I've Always Loved You
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Frank Borzage
Philip Dorn
Catherine Mcleod
William Carter
Mme. Maria Ouspenskaya
Felix Bressart
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
World-renowned pianist Leopold Goronoff goes to Philadelphia to judge auditions for a music scholarship and is pleased to meet Fredrich Hassman, a once great pianist who retired from a successful career in order to marry and teach. Despite the egotistical, chauvinistic Goronoff's assertion that marriage is irrelevant for a musician, Hassman introduces him to his daughter Myra, who is there for the audition. Goronoff is enchanted by Myra's loveliness and talent and later goes to the Hassman farm in Pennsylvania. Myra, dazzled by Goronoff's ability and arrogance, is thrilled when he then postpones a European concert tour to stay with them. As Goronoff tutors Myra, her infatuation with him deepens, much to the dismay of George Sampter, the farmhand who has loved Myra since they were children. After a month, Goronoff must leave to fulfill his concert schedule and he offers to take Myra along as his protegee. Myra is delighted to have the opportunity to see the world, and George encourages her while sadly bidding her farewell. In New York City, Goronoff introduces Myra to his autocratic grandmother, Mama Goronoff, who reprimands him for letting someone come between him and his music. Mama warms to Myra when she hears her play, however, and soon the little family, along with Goronoff's secretary, Nikolas Kavlun, is traveling throughout Europe. Tiring of Europe, Goronoff packs them off to South America, and there, Myra learns that her father has passed away. Despite her sadness, Myra continues to learn from Goronoff and also to shoo away his many girl friends, to whom he always promises marriage. After two years of training, Goronoff proclaims Myra ready for a concert of her own and they return to New York, where Myra is to play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 at Carnegie Hall. Goronoff conducts as Myra plays the piano, but her brilliant playing sparks his envy until the concerto becomes a battle between them. Myra is bewildered by Goronoff's overt anger and she leaves the stage in tears after he has proven his domination over her. Back at their hotel, Goronoff castigates Myra for what he perceives as her attempt to copy his style, then dismisses her. After Myra leaves, Mama tells Goronoff that he has made a mistake, and that his dismissal of Myra is an admission that she is the better musician. Myra returns to the Hassman farm, where her connection to Goronoff remains so strong that one evening, while he is playing a concert in New York, she plays the same piece at home. When Myra stops playing, Goronoff abruptly leaves the stage, then announces his retirement from performing. George refuses to allow Myra to mope and persuades her to marry him, even though he fears that she will always love Goronoff. As the years pass, George and Myra have a daughter named Georgette, whom they call Porgy, and Goronoff teaches piano. Six years after their parting, Goronoff finally realizes that he has loved Myra all along, but Mama, knowing that Myra is married, makes Goronoff promise not to go after her. Years later, Porgy, now a young adult, reveals to Myra that she has secretly been studying piano with Michael Severin, a former student of Goronoff. Severin wants Porgy to come with him to New York, where he will present her in her first concert at Carnegie Hall, and although Myra is overwhelmed with doubt, she allows Porgy to go. Just before Porgy's concert, George talks Myra into presenting her to Goronoff, who will give her an honest opinion of Porgy's talent. Determined to face her fears about her lingering love for Goronoff, Myra takes Porgy to see him, and he quickly realizes that Porgy, while talented, is not a great musician. Goronoff sends Porgy away and arrogantly tells Myra that he is still her master. Myra spurns Goronoff's attempt to kiss her, however, and that night, takes Porgy's place at the piano. Goronoff substitutes for Severin as conductor, and the former teacher and pupil recreate their earlier battle when they again play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2. Myra easily holds her own, and does not allow Goronoff to intimidate her. Moved by Myra's grace and talent, Goronoff finally admits to himself that he was wrong, and that "there is a woman in music." Before the music ends, Myra rushes offstage, where George is waiting, and declares that she has always loved him. George embraces his trembling, happy wife, and assures her that he has always known of her love for him.
Director
Frank Borzage
Cast
Philip Dorn
Catherine Mcleod
William Carter
Mme. Maria Ouspenskaya
Felix Bressart
Elizabeth Patterson
Vanessa Brown
Lewis Howard
Adele Mara
Gloria Donovan
Stephanie Bachelor
Cora Witherspoon
Fritz Feld
Artur Rubinstein
John Sheehan
Al Hill Sr.
Maurice Cass
Lillian Bronson
Mira Mckinney
Charles Coleman
Paulina Carter
Natalie Kosches
André Previn
Gordon Dumont
Edgar Caldwell
James R. Linn
James Kirkwood
Forbes Murray
Junius Matthews
Hector Sarno
Harry Depp
Crew
Gene Anderson
Johann Sebastian Bach
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Eleanor Behm
Frank Borzage
Lew Borzage
Johannes Brahms
Thomas A. Carman
Borden Chase
Frédéric Chopin
Earl Crain Sr.
Francisco Cugat
Nelson Falkenberg
Ernst Fegté
Tony Gaudio
Peggy Gray
Howard E. Johnson
Natalie Kalmus
Howard Lydecker
Theodore Lydecker
Bob Mark
John Mccarthy Jr.
Felix Mendelssohn
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sam Nelson
Lewis Physioc
Leonora Pierotti
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Gordon Schaefer
Walter Scharf
Franz Schubert
Murray Seldeen
John Stransky Jr.
Richard L. Van Enger
Heitor Villa-lobos
Richard Wagner
Jack Warren
Howard Wilson
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Concerto. In October 1945, Los Angeles Times reported that director-producer Frank Borzage and Republic decided to change the title from Concerto to I've Always Loved You because the majority of exhibitors polled "were afraid the public wouldn't know what 'concerto' means." Artur Rubinstein's onscreen credit reads, "Piano Recordings by Artur Rubinstein World's Greatest Pianist Featuring the Music of Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Wagner, Beethoven, Liszt, Mendolssohn Bach." Studio publicity does not list any compositions by Liszt in the production, however. An August 1945 Los Angeles Times news item reported that famed pianist Rubinstein would be paid $85,000 for playing the piano music heard in the film.
According to a March 28, 1945 Daily Variety news item, Republic purchased Borden Chase's short story for $100,000 upon the request of Borzage, thereby beating bids from two other studios. The news item reported that Chase's story, entitled "Concerto," was based on the career of his wife, concert pianist Lee Keith. A July 25, 1945 Hollywood Reporter news item noted that Adrian Booth, a "non-professional," was tested for one of the leading roles, but her appearance in the completed film is doubtful. On April 3, 1945, Daily Variety announced that thirteen-year-old piano prodigy Peggy Constance had been signed for the picture, which would mark her screen debut, but her appearance in the finished film has not been confirmed. Although Richard L. Van Enger receives sole onscreen credit as the film's editor, some Hollywood Reporter production charts list Murray Seldeen as the editor.
The picture, which had a two-million dollar budget according to a Hollywood Reporter news item, was the first Technicolor film produced by Republic and the first picture made by Borzage under his 1945 producer-director contract with the studio. Contemporary news items noted that Republic had intended to release the picture in February 1946 but could not do so because "crowded laboratory conditions at the Technicolor plant" delayed print availability. According to a November 9, 1945 Hollywood Reporter news item, Borzage intended to exhibit the film at "special showings to music organizations and societies around the country," including a "special performance...for some two hundred outstanding figures in the world of classical music at Carnegie Hall some time in February." A September 1945 Hollywood Reporter news item noted that Borzage also intended to send stars Catherine McLeod and William Carter on a twenty-eight-city promotional tour to introduce them to the press, exhibitors and audiences.
Although several contemporary sources referred to McLeod and Carter as "screen newcomers," they had both appeared previously in minor film roles. The picture marked the first screen appearance of André Previn, who plays one of the auditioning music students. Previn received his first onscreen credit, for playing piano solos, in the 1947 M-G-M production It Happened in Brooklyn. According to a Daily Variety news item, the farmhouse sequences were shot on location at the Rowland V. Lee Ranch in San Fernando Valley, CA. On November 4, 1946, McLeod starred with Joseph Cotten and Otto Kruger in the Lux Radio Theatre broadcast of the story.
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States 1997
Released in United States August 30, 1946
Released in United States Winter January 1, 1946
Released in United States 1997 (Shown in New York City (Walter Reade) as part of program "American Romantics: Frank Borzage and Margaret Sullavan" August 22 - September 16, 1997.)
Released in United States Winter January 1, 1946
Released in United States August 30, 1946
