Editorial Product Review:Amazon.com:This 1947 curio, saluting and partly filmed at the New York City cultural landmark, begins with a shot of the building's exterior. Except that the 'exterior' is a photograph with a dramatic yet distinctly ersatz night sky optically sutured above it. In short, Edgar G. Ulmer, the poet of Poverty Row, is up to his usual tricks--wresting dynamic imagery out of next-to-nothing, even if
Carnegie Hall represents a comparatively upscale endeavor in his expressionist/minimalist career.
The film boasts an epic running time of 136 minutes and about half an hour's worth of narrative. Silent-film actress Seena Owen is credited with the story, about an Irish immigrant (Marsha Hunt) whose mystical rapport with the Hall leads to her rise from cleaning woman to a kind of house-mother who helps musically talented kids go far. That's partly because her son (William Prince) has gone right out of her life, asserting a passion for 'modern music' (i.e., Vaughn Monroe's dance band) over the classics to which she is devoted. The latter are exuberantly performed or conducted by the likes of Fritz Reiner, Leopold Stokowski, Risë Stevens, Ezio Pinza, and--most memorably--Artur Rubinstein and Jascha Heifetz, who rate the most extended and visually bravura treatment.
It's easy to kid this as virtually a one-film glossary of camp. Yet its sincerity seems genuine, and Ulmer's resourcefulness at devising angles to exalt the bond between music and musician, performer and audience, is occasionally breathtaking. (Cinematographer and effects wizard Eugen Schüfftan was a key collaborator.) The black and white is lustrous in this digital transfer from the original 35mm nitrate negative.
--Richard T. Jameson
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Buyer Reviews
Average Buyer Rating:
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Great Music, Not Much of a Plot Though
Edgar Ulmer was the king of B-movie directors, and this one was definitely one of his best. The story, for those who don't know it, is about a lady named Nora (played by the brilliant and versatile Marsha Hunt) and her son Tony. Tony's father dies when he's an infant and Nora raises Tony to be a distinguished pianist. Tony chooses another musical path - that of more popular music, much to Nora's disdain. Nora, meanwhile, has developed a society at Carnegie Hall for promising young musicians to study classical music. Tony goes on the road but comes back to Carnegie Hall for a concert, and wins back his mother's approval. Marsha Hunt is my colleague - and at the time I'm writing this, she's 90 years old and still going very strong. She agrees that the story was quite corny but the music made it all worthwhile. She shared a brief scene with Heifetz, and she said that Heifetz was terribly nervous about the whole thing...except for when he was playing, of course. She also said that Heifetz played solos for her during the rehearsal time. This was not Heifetz's acting debut, though - he had a similar part in "They Shall Have Music" 10 years earlier. Still, for all of us "J.H." connoisseurs who know the man and his art and philosophy, seeing him acting in a film is a REAL treat.
The music is the blood of the film - the story is pretty secondary. Very cool to see Damrosch, Reiner, and Stokowski, AND the famed New York critic Olin Downes. One curiosity is the camera zooming in on various billboards for the Carnegie Hall concerts - there's a billboard there for Kreisler. Too bad that Kreisler was not part of the film, but by 1947, he wasn't performing much anymore and eventually he lost interest in violin playing.
An aside - this film didn't do well. Good though the music was, and pleasant though the story was, "Carnegie Hall" became a nightmare. It did far less well at the box office than was expected. But there were many other problems Heifetz, for one, received $10,000 for his appearance in the film and although he was not given first billing in the credits, he was included as one of the film's shareholders. Meaning, that if the film did well, he'd receive royalties for the rest of his life. The cost of production was around $250,000 (peanuts, even in those days.) The production company, Federal Films, Inc. didn't come close to breaking even and the budget was entirely of borrowed money, which the bank sued them to repay, despite the box office failure. As a result, all of those who had a share in the film were hounded by the bank. Ultimately, the money was not paid back in full; the bank sued and became the new owners of the film. Despite this, it is rather fitting that, over 60 years later, the magic of Carnegie is still very much there, and the music in this film attests to the greatness of "The Hall".
Customer Rating: 
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well worth it but the get a different version
The film is excellent for no other reason that it showcases some of the greats in Classical music during the period (1947) which are very difficult to find. The way these scenes are filmed is also exceptional. You clearly see the concentration and the blending of the musician with the music in a way that is seldom captured on film. You don't have to be a classical fan to appreciate it. I have seen several people greatly enjoy this film who do not particularly care for classical music, greatly enjoy this film. It is the skill and passion of the musicians that they appreciate.
Some have complained that the plot is poor and should be skipped. Yes, it is not a great script, but it does serve to break up the performances and to some degree it gives you the feeling of the care, dedication and the artistry of these musicians. If it had been just the performances it would have been a bit too much like a concert. Even though the script was not the best, it focused your attention on the passion of the music and the musicians. This set it above a mere concert film. However, it could have been a better film with a better script.
Unfortunately the Kino version is not the best. The transfer is sloppy, and the sound is of a poor quality. Additionally some of the musical numbers are cut. A complete version with high quality sound is available on this web site from a different studio.
Customer Rating: -
out of this world
Itis so wonderful,to see all the great artists in one movie,the music that will never leave the walls of carnegie hall,i wish there will be more such wonderful movies in the futer.
Customer Rating: -
The Music is Good
You would not watch this for the plot or the acting; hammy is the word which springs to mind. But the live performances of conductors, musicians and singers now long dead are priceless and will be treasured by all thise who buy this DVD.
