So This Is Love

Before rock ‘n’ roll and other lighter genres of music took over the pop-music mainstream, movies featuring opera singers (Caruso, Melba, Lawrence) could find a receptive audience. After all, for most of the ticket buying adults at that time this was their pop music and they would be familiar with the literatureRiding on this wave is the 1953 biopic about Grace Moore (1898-1947), starring the very capable Kathryn Grayson. From what’ve I read, Grayson’s portrayal is tepid compared to the real Moore, and parts of the movie are fictional. Regardless, this is a well-crafted film and a good representation of the period in which it was made. Filmed in Technicolor the movie is visually vibrant. The plot is well paced and the script hits all the main points up to 1927, when she accomplished her goal to perform at the Metropolitan Opera. The movie is well cast, and even those with small parts deliver their lines with aplomb. Special acknowledgment is due Kathryn Grayson. She was a great choice both for her resemblance to Moore and ability to sing.Overall, the move is entertaining. It’s not 100% accurate to Moore’s life, but it’s good reminder of her determination and accomplishments. Moore’s substantial successes came after the time frame used for this film. In 1947, while out of the country on tour she was to die in a plane crash. As entertaining as this movie was featuring the first half of her life, a sequel focusing on the second half could have been a major success.

If you like musicals this is the one to get!

SO THIS IS LOVE is really a semi-biography of Grace Moore, who was killed in a plane crash at the height of her career. It deals only with the earlier years of Miss Moore's life to show the determination and grace that led to her singing career, up until her New York City debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in "La Boheme."It gives KATHRYN GRAYSON a chance to sing a variety of songs in coloratura style, but since the story does not cover Miss Moore's Hollywood career at all, many of her most well-known songs had to be omitted. Instead, we get a sprinkling of a few opera numbers and many other pop standards, all of them suitable for Grayson's voice. She's in fine form vocally and delivers all of the songs with her customary charm and grace.MERV GRIFFIN, before his celebrity and TV fame, makes his second appearance in a movie as one of Miss Moore's admirers and gets to warble "I Kiss Your Hand Madame" while doing a nice job on the vocals. WALTER ABEL and ANN DORAN play Grayson's parents, not at all thrilled that she wants to leave her small town life for a fling at stardom in the big city.Grayson has a role that is tailor-made for her own background as a singer. DOUGLAS DICK is rather colorless as another disappointed suitor who can't compete with her operatic ambitions, but FORTUNIO BONANOVA is excellent as a sympathetic voice coach who makes sure that she takes proper care of her throat condition before returning to him for his coaching. The story simply ends at the point of her first great success as Mimi in "La Boheme" at the Met.Final verdict: Opera fans should enjoy this tribute to Miss Moore, and fans of Miss Grayson should appreciate the care taken to photograph her in beautiful close-ups while she takes aim at arias by Gounod and Puccini in good voice.

This is a film I first came across as a young boy, on Million Dollar Movie, where I could watch it repeatedly, for a week at a time. I fell in love with Kathryn's beautiful operatic voice, and although I don't know Grace Moore and never saw anything of her performances (which I'm told are available on video), I hope the film does her justice in portraying her determination to become an opera star.After only seeing the film on television, with time constraints and commercials, it was wonderful to see the film in its entiretly, in a beautiful print.My only criticism is how Kathryn is overly made up when she plays a high-school senior at graduation; she looks more like 30 with heavily made up eyes and lipstick. Supporting roles are all perfect, but not enough credit goes to Rosemary DeCamp as Grace's supportive aunt.The final scene at the Metropolitan Opera is where Kathryn really shines, performing as Mimi in La Boheme; it gives me goosebumps every time I hear her perform Mi Chiamano Mimi.I highly recommend this opera lovers, and Kathryn Grayson fans.

This is not Kathryn Grayson's best film, but it is worth it for her fans. (My favorite is "Two Sisters from Boston" -- which is not available streaming -- heads up, Amazon!) She sings well and is lovely to look at. It is also kind of cool to see a young Merv Griffin in a rare acting role.

So this is Love, which depicts the early career of Grace Moore, gives Kathryn Grayson an opportuity to demonstrate her skills for all types of music: arias, classics, showtunes, and popular. Her stunning beauty, glorious voice, and captivating charm in this and her many other films clearly established her as the reigning diva of Hollywoood's golden era. However, the script, as in most or Grayson's other movies, does not give her much of a chance to to use her considerable acting skills which she displayed with great success in her later TV, theater, and operatic performances. Overall, I give this film 4 stars but Grayson rates 5 stars! Putting this film on DVD was long overdue!

I loved Kathryn Grayson in the part of Grace Moore (I have some of her films and she was very good). This was based on Moore's autobiography and it is filled with a lot of very funny times in her life. Seeing Merv Griffin as a young man was an eye opener. The music is great and well performed. Walter Abel as the father was really great in his scenes. If you like music from the first part of the 20th century you will like this.

I have been looking for this movie for many years. I knew Kathryn Grayson was the singer but the movie name escaped me until I went through your list of movies on this singer. This has allowed me the option of looking up on past actors and actresses that I have grown up watching as a young child and also buying more movies of the past.

Wonderful,Kathryn Grayson and her soprano coleratora voice,as all her movies she is great,and as all the musicals at that time they are unforgetable and the sky is the limit.

Excellent,Enjoyed just as much as I did years ago and the quality of the DVD was very good I was also pleased with delivery time.

My mother especially liked this because we couldn't get from shops!

perfect

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