Song of Norway (1970)
65KSong of Norway: Directed by Andrew L. Stone. With Toralv Maurstad, Florence Henderson, Christina Schollin, Frank Porretta. Based on the life of Norway’s greatest composer Edvard Grieg, and filmed in Norway where he lived. The soundtrack is all Edvard Grieg’s music with added lyrics.
“SONG OF NORWAY is an unbearably dull musical pastiche of clichés heard in every musical ever made that purported to be the saga of a composeru0026#39;s struggles to find recognition for his music. Edvard Griegu0026#39;s struggles are so dull as to be non-stop in this awful compilation of Norwegian scenery by the truckload with no story to carry it.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt is notable that the man who plays Grieg, TORALV MAURSTAD, never did make another American film, so disastrous were the reviews and box-office for this dull saga. Note also that FLORENCE HENDERSON was not able to make another film in Hollywood but went directly to television and stayed there for a very successful run on u0026quot;The Brady Bunchu0026quot;. See the film and you will judge yourself why it was an abject failure. And donu0026#39;t be fooled by the presence of OSKAR HOMOLKA, EDWARD G. ROBINSON and ROBERT MORLEY in the cast. They have little or nothing to do.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMusic lovers may be enchanted by Griegu0026#39;s works, but not the way they are presented here. Nor is there any resemblance between the zestful SOUND OF MUSIC and its picturesque way of dealing with the Von Trapp Singers and this dull as dishwater musical that would work better as a travelogue of Norway with the plot excised.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSee it at your own risk.”