Song of Love (1947 film)

Song of Love is a 1947 American biopic film about the relationship between renowned 19th-century musicians Clara Wieck Schumann (Katharine Hepburn) and Robert Schumann (Paul Henreid). The film, which also stars Robert Walker and Leo G. Carroll, was directed by Clarence Brown and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Ivan Tors, Irma von Cube, Allen Vincent, and Robert Ardrey co-authored the screenplay, which was based on a play by Bernard Schubert and Mario Silva.

Plot
In a fictionalized 19th century, musicians Clara Wieck Schumann, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms are depicted.

Clara takes a break from her thriving career as an acclaimed concert pianist to devote herself to her struggling composer husband Robert and their seven children. Johannes Brahms, Schumann's best student, takes a place in their home but falls in love with Clara and eventually realises he must move out.

Schumann works on his opera based on Faust but has no success in having it performed. Unable to cope with disappointment and failure, Robert has a mental breakdown while conducting a performance. He loses his sanity and eventually dies in an asylum. Brahms proposes marriage to Clara but she rejects him saying she will always love Robert. She devotes the rest of her life to preserving his music and his memory.

Cast

 * Katharine Hepburn as Clara Wieck Schumann
 * Paul Henreid as Robert Schumann
 * Robert Walker as Johannes Brahms
 * Elsa Janssen(fr) as Bertha (as Else Janssen)
 * Henry Daniell as Franz Liszt
 * Leo G. Carroll as Professor Wieck
 * Roman Bohnen as Dr. Hoffman
 * Ludwig Stossel as Haslinger
 * Tala Birell as Princess Valerie Hohenfels
 * Kurt Katch as Judge
 * Henry Stephenson as King Albert
 * Gigi Perreau as Julie
 * "Tinker" Furlong as Felix
 * Ann Carter as Marie
 * Janine Perreau as Eugenie
 * Jimmie Hunt as Ludwig
 * Anthony Sydes as Ferdinand
 * Eilene Janssen as Elise
 * Konstantin Shayne as Reinecke
 * Byron Foulger as Bailiff (uncredited)
 * Larry Simms as Prince Albert (uncredited)

Production notes
Hepburn trained with a pianist for weeks prior to production so she could be filmed playing the piano convincingly. When Henreid is playing piano, the hands of Ervin Nyiregyházi are seen. The soundtrack for the picture was recorded by Arthur Rubinstein. Rubinstein said Hepburn played almost as well as he.

Reception
The film earned $1,469,000 in the U.S. and Canada and $1,268,000 elsewhere resulting in a loss of $1,091,000.

Variety listed the film as earning $3.1 million in U.S. and Canadian rentals in 1947.