Boy did he stink up the screen. He had absolutely no chemistry with Eleanor Parker and it was like he was actively disliking her on screen. He sneered through the entire movie; it was his only facial expression. It seemed as if he was jealous of Ms. Parker's centerpiece role (and no, not acting as a husband who's light was being dimmed).
I'm inclined to agree. He was a great actor and his classic persona works well in many of his movies (e.g., Ransom, The Fastest Gun Alive), but in this movie it seems out of place, almost a perversion. I think they could have found a more sympathetic actor for the part.
The other sorry aspect of this movie, which isn't visible in the production, was the altercation around the singing part (Eileen Farrell ghost-singing for Eleanor Parker acting Marjorie Lawrence). There's an interesting article about this:
http://andtheniwatched.blogspot.com.au/2010/04/interrupted-melody-1955 _19.html
What an excellent and thoughtful article. I like how they laid out the three players before they told the tale. It's a shame that Ms. Lawrence couldn't gracefully accept Eileen Farrell's magnanimous and gracious gesture.
Still, Glenn Ford aside, it was a wonderful movie and Eleanor Parker's portrayal of Ms. Lawrence was rightly nominated for an Academy Award. Although I liked Anna Magnani in The Rose Tattoo, I believe Eleanor Parker's performance to be superior.