Tonight, courtesy of Netflix, I watched the movie "With A Song In My Heart" with Susan Hayward. I first saw this movie when it was released in 1952 (in Cedartown) which would have made me just shy of 10 years old. Funny how things change.
I haven't seen it since then. My memories were almost exclusively of the plane crash, which took, I don't know, a few seconds perhaps, of the entire 2-hour movie. Why do I remember the seeming importance of staying in your assigned seat? Maybe because the person in Jane Froman's seat didn't survive the crash, whereas Jane did, having switched seats? My second memory is of not liking Jane Froman's singing voice and my overall impression was a negative one that I nevertheless could not forget over all these years. Strange how the impressions of a 10-year-old still hold sway. I'm glad I got past that to order and see this film.
Susan Hayward was my idol in those days. I wanted to BE her. I thought she was fabulous. I swooned over her, saw all of her movies. I was ten. My Uncle Ed laughed at me. I didn't care. If you were to ask me today, I'd tell you that if I could choose some Hollywood star for reincarnation, it would be Rita Hayworth. In those days, it was Susan.
Back to the movie. I really, thoroughly enjoyed it. I must say, it's a movie anyone could appreciate and its standings on Netflix reflect that. The story before and after the plane crash is wonderful. And, while Susan does a fabulous technical job of lip-synching to Jane Froman's voice, somehow that part just wasn't believable to me. Perhaps that's because Jane's singing voice and Susan's speaking voice are so very different. I loved the music (sorry, I was weaned on music of that era) but I have to admit, I still don't care for Jane's singing voice. Maybe the impressions of a 10-year-old are not that far off.
On the other hand, all that fuss and bother about a leg seems rather ridiculous in this day and age. Not that I'd be happy to lose one of mine, but still -- after 40 years or more of maimed soldiers who would no doubt be happy to have only lost one leg, it seems a bit fussy. I guess they didn't have the terrific prosthetics then that they have now.
Ahhhh -- Susan. She ended up marrying some dude from Warner Robins, Georgia and living out her life there. And frankly, for her beauty and elegance and all the rest of it -- I still wouldn't mind being reincarnated as Susan.
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