“They Shall Have Music” (1939) is an odd but endearing
mixture of juvenile delinquency drama and classical music. It’s a Samuel
Goldwyn production and watching it, one can see the footprints of two 1937 films,
his own production of “Dead End” and Universal’s monster hit “100 Men and a
Girl.”
“Dead End” had been a huge hit for Goldwyn, and he was eager
to replicate its success. Ever since his
big budget musical smorgasbord “The Goldwyn Follies” (1938), Goldwyn had wanted
to put the violinist Jascha Heifetz, considered one of the century’s finest
musicians, in the movies, but couldn’t find the right project.
I’m just surmising here, but I wouldn’t be surprised if
Goldwyn examined the grosses of “100 Men and a Girl”, which deals with Deanna
Durbin and her ceaseless attempts to have Leopold Stokowski conduct an
orchestra of musicians put out of work by the Depression. What could work for
Stokowski could easily work for Heifetz.
Put Heifetz in a slum setting with underprivileged youth,
include lots of classical music and watch the profits roll in.
Alas, “They Shall Have Music” was roasted by the critics and
proved one of Goldwyn’s biggest bombs. It’s schmaltz, to be sure, but the music
is wonderful and like so many movies of the era, it moves along and there’s
lots of memorable sequences to make this well worth watching.
The film is centered on a music school for slum children,
run by Professor Lawson (Walter Brennan) and his daughter Ann (Andrea Leeds,
one year before her self-imposed retirement from films). The school is
constantly scraping for money, and is continually one step ahead of the
creditors, especially Mr. Flowers (Porter Hall, at his most obnoxious).
Frankie (Gene Reynolds) is basically a good kid who
discovers the power of music when he finds some discarded tickets to a Heifetz
concert. Thinking Heifetz is some sort of magician, instead he’s transfixed by the
sight and sound of Heifetz performing the “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso”
by Saint-Saens. For those of us who are film music fans, we get the added pleasure
of seeing Alfred Newman play the conductor in this piece, and he looks very
natty in his white-trousered conductor threads.
Frankie finds a violin in his basement and takes lesson at
the Lawson’s school. But the school is on the brink of foreclosure, and Frankie
hatches the idea of having Heifetz perform at the school’s concert. With the
determination of Deanna Durbin stalking Stokowski, Frankie, through a series of
adventures, attracts the attention of Heifetz to the concert.
Playing a similar idealistic role in “Dead End” Joel McCrea
is back as the love interest to Ann. I’m very fond of Joel McCrea, but this may
be one of his most colorless roles. He can’t do a thing with it, and it’s not
his fault.
Marjorie Main plays Frankie’s mom, and she’s a far different
mother than her shattering scene in “Dead End.” Frankie runs away from his
abusive father, but his mom is very supportive of her son.
Porter Hall is at his most despicable here, even more so
than shooting Gary Cooper’s Wild Bill Hickok in the back in “The Plainsman”
(1936). In “They Shall Have Music” Hall tries to take back the kid’s
instruments, even as they are onstage for the concert! He doesn’t even wait for
the concert to be over. The scenes leading up to the concert are very
entertaining, as the neighborhood mothers stand firm in front of the school’s
entrance, blocking the police and re-possessors from entering the building.
For Heifetz fans, the film is a joy. He gets five solos in
the film, and it’s a pleasure to watch a film like this with minimal cutting so
we can concentrate on the music. The finale finds him performing the final
movement of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto accompanied by the school
orchestra. Said orchestra members are played by The Pete Meremblum California
Junior Symphony Orchestra, a group made up of young musicians. I have a dim
memory of reading somewhere that, outside of his film duties, Alfred Newman was
one of the orchestra’s conductors, but I can’t find the citation in any of my
books. .
Heifetz was no stranger to Hollywood. An earlier Hollywood
connection was his 1928 marriage to actress Florence Vidor, ex-wife of the
director King Vidor. Later, on he would commission glorious violin concertos
from Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Miklos Rozsa.
Alfred Newman was nominated for his music director duties
here in the Best Score category. It was one of Newman’s four nominations that
year. His other nomination in the Best Score category was for “The Hunchback of
Notre Dame” and in the Best Original Score category he was nominated for “The
Rains Came” and “Wuthering
Heights.”
I think the Best Score category was for scores that were
adaptations of pre-existing music, but that doesn’t explain the nomination for
the Hunchback or Korngold’s nomination for “The Private Lives of Elizabeth and
Essex”, both of which are substantially original scores. To further muddy the
waters, Aaron Copland’s score for “Of Mice and Men” was nominated twice, once
in both categories. Strange are the ways of the Academy Awards. (Newman lost
that year to “Stagecoach” in the Best Score category).
I watched “They Shall Have Music” on a VHS tape, and with
the news that the Samuel Goldwyn film catalog will be released on DVD and Blu
Ray next year, this film may be one I would gladly update for. It’s corny, to
be sure, but its heart is in the right place and the music can’t be beat. Just
lower your expectations if you’re a Joel McCrea fan.
10 comments:
Kevin, Being a Joel McCrea fan, "They Shall Have Music" holds less appeal for me now than it did at the outset of reading your review. The film does sound interesting, though, and I thoroughly enjoyed your piece.
Kevin, I saw this movie some time ago, and you are so right -- it's a bit corny, but just the joy of seeing Heifetz is worth it! I think he was the greatest violinist of the 20th century, and it's wonderful to have movies that spotlight his work for those of us who never got to see him in person. I found clips of both the Saint-Saens and Mendelssohn pieces from the movie on Youtube -- actually, the whole movie is on there!
Thanks for reminding me of this chance to see Heifetz with your wondeful article.
Eve, McCrea is so good in his other Goldywn films, such as "These Three" and "Dead End", that its a shame his role in "They Shall Have Music" is so bland.
Becky, I keep forgetting there's so much material on You Tube. Thanks for the heads up.
"Porter Hall is at his most despicable here, even more so than shooting Gary Cooper’s Wild Bill Hickok in the back in 'The Plainsman'..." We're never going to forgive him for that, are we?
Loved your review, Kevin. I haven't seen this one, but corny or not, there are enough elements here that interest me. Maybe I can follow Becky's lead to YouTube.
Jacqueline, my brother came in the room while I was watching this and recognized Porter Hall from the first Thin Man movie. Me, I always think of him from "The Plainsman."
Kevin, very interesting review, especially since I knew nothing about Heifetz. That's a pretty impressive cast, when you consider all the now-familiar names.
Well-written review. It would be worth it to see Heifetz - Joel McCrea's unfortunate appearance notwithstanding. :)
Great review. You always find films I have not seen, and I count on you for that :) I need to see this just to watch Porter Hall being despicable once again!
The great thing about film is it captures both visually and aurally the great artists of the past and present. Those who admired Heifetz on the radio or records now have an idea about what he looked like when he was making his music.
Brian, in the Porter Hall of infamy, this movie is up there with his turn as Mr. Sawyer, the psychiatrist in "Miracle on 34th Street."
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