With a Song in My Heart: The Jane Froman Story

Although she's little known today (at least to anyone under the age of, say, 70), singer Jane Froman was hot stuff in the 1930s and '40s, a classically trained chanteuse whose performances of tunes by Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin made her a winning star. Still, it's not likely that anyone would have adapted her life story to the silver screen had it not been for a 1943 plane crash (while en route to Europe for a USO tour) that nearly killed her and inspired a gritty comeback. All of this is detailed in 1952's With a Song in My Heart, a reasonably entertaining Hollywood musical directed by Walter Lang, which follows Froman (Susan Hayward) from her days as a Midwest ingénue up through her breakthrough in New York and Hollywood and later her protracted recovery from the serious injuries sustained in the crash (literally dozens of operations were required to save one of her legs, which Froman refused to have amputated; she would need crutches for the rest of her days). Clichés abound (even if true), including the requisite "I give up" scene that inspires ever-faithful nurse Clancy (Oscar-nominee Thelma Ritter) to tell Froman to stop feeling sorry for herself, and a surprisingly genteel romantic triangle involving her husband Don Ross (David Wayne) and the handsome pilot John Burn (Rory Calhoun), who was also hurt in the crash. The principal attraction here, however, is the Oscar-winning music, which occupies a good half of the film and features performances (most of them elaborate production numbers) of standards such as "Tea for Two," "Embraceable You," "That Old Feeling," "Blue Moon," and the title song. The singing is dubbed by Froman herself, who's good in a semi-operatic way (think Celine Dion with better material). DVD extras include a pair of featurettes (one on the film, the other on Froman's life), an audio reminiscence by an 89-year-old Burn, a restoration comparison, and poster and stills galleries. A strong optional purchase. (S. Graham)