IMDb > Torch Song (1953)

Torch Song (1953) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

User Rating:
5.9/10   293 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 42% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Charles Walters
Writers:
John Michael Hayes (writer)
Jan Lustig (writer)
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Torch Song on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
1 October 1953 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Music | Romance more
Tagline:
Tough Baby - a wonderful love story with the star of "Sudden Fear" and for the FIRST TIME you'll see her in TECHNICOLOR!
Plot:
Jenny Stewart is a tough Broadway musical star who doesn't take criticism from anyone. Yet there is one individual... more | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. more
User Comments:
The best movie musical of all time more (28 total)

Cast

  (in credits order)

Joan Crawford ... Jenny Stewart
Michael Wilding ... Tye Graham
Gig Young ... Cliff Willard
Marjorie Rambeau ... Mrs. Stewart
Harry Morgan ... Joe Denner (as Henry Morgan)
Dorothy Patrick ... Martha
James Todd ... Philip Norton
Eugene Loring ... Gene, the Dance Director
Paul Guilfoyle ... Monty Rolfe
Benny Rubin ... Charles Maylor
Peter Chong ... Peter

Maidie Norman ... Anne
Nancy Gates ... Celia Stewart
Chris Warfield ... Chuck Peters
Rudy Render ... Singer at Party
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mary Benoit ... Woman in Audience (uncredited)
Steve Carruthers ... Man in Audience (uncredited)
Adolph Deutsch ... Conductor (uncredited)
Estelle Etterre ... Woman in Audience (uncredited)
Bess Flowers ... Woman at Rehearsal (uncredited)
Mimi Gibson ... Susie (uncredited)
Sam Harris ... Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Peggy King ... Cora (uncredited)
Mitchell Lewis ... Bill the Doorman (uncredited)
Joan Maloney ... Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Frank Mazzola ... Merle (uncredited)
Harold Miller ... Party Guest / Man at Rehearsal (uncredited)
Paul Power ... Man in Audience (uncredited)
John Rosser ... Chauffeur (uncredited)
Reginald Simpson ... Cab Driver (uncredited)
Gary Stewart ... Eddie (uncredited)
Charles Walters ... Ralph Ellis (uncredited)
Dick Winslow ... Party Guest (uncredited)
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Directed by
Charles Walters 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
John Michael Hayes  writer
Jan Lustig  writer
I.A.R. Wylie  story

Produced by
Henry Berman .... producer
Sidney Franklin .... producer (as Sidney Franklin Jr.)
Charles Schnee .... producer
 
Original Music by
Adolph Deutsch 
 
Cinematography by
Robert H. Planck 
 
Film Editing by
Albert Akst 
 
Art Direction by
E. Preston Ames 
Cedric Gibbons 
 
Set Decoration by
Jack D. Moore 
Edwin B. Willis 
 
Costume Design by
Helen Rose 
 
Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff .... hair stylist
William Tuttle .... makeup artist
 
Sound Department
Douglas Shearer .... recording supervisor
 
Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe .... special effects
 
Music Department
Walter Gross .... musician: piano
Fred Spielman .... composer: song "You Won't Forget Me" (as Fritz Spielmann)
India Adams .... singing voice: Joan Crawford (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Charles Walters .... choreographer
 

Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
90 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.75 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:
Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #16608) | Sweden:Btl
Company:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The music used for the opening dance sequence between Joan Crawford and Chuck Walters was recycled from the previous MGM film Royal Wedding (1951). It was Fred Astaire's dance music for "You're All the World to Me" (i.e., the "dancing-on-the-walls-and-ceiling" sequence). more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: In an old newspaper review, Ty rhapsodizes about Jenny's performance of the song "Tenderly" which he saw her perform on the night before he was shipped off to WWII (and subsequently blinded). In reality, that tune was not written until 1946, a year after war was over. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Jenny Stewart: Hold the record.
more
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in Vegas in Space (1991) more
Soundtrack:
You're All the World to Me more

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
10 out of 14 people found the following comment useful.
The best movie musical of all time, 27 April 2000
Author: Darwin Bell (dbell@best.com) from San Francisco

Ok, I'm only kidding but it has to be, at least, one of the funniest! Joan stars as Jennie Stewart and out of control ego maniacal Broadway star attempting a comeback (hmmm, life imitating art much?) Actually, it is too easy to dismiss this as Crawford playing herself here...I choose to believe that she is not and is playing a very specific Broadway type actress (think Helen Lawson from Valley of the Dolls). Anyway, this movie is chock full of garish colors (raven haired Joan, with blood red lips and a canary colored full length dressing gown that matches her curtains is a stupendous sight), wicked, campy dialogue and the infamous blackface "musical" number, "Two Faced Woman" add up to an hilarious and entertaining movie watching experience.

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