. They promise to meet again if she ever sings in New York.

Tim offers to take Marjorie out

Soon, she becomes world famous and soon, is singing in New York. Excited, Dr. King hurries to see her. Going to her apartment, where a huge party is occurring, he approaches her. She, however, does not recognize him right off. The doctor is disappointed and leaves, very downcast. Too late, she remembers who he is and calls for him to make a “house call”. He knows she’s not sick, but thinks she’s just feeling sorry for him. Nevertheless, they make up over the mishap and soon become close friends.

Congratulations to Marjorie

Marjorie’s brother comes from Australia and becomes her manager, booking her in the big time. She loves singing, but also is thinking she loves the young doctor. She wants to marry him, but he insists that they are worlds apart and that he must work on his practice. She begs him, and soon, they are married.

Marjorie’s brother is now her manager 

Making a promise to Tim not to travel on long tours with the opera company, an opportunity comes Marjorie’s way that she can’t turn down. She’s told by her brother and company manager that she must go. Finally, Tim agrees, and she goes, but has to be gone for five months. He is saddened and sees that what he thought was right…they weren’t meant for each other.

While she is away, she gets horribly sick, finally ending up paralyzed from her waist down. She has polio and her chances of walking again, mean extremely hard work and dedication. Tim hurries down to an inconsolable Marjorie.

Helping Marjorie heal

To her, life has little meaning. Tim takes her to climates that would be better for her health and tries to get her to work her muscles. But she has no spirit or will to do so. One day, Tim catches her trying to take her own life. He prays to God for help that life would get better, that there would be hope.

Praying that they could have hope

Soon, by working together, they find hope. An old friend of Tim’s asks Marjorie to come sing for wounded soldiers, many who can’t walk, like her. She agrees and soon finds a new purpose. Soon, after singing more and more, she works up the courage to sing again for the opera, and after several attempts, she does!

Marjorie sings an opera from a chair

Tim is now able to return to his practice, but is overjoyed that she is happy again and singing.

Review

A very interesting movie that shows you what tragedy can do to someone. Marjorie loses all hope during her illness and relies on her husband for everything. A lesson in how not to act in a situation like this. She becomes more of a burden by wishing she wasn’t a burden and always feeling sorry for herself. The dedication that Tim has to her is heartwarming, albeit sad for him.

After finding out Marjorie has polio 

Amazing to hear Eleanor Parker sing, as she practiced over and over to sound like the real Marjorie Lawrence.

Eleanor Parker with the real Dr. King and Marjorie Lawrence

Another good lesson from this film, is how Tim asks Marjorie to let him help her celebrate after her opening night. She is all alone and it would have been horrible to stay that way all night. The niceness of strangers to just help one celebrate!

Truly a passionate movie that describes how love works, in good times and in bad times. Very powerful to see how Marjorie gets a new purpose in life after her illness, to sing to wounded soldiers. Many of the soldiers are like her, and can’t walk again. This gives her a feeling of being needed, as she can relate to these men and give them hope!

Marjorie sings at the military hospital

Ellen Nolan

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