Blossom Time (1934)
World-renowned tenor Richard Tauber features in a dramatisation of the life of Schubert, focusing on the composer's unrequited love for a dance master's daughter.
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Too much of everything
Excellent but underrated film
I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.
an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.
For some reason,particularly in the thirties films featuring classical music were produced in some number.Often starring classical singers who would have very brief film careers.In America there was Lily Pons,Grace Moore and Laurence Tibbett.In the UK there was Richard Tauber.He had a fine voice which probably took the audiences mind off his rather chubby appearance.Watching films of this sub genre if you are not into classical music can be rather hard going.You could say of Tauber singing he is a star,acting he is not.Having said that he is better in both departments than say Nelson Eddy.The plot was pure stooge and the film moved at a snail's pace.
The movie is highly recommendable for those who like classical music, especially Schubert art songs. It should rank among the better movie biographies which were in vogue in the 30's to the 50's. The clichés and historical inaccuracies were kept to a minimum, and we get a large dose of glorious music.Although I consider myself an opera fan, I had never actually heard the tenor Richard Tauber, who plays Schubert, before seeing the movie. Not only does he have a fine voice, but he is a charming actor and somehow, he does look like the historical Franz Schubert, or at least that is how they made him up in this film.I do not know the original Sigmond Romberg music of the musical, but how can you go wrong with using authentic Schubert music?Once again, highly worth seeing for classical music lovers, or those movie fans curious to see pre-World War II film musicals based on real characters.