Melba

Plot

American opera and musical-comedy soprano Patrice Munsel plays the title role in this filmed biography of famed Australian diva Nellie Melba. The story begins on Nellie's father's cattle farm, where she grew up under her given name of Nelly Mitchell. While studying in Paris with the great Madame Marchesi (Martita Hunt), Nelly is advised to change her name to something more exotic. After attaining international success, Nellie returns to Australia to marry her erstwhile sweetheart (John McCallum), who eventually realizes that he can never find happiness so long as he is forced to share Mme. Melba with the rest of the world. Melba was directed by Lewis Milestone, who'd originally come to Australia to lens 20th Century-Fox's Kangaroo. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Cast

• Patrice Munsel - Nellie Melba
• Robert Morley - Oscar Hammerstein
• John McCallum - Charles Armstrong
• John Justin - Eric Walton
• Alec Clunes - Cesar Carlton

Martita Hunt - Mme. Marchesi; Sybil Thorndike - Queen Victoria; Joseph Tomelty - Thomas Mitchell; Beatrice Varley - Aunt Catherine; Marcel Poncin - Roger; Theodore Bikel - Paul Brotha; Violetta Elvin - Prima Ballerina; Cecile Chevreau - Annette; Charles Craig

Credit

André Andrejew - Art Director, Pauline Grant - Choreography, Lewis Milestone - Director, Bill Lewthwaite - Editor, Muir Mathieson - Musical Direction/Supervision, Arthur Ibbetson - Cinematographer, Edward Scaife - Cinematographer, Sam Spiegel - Producer, Harry Kurnitz - Screenwriter

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