I have never seen TORCH SINGER until tonight and boy, was I missing something special!! This has to be one of the very best soap operas ever made with a fabulous performance by Claudette. Frankly, I would put it right up alongside Barbara Stanwyck's famous STELLA DALLAS as one of the classic films about a mother's love.
shareI agree. CC really shines. Ricardo Cortez (Jacob Krantz) has his best roll. A Must see. Thanks Netflix
my favorites are Harlow and Garbo. I guess I'm just an old fashion guy
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This was the first film I've seen in ages where I watched it again the next day, it was so good. I think it's Claudette's best pre-1934 film by far.
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This was the first film I've seen in ages where I watched it again the next day, it was so good. I think it's Claudette's best pre-1934 film by far.
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She has a playful and warm streak that counterbalances her va-va-va-voom-ness.
"I still can't decide which of the men was prettier: Ricardo Cortez as Tony Cummings or David Manners as Michael 'Mike' Gardner".
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Cortez was very good looking, but I've always found David Manners to be absolutely gorgeous and breathtaking. He and Randolph Scott -another stunner- looked so much alike.
Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop
Chiming in - fabulous film!
shareWhile I liked the movie in general, I think the role of "Mike" failed terribly. They gave him the most stupid lines (like when he and Sally met again:"Darling, listen to me. I love you a thousand times more than I ever did before! Does that mean anything to you?"). He saw her for two minutes and had to realize that she wasn't the nice chorus girl anymore and then that? Not very belivable for me. Besides, I think the ending wasn't very belivable either (but, of course, I loved the Happy End). Mike was able to find his daughter in a week or so and it was absolutely no problem to get her (wherever she was, probably living with another family already). Besides, little Sally was like an Angel and loved her Daddy. But well, what won't people do for a Happy End. :)
shareI have to agree about the tacked-on happy ending. Where was the child for all those years? Why is she so happy to be with this relative stranger called daddy?
share"I think the ending wasn't very belivable either (but, of course, I loved the Happy End). Mike was able to find his daughter in a week or so and it was absolutely no problem to get her (wherever she was, probably living with another family already)".
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I couldn't agree more. The ending prevents this movie from being a 10/10 for me. I wish it was different, or at least a bit more explanatory as to how he could find the little girl so soon and apparently without any problem.
Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop
Well the rich have their ways LOL! I'm sure it would be much easier for a man of influence to find the daughter than a woman who sang on the radio (which probably wouldn't have paid as much as the movie suggests).
Regarding the other poster's comments, I can totally believe a little girl that age would immediately bond to a father she never knew she had. Children desperately need parents and it's easy to imagine a girl who did not know she had a father being happily overwhelmed by the fact that she does.
Yes, I was thinking the same thing: money talks. Mike probably promised the boss nun, or her boss, a new hospital ward or something. Possibly the way these things work was even commonly understood in 1933 so there would be no need for explanation.
Excellent hidden gem of a film, a real cinderella story, which, as Vonnegut pointed out, is the most popular story type we have.
Another delightful film...love those costumes, too.
I hope there is a parallel universe with a music group called "Sand, Wind and Fire"
Hey Tom. I re-watched this great movie last night, and loved everything about it... except the ending. I mean, it was a nice, happy one, but it ended so soon and suddenly. I wish we were given at least a little explanation as to how the father could find the little girl so soon and take her home, given that the mother struggled really heard to find her and couldn't. I don't even complain regarding the way she found little Sally, through a radio show contest.
Anyway, I have to mention the brilliant performance by Claudette Colbert. She was simply fabulous all through the film. I first watched this movie about 4 years ago, and frankly, I forgot there were musical numbers in it! Absolutely loved her racy songs and dancing! She was incredibly versatile, equally magnificent either as a good girl or as a sassy one. And she wasn't dubbed, that voice is really hers, right?!
Also loved Lyda Roberti in this; too bad that she didn't have more screen time. (Was she the Swedish maid in Three Cornered Moon???). I have to research more on her, since she was great in this. She first brought tears to my eyes as the saddened widow, and then was impressed by her turn as a cheerful young mother.
I also forgot the gorgeous David Manners took part in this! Even though he had such a short screen time, he was always so nice to look at, and very underrated as an actor.
Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop
Oh Fran, this is easily one of my top ten Claudette movies and you know I love her as much as you do Bette! And yes that really is Claudette singing. She had a very nice if unusual singing voice. She also sings a bit in THE SMILING LIETENUANT which also stars one of your favorites Miriam Hopkins and someone we mutually loathe, Maurice Chevalier.
Lyda Roberti was also a singer, you might find some of her records on youtube. For years Columbia records had an album out called "Mae West, Ethel Merman, Lyda Roberti" which contained about four tracks by each of these ladies from the 1930's. I knew of her from that record way before I saw her in any movies. She died tragically young, in 1935 I believe.
Another great performance from Claudette and the film works well except for the ending.A bit of care and the film would have been a classic.
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