| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Ann Blyth | ... | ||
| Paul Newman | ... | ||
| Richard Carlson | ... |
Russell Wade
|
|
| Gene Evans | ... |
Whitey Krause
|
|
| Alan King | ... |
Benny Weaver
|
|
| Cara Williams | ... | ||
| Virginia Vincent | ... |
Sue
|
|
| Walter Woolf King | ... | ||
|
|
Dorothy Green | ... |
Mrs. Wade
|
| Edward Platt | ... |
Johnny Haggerty
|
|
|
|
Warren Douglas | ... |
Mark Hellinger
|
|
|
Sammy White | ... |
Himself
|
|
|
The De Castro Sisters | ... |
Singers
|
|
|
Jimmy McHugh | ... |
Himself
|
| Rudy Vallee | ... |
Himself
|
|
The 1920's and 30's career of singer Helen Morgan is followed from her early days singing outdoors in a carnival, through her speak-easy and chorus-girl days, to her stardom on Broadway in Ziegfeld's "Show Boat". Her involvement with Larry Maddux, a gin-runner and con-man, and Russell Wade, a prominent, married New York lawyer, and her decline thanks to these failed romances and alcohol are punctuated by performances of many of the songs she made famous. Written by Ron Kerrigan <[email protected]>
If for no other reason, the movie is memorable for the great vocals by Gogi Grant. It has its inconsistencies, such as Helen Morgan wears the same 5 inch stillettos throughout the movie. Were they even available in the 1930s? Go past that and this makes a great tearjerker, or a "rainy-day stay in the house and curl up on the couch" movie. Today, I'd say it would be reated PG-14.