Interrupted Melody

In this superlative screen biography of Marjorie Lawrence, the opera singer struck by polio who regained her strength to once more appear at the Metropolitan Opera, Parker, who was nominated for an Oscar (she lost to Anna Magnani for THE ROSE TATTOO), provides an excellent portrayal. Ford is the doctor who helps with her rehabilitation and becomes her husband. The two share the film's most moving scene: despite her pleas, Ford puts on a record of her singing, and Parker drags herself across the floor to turn off the machine. It is a well-crafted and sensitively handled moment and the story's turning point. The finale at the Met, where Parker performs in a special s...