Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Catangro After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Patience Watson One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

JohnHowardReid Producer: Martin Rackin. Copyright 1957 by Warner Brothers Pictures Corporation. New York opening at the Astor 2 October 1957. U.S. release date: September 1957. U.K. release: 29 December 1957. Australian release: 12 June 1958. U.S. and Australian running time: 118 minutes. U.K. length: 8,914 feet (99 minutes). U.K. release title: BOTH ENDS OF THE CANDLE. SYNOPSIS: Singer takes to drink.NOTES: Warner Bros purchased the rights to Helen Morgan's story from her estate in 1942 — a year after her death. The title role was initially offered to Susan Hayward — to capitalize on her success in "I'll Cry Tomorrow" — but she turned it down. COMMENT: Despite its simple, melodramatic, "Love Me Or Leave Me" triangle framework, "The Helen Morgan Story" is not only unwound at a wonderful pace, but given such breadth that it introduces a whole host of interesting support characters and diverting scenes. True, Ann Blyth is not much of an actress. She never was. But it still comes as something of a shock to see such a poor performance here, considering that she responded so effectively to Curtiz's direction in "Mildred Pierce". Not only does she give little indication of Morgan's personality and charisma, she doesn't even look like her. Fortunately, all her singing chores are entrusted to Gogi Grant, a splendid vocalist who really gives the old Morgan standards a great run. The many welcome musical interludes are, for the most, simply staged, but marvelously effective. And what a great score! In the Cagney role, Paul Newman gives a smashing, hard-edged performance — right up to his last-minute change of heart (which is the least believable plot twist of all the unbelievable episodes the writers have managed to dream up). In fact, Newman's powerful portrayal of the embittered gangster ("I got a chest full of medals") brings what could have been a conventional, clichéd character to vibrant life. Newman projects a magnetism that makes both his portrait and Morgan's reaction to him utterly believable. (Compare Omar Sharif's tepid and lackluster interpretation of a similar nemesis in "Funny Girl"). By contrast, co-star Richard Carlson is weak as water (as usual), but Cara Williams — more attractively gowned and photographed than Blyth herself — and Alan King head an energetic and highly ingratiating support cast. Alas, Rudy Vallee appears only briefly (but enjoyably). In addition to numerous other incredible liberties that the script takes with Morgan's "life", insult is added to injury when no mention whatever is made of the star's Hollywood fling in such films as "Applause", "Roadhouse Nights", "Sweet Music", "Go Into Your Dance" and "Show Boat". In fact the "story" ends with a spurious, happy re- union stolen from "The Joker Is Wild".But what does truth matter? When the songs, the lighting, the director's firm control and occasional inventiveness (Curtiz just loves to work with a mammoth budget), the crowd and street scenes are so marvelous. The number and variety of sets, their depth, the vast number of extras, Curtiz's tight CinemaScope compositions, all overwhelm us with a fabulous sense of period. Above all, Ted McCord's superb black-and-white cinematography (some of the outdoor, Depression shots have the look and texture of Steiglitz photographs) entrances the senses with its wondrous lighting. Always most attractive just to look at, "The Helen Morgan Story" is a terrific example of Hollywood craftsmanship at its best. It's a shame it wasn't appreciated for the gem it is at the time of its original release. Most critics homed in on the fictitious story line, dismissed Blyth's impersonation, and let it go at that. I say, never mind the flaws. Judge the movie as entertainment. Is the story interesting, is the acting engaging, are the songs and singers absolutely captivating? My answer is yes, yes, yes!

jjnxn-1 Mostly fictional, miscast biographical hogwash of hard luck songtress Morgan. Ann Blyth, in her last theatrical feature, was the wrong actress for the title role, many were considered she was probably the least suitable, so the film starts off with a major flaw from the get go. Judy Garland whose style especially when young was compared to Morgan's would have been ideal. Another shortcoming is that although Blyth was a singer whose voice was relatively close to the real Helen Morgan's she is dubbed by Gogi Grant, also a fine singer but completely different from Morgan in sound and technique. If they were going to dub her why not use Helen Morgan's voice? Curtiz direction is unremarkable here, a few of his more customary florid touches would have helped greatly. Paul Newman who was just starting out when this was made is adequate but missing that loutish air that is needed for the reptile he is playing either Kirk Douglas or Robert Ryan would have been more suitable. The real Morgan story is a compelling one so this comes off as a wasted opportunity.

bkoganbing After Doris Day scored a success with Ruth Etting in Love Me or Leave Me and Susan Hayward did well with both Jane Froman and Lillian Roth in With a Song In My Heart and I'll Cry Tomorrow, it was decided that chanteuses of the past were good box office. So Ann Blyth gave it her best effort in a whitewashed version of The Helen Morgan Story.Problem is that those other women had reasonably happy endings to their stories. Helen Morgan died in 1941, ready to make a comeback, but the years of booze, legal and illegal, took their toll on her body. She was only 41 years old, but packed a lot of hard living and heartache into her body and soul.I guess it was decided that the audiences wouldn't take to her real unhappy ending so an ending that was out of This Is Your Life was tacked on to this film. It ends roughly in the middle thirties.Although it's not mentioned at all in the story, Helen Morgan had a Hollywood career. She did an early sound film Applause, shot in New York while she was still on Broadway and introduced in that What Wouldn't I Do For That Man. That was one of her biggest hits and absent from this film. I guess Warner Brothers couldn't secure the rights.Of course her two best known shows were Showboat and Sweet Adeline. Irene Dunne played her role in the film adaption of Sweet Adeline, but we are fortunate to have Helen doing her original role of Julie in the 1937 Universal film of Showboat. It's where fans today can see and appreciate her best. She also has a number in Al Jolson's Go Into Your Dance and sings another of her hits, The Little Things You Used to Do. Now Warners had the rights to that one.The Helen Morgan presented here is a hard luck woman who had the misfortune to love and be loved by two wrong men for her. Bootlegger Paul Newman and married attorney Richard Carlson are the men in her life. Actually she did have two marriages, late in her life, and way after the action of this film takes place.Newman plays one of the first in a long line of cynical characters he breathed life into in his career. To paraphrase a current hit film, he just can't seem to quit Helen nor she him. And Richard Carlson just wants to have his cake and eat it to, wife and kiddies at home and a tootsie on the side, many in fact.Ann Blyth does a fine acting job. Why she wasn't allowed to use her own fine voice is a mystery since she actually sounds more like the real Helen Morgan than the dubbed Gogi Grant does. You'll see that for yourself in Showboat. Personally I'd have told Jack Warner to take the part and put it in an inconvenient place with that kind of arrangement.It's hardly the real Helen Morgan Story, but it's a grand excuse to hear some fabulous Tin Pan Alley tunes of an era never to return.

perfectbond Since I was born decades after this film was made and this film was made about the period of Helen Morgan's life decades before 1957, I wasn't sure I would be able to appreciate it as much as perhaps it deserved to be. Actually I found it to be somewhat timeless in its depiction of the eternal quest for fame and fortune and the pitfalls that occur along the way. Even in today's headlines we see talented performers who achieve fame and fortune only to stumble due to relationship difficulties, substance abuse and shady characters in their entourage. Although I am not familiar with the real Helen Morgan, Ann Blyth does a credible job in portraying how stardom doesn't always lead to happiness and Paul Newman is very good as an opportunist with a conscience.