In this film's comment section, the one given by "theowinthrop" is particularly on the mark, and I would agree with all of its points. Being from Cincinnati, and attending four years in high school in Louisville, one of my roommates was from Bardstown, Kentucky, the locale of "My Old Kentucky Home," the state park of the same name, and "The Stephen Foster Story," one of the nation's largest outdoor (indoors if rain) dramas. This area is among America's most beautiful, and seeing it just magnifies the already giant irony of the fact that this locale, and others depicted by Foster's work, were from the pen of a man from Pittsburgh, who spent most of his time there, in Cincinnati and New York City - dying in abject poverty in the latter.Hollywood biopics about composers and musical personalities (e.g. Rodgers & Hart, Kern, Romberg, Duchin, Sousa, and a score of others) are among the most fictionalized genre in any medium. However, this one dwarfs them all. I read a brief review (I believe from Leonard Maltin) remarking that in this flick, every line of dialog seemed to spark a lyric and/or title for a new song.Jolson's inclusion is interesting to view, especially recalling that this was a time when his tremendous career had reached a point somewhat below its former level. The following years into the 1940's would see its subsequent rejuvenation, the filming of his two highly-popular biographical pictures (they may well run this one a close second for fictional aspects), and his rise to be voted top vocalist again (besting Crosby and Sinatra), only to have ill health overtake him.Seeing Ameche, who was to enjoy greater longevity than Jolson and many other contemporaries, along with Jolson, is a unique asset of this film. Enjoy this, along with the nostalgic period conveyed (and the sad history of callousness and lack of respect for those of color - both during the time of the story and filming), and the outstanding melodies which Mr. Foster created.

My mother took me to see this movie in 1939, when I was 6 years old, at the Sanders theater across from Prospect Park in Brooklyn. I liked the music, and still do, but have this memory of Stephen Foster killing himself with a straight razor. I remember the water in the wash pan next to him filling with blood. Heavy stuff for a six year old. I asked my Mom why he would do that and she said she didn't know. Of course, later in life I found out why.The music was great and the color very impressive for the time. Anyway, I always liked Don Ameche and remember seeing him sing and dance on Broadway in 1953 at the Winter Garden theater co-starring with Hildegarde Neff. I believe the show was Silk Stockings.

This is a slow moving not exactly true bio of Stephen Foster. However, I had to comment on it because I always like Don Ameche who plays Foster, and his daughter was played by Diane Fisher, who is the sister of a good friend of mine. Ameche does a good job, but it's Al Jolson, and his "Mammy" songs that steal the show. It seems Emmet Kelly, the famous clown, was in it, so I guess that is something to look for.

SWANEE RIVER (20th Century-Fox, 1939), directed by Sidney Lanfield, is the second adaptation on the life of American composer Stephen Collins Foster (1826-1864). An earlier version, titled HARMONY LANE (Mascot, 1935) starred Douglass Montgomery, and the third and last incarnation (to date) became I DREAM OF JEANNIE (Republic, 1952) with Bill Shirley as Foster. Having seen all three screen treatments at one time or another over the years, the vote goes to the 1939 version as the best of the trio. For this screen version, it stars Don Ameche as Foster, an absent-minded but good-natured struggling composer whose songs become part of American music, thanks to the encouragement of his wife, Jane (Andrea Leeds) and E.P. Christy (Al Jolson), the "world's greatest minstrel." Of course with Foster's popularity comes trials and tribulations, whether it be in his struggles for success, or due to heavy drinking leading to his failed marriage, but it is not all in vain. Even after Foster's death, his music lives on. While SWANEE RIVER is more of a fictional essay than fact, and what Hollywood bio-pic isn't, overlooking inaccuracies such as Foster's last complete composition actually being "Beautiful Dreamer" instead of "Swanee River" as the screenwriters of this story depict, the movie holds interest during its 85 minutes. Accurate in its period costumes, SWANEE RIVER is given lavish Technicolor, the charm of Andrea Leeds, and the rich singing voice of Al Jolson. Sadly for the legendary Jolson, who is in excellent form both in acting and singing (mostly in black-face), this became his last movie as a featured performer. The comedy routines for the minstrel shows, which wouldn't work as entertainment today, are lavishly staged and reproduced from that by-gone era.Of the 200 completed songs written by Foster, only a few were selected. The musical program includes: "Here Comes the Hevan Line" (sung by Negroes); "Beautiful Dreamer" (background score); "Oh, Susanna" (sung by Al Jolson); "Camptown Races," "My Old Kentucky Home" (sung by Don Ameche and Al Jolson); "Ring, Ring de Banjo," "I Dream of Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair," "Old Black Joe" and "Swanee River" (sung by Jolson).In the supporting cast are Chick Chandler as Mr. Bones; Felix Bressart as Henry Kleber; George Reed as Old Joe; Diane Fisher as the Foster daughter, Marion; and The Hall-Johnson Choir.Don Ameche is believable as Stephen Foster, but even today, this life story of Foster is overshadowed by his earlier and most famous role in 1939's THE STORY OF Alexander GRAHAM BELL. Out of circulation for quite some time, if SWANEE RIVER should ever resurface again on any cable channel, chances are it won't be from American Movie Classics, where it was once scheduled and pulled in 1991, but possibly on the Fox Movie Channel during the early morning hours. For now, SWANEE RIVER, available on DVD, lives in the memory of those fortunate to have seen it many years ago. (***1/2)