Song of Love (1947 film)

Song of Love is a 1947 biopic starring Katharine Hepburn, Paul Henreid, Robert Walker, and Leo G. Carroll, directed by Clarence Brown and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The screenplay was co-authored by Ivan Tors, Irma von Cube, Allen Vincent, and Robert Ardrey, based on a play by Bernard Schubert and Mario Silva.

Song of Love
Directed byClarence Brown
Produced byClarence Brown
Screenplay byIvan Tors
Irma von Cube
Allen Vincent
Robert Ardrey
Based onSong of Love, the Life of Robert and Clara Schumann
play
by Bernard Schubert
Mario Silva
StarringKatharine Hepburn
Paul Henreid
Robert Walker
Music byRobert Schumann
Johannes Brahms
Franz Liszt
CinematographyHarry Stradling Sr.
Edited byRobert Kern
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • October 9, 1947 (1947-10-09)
Running time
119 min.
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2,696,000[1]
Box office$2,737,000[1]

Plot summary

Fictionalized romance set in the 19th century, focussing on musicians Clara Wieck Schumann (Katharine Hepburn), Robert Schumann (Paul Henreid) and Johannes Brahms (Robert Walker).

Clara takes a break from her thriving career as an acclaimed concert pianist to devote herself to her struggling composer husband Robert and their seven children. Johannes Brahms, Schumann's best student, takes a place in their home but falls in love with Clara and eventually realises he must move out.

Schumann works on his opera "Faust" but has no success with interesting producers in it. Unable to cope with disappointment and failure, Robert eventually has a breakdown while conducting a performance. He later dies in an asylum. Brahms proposes marriage to Clara but she rejects him saying she will always love Robert. She devotes the rest of her life to preserving his music and his memory.[2]

Cast

Production notes

Hepburn trained intensively with a pianist so that she could be filmed playing the piano.[3] When Henreid is playing piano, the hands of Ervin Nyiregyházi are seen.[4] The soundtrack for the picture was recorded by Arthur Rubinstein.[3]

Reception

The film earned $1,469,000 in the US and Canada and $1,268,000 elsewhere resulting in a loss of $1,091,000.[1]

Variety listed the film as earned $3.1 million in US rentals.[5]

References

  1. "The Eddie Mannix Ledger". Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study{{inconsistent citations}} Cite journal requires |journal= (help).
  2. http://www.allmovie.com/movie/song-of-love-v75821
  3. Chandler, Charlotte (2011). I Know Where I'm Going: Katharine Hepburn: A Personal Biography. Applause. p. 164.
  4. Bazanna, Kevin (2007). Lost Genius: The Curious and Tragic Story of an Extraordinary Musical Prodigy. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart; New York: Carroll & Graf; Cambridge: Da Capo Press. p. 205.
  5. "Top Grossers of 1947", Variety, 7 January 1948 p 63
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