This is a story of a man, his music and the era when he achieved his greatest success. What we get is a lackluster movie, purportedly, the biography of pianist and bandleader Eddie Duchin whose heyday was the 1930s. Duchin was primarily a "society" favorite—his piano style and manner appealing to the upper crust patrons who were habitués of the swank venues in which he performed. Yet, the most glaring deficiency of this film is its failure to re-create the cultural energy and social vibrancy of 1930s New York City. No attempt has been made to credibly resurrect or even provide the viewer with a reasonable facsimile of the world that was Eddy Duchin's milieu. In essence, the art production is totally inept, the costumes, make-up and hair styling barely referencing the time period. Kim Novak is particularly inauthentic in both appearance and character portrayal. She couldn't get me to buy into the belief that she was the celebrity debutante and heiress, Marjorie Oelrichs. Novak's short, blonde, severe helmet hairdo is completely identifiable as her familiar 1950s screen look, seen over time in numerous films in which she appeared. Tyrone Power, as Eddy Duchin, looks weary, and he and Novak as a pair of young, madcap lovers, just don't mesh.The musical performances may be the only entertaining element in this movie, yet they can barely sustain interest in the storyline. Here we have, yet again, a film representing what movie makers were putting out in an attempt to lure the public away from their TV screens: pure 1950s Hollywood schlock.

One of the "Beautiful People" of the 1930s,golden boy Eddy Duchin was no particular shakes as a pianist but he was handsome,agreeable and extremely marketable.Like his spiritual heir Liberace he could knock off a few flashy party pieces but was otherwise workmanlike rather than inspired.He became quite the thing for fashionable New York society but his personal life was certainly no bed of roses. This is the ground covered by George Sidney's splendidly rococo "The Eddy Duchin Story" with Mr Tyrone Power and Miss Kim Novak in the lead roles. This is what we wanted to see in the 1950s,good - looking stars,lashings of Brilliantine and Max Factor,glossy colour,nice music and a jolly good weep.I was personally delighted to see that New York was in fact exactly as I'd always dreamed it to be and Miss Novak as extraordinarily beautiful as her photos in "Picturegoer". If you like good old - fashioned Hollywood glitz you will find "The Eddy Duchin Story" exactly to your taste.Made by people who loved their craft in an age when movies had to be big to wrench people from their televisions,it is gloriously larger than life.

I only discovered this film fairly recently, rather surprisingly as I DO like music biopics and already possess the Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman stories ! Still, this DVD is unknown in Europe for some strange reason and has to be purchased from the USA.I am fond of Tyrone Power, having been impressed by his performance in "Witness for the Prosecution" and as for Kim Novak I was bowled over and full of emotion before here loving character as his wife, so different from the common ugly personage she portrays in "Of Human Bondage". Indeed I had watery eyes throughout the film, from shortly after the beginning right up until the end as the film distills so much emotion, happy and sad, throughout its whole length .... from his first meeting with Kim Novak, through the problems he has in communicating with his son and finally to his meeting with Chiquita. I cried even more on learning that the poor actress who played the part of Chiquita actually died very young !! The music of the film is fantastic both in its arrangements, choice of tunes and recording quality. I am most annoyed that this soundtrack seems to be available anywhere on a CD, as I would have thought it was an obvious choice for issue on CD. It should be noted that the soundtrack was played by Carmen Cavallaro and not Duchin himself, indeed, Cavallaro's playing is better than that of Duchin's and not quite the same style. After seeing the film, I bought a couple of CD's of Duchin to check out the music but CC is definitely better so on that score one could accuse the film of over-glorifying Duchin's musical prowess but there it is. If you like romance, tenderness, sweetness and good music then see this film, I can guarantee that you will NOT be disappointed !!!!

Eddy Duchin was thought by some music critics and musicians to be more a showman than a talented performer. Some criticized his playing for the number of errors that might appear, but which did not matter to the audience because of the flair and enthusiasm in his playing style. Certainly Carmen Cavallero, who provided the music delivered by Tyrone Power in the title role, possessed far greater virtuosity. And although this movie contains some of the very fictionalized aspects of the biographical musicals of the 40's and 50's, it does contain more fact than most. Eddy Duchin did serve as a naval officer, with distinction, in combat in WW II. In contrast to the dramatic, tearjerker ending, he fought for an extended time against his life-ending leukemia. (However, I can't imagine anyone who couldn't be moved to tears by the movie's end, which is a prime example of a contrivance which augments rather then detracts from the story.) Kim Novak and Victoria Shaw are marvelous as his two loves, and the supporting cast excellent. Tyrone Power, who was tragically to die in his prime not many years after this film, will always be one of Hollywood's icons. (This was an eerie parallel to the character he had portrayed here. Like Duchin, whom he had portrayed not long prior, he died a handsome, matinée idol, many years prematurely, at the height of his career - and even more suddenly.) The film also presents an interesting depiction of New York from the 1920's through WW II - perhaps more realistically than it would be today, since the film was made so much closer to these times. And the music is as memorable and enjoyable as one would want or expect.