First, and foremost, if you are a classical music fan you will love this movie. The score was perfect for the somewhat lame story going on between Crawford and Garfield. Neither, in my opinion, quite pulled it off as to who they were supposed to be. He, a moody and temperamental musician and she a lonely and desperate wife. The movie is worth the time for every single scene where Oscar Levant was in, especially when he was playing the piano. And yes, that was him. And yes, those were Isaac Stern's fingers playing away. We never know who was doing the bowing, other than some other "famous" violinist, and those who play can tell when there were a few misses, but we ignore them. It's all worth it just to see Oscar and hear all that beautiful music and see real musicians playing (the orchestra). Anyway, Boray, played by Garfield, is a natural prodigy and he somehow gets the attention of Helen (Crawford) at a party. She likes to support the arts, and we're supposed to believe that she falls in love with him from the very beginning. Hard to tell really. He claims he loves her, but we all know what he loves is his music, and even the young lady, also a musician, who happens to love him too, realizes this. Now, that could be seen in her face. She knew that Boray could never belong to anyone. Then we have the ending scene, where, with the beautiful music of Wagner's classic Tristan and Isolde, Helen makes her final sacrifice so that Boray can go on doing what he is meant to do. The tagline said this was like a soap opera, a real tear-jerker, but the only time I shed a tear was remembering Isaac Stern. There was nothing in the movie to make one feel oh so awful and sorry for Helen, nor Boray.

I was astounded by the virtuoso performance on the violin by John Garfield. I truly believed he was a multi talented man. I looked up IMDb and found out that they were using two doubles to actually play the violin. I am even more amazed that the two actual violinists by his side each played the bow and the strings separately. The effect was perfect to the viewers. The pieces selected were also of the type that could easily appeal to those whose knowledge and experience with western classical music is limited. Bravo Isaac Stern for this music. I am reminded of Fiddler on the Roof which also had this great violinist give us the pleasure of his performance. Oscar Levant is of course a pianist also and it is he who turned out to be multi talented.

That sentiment sums up the frustration and disappointment of Joan Crawford about her love for and obsession with violin virtuoso John Garfield in an excellent film blessed with great acting and beautiful music. Crawford and Garfield are well-matched in this movie, as Crawford becomes Garfield's patron and gives his career a financial boost but becomes hopelessly drawn to her protégé as his concert career takes off. The two principals circle each other warily, sizing up the other and lashing out verbally with accusations of ingratitude and selfishness with Garfield holding fast to his dedication to his music while Crawford begins a slow but steady decline into drinking and depression. Garfield's tunnel vision concerning his instrument does not allow him to appreciate the love a young woman has for him, nor can he grasp his mother's sage counsel and warning about his involvement with a married woman. The film has generous servings of music by Sarasate, Dvorak, Lalo and a brief but excellent recital of Franz Waxman's adaptation of "Carmen".