The Great Victor Herbert

Andrew L. Stone
1939-12-29

Hear 28 Victor Herbert Melodies
5
91 min

In his last film assignment, portly Walter Connolly fills the title role (in more ways than one) in The Great Victor Herbert. Very little of Herbert's life story is incorporated in the screenplay (a closing title actually apologizes for the film's paucity of cold hard facts); instead, the writers allow the famed composer's works to speak for themselves. In the tradition of one of his own operettas, Herbert spends most of his time patching up the shaky marriage between tenor John Ramsey (Allan Jones) and Louise Hall (Mary Martin). Many of Herbert's most famous compositions are well in evidence, including "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life", "March of the Toys" and "Kiss Me Again", the latter performed con brio by teenaged coloratura Susanna Foster. Evidently, the producers were able to secure the film rights for the Herbert songs, but not for the stage productions in which they appeared, which may explain such bizarre interpolations as having a song from Naughty Marietta.

Cast

Name Character Team
Allan Jones John Ramsey Unowned
Mary Martin Louise Hall Unowned
Walter Connolly Victor Herbert Unowned
Lee Bowman Dr. Richard Moore Unowned
Susanna Foster Peggy Unowned
Judith Barrett Marie Clark Unowned
Jerome Cowan Barney Harris Unowned
John Garrick Warner Bryant Unowned
Pierre Watkin Albert Martin Unowned
Hal K. Dawson George Faller Unowned
Richard Tucker Michael Brown Unowned
Mary Currier Mrs. Victor Herbert Unowned
Emmett Vogan Forbes Unowned
James Finlayson Lamplighter Unowned
Sandra Lee Richards Peggy - as a Young Girl Unowned