"Actor: Kathryn Grayson"

• Till the Clouds Roll By | DVD | (29/07/2003) from £6.24   |  Saving you £-3.25 (N/A%)   |  RRP £2.99

  Till the Clouds Roll By was the big MGM extravaganza of 1946, purporting to be a life of the first giant of the stage musical, Jerome Kern. Great chunks of Show Boat, Sweet Adeline and Sunny dominate while, in between excerpts, reliable Robert Walker does valiant work as Kern, lending a gentle credibility to even the most extravagant licenses taken by the writers. The liberties taken with Kern's story beggar belief, but what a fine excuse this is to sit back and enjoy a procession of gems from the great American songbook, performed by genuine legends. Judy Garland has two numbers as Marilyn Miller, both directed by husband Vincente Minnelli at the peak of their creative and personal relationships. Singing "Who?", she has to float down the proverbial staircase, obviously pregnant (Liza was born a short time later). Others to shine include Kathryn Grayson, June Allyson, Dinah Shore and, more bizarrely, a skinny young Sinatra drafted in at the last for a rousing "Old Man River". Most poignant of all is the presence of Lena Horne who, but for the racist values of Hollywood at the time, would have been a great film star. Ever confined to guest appearances, she here sings the songs of Show Boat's tragic half-caste Julie. When MGM filmed the musical in 1951, the same part went to Ava Gardner. On the DVD: Till the Clouds Roll By may boast digital remastering, but it could have done with a deal of restoration, too. Presented in 4:3 format, the picture quality is often pixellated and the soundtrack in "HiFi Stereo" is muffled and occasionally cracked. Considering its value as an archive of great performers, some rarely seen on film, this film deserves better DVD treatment. --Piers Ford

• Till The Clouds Roll By | DVD | (21/10/2002) from £15.10   |  Saving you £-9.11 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Till the Clouds Roll By was the big MGM extravaganza of 1946, purporting to be a life of the first giant of the stage musical, Jerome Kern. Great chunks of Show Boat, Sweet Adeline and Sunny dominate while, in between excerpts, reliable Robert Walker does valiant work as Kern, lending a gentle credibility to even the most extravagant licenses taken by the writers. The liberties taken with Kern's story beggar belief, but what a fine excuse this is to sit back and enjoy a procession of gems from the great American songbook, performed by genuine legends. Judy Garland has two numbers as Marilyn Miller, both directed by husband Vincente Minnelli at the peak of their creative and personal relationships. Singing "Who?", she has to float down the proverbial staircase, obviously pregnant (Liza was born a short time later). Others to shine include Kathryn Grayson, June Allyson, Dinah Shore and, more bizarrely, a skinny young Sinatra drafted in at the last for a rousing "Old Man River". Most poignant of all is the presence of Lena Horne who, but for the racist values of Hollywood at the time, would have been a great film star. Ever confined to guest appearances, she here sings the songs of Show Boat's tragic half-caste Julie. When MGM filmed the musical in 1951, the same part went to Ava Gardner. On the DVD: Till the Clouds Roll By may boast digital remastering, but it could have done with a deal of restoration, too. Presented in 4:3 format, the picture quality is often pixellated and the soundtrack in "HiFi Stereo" is muffled and occasionally cracked. Considering its value as an archive of great performers, some rarely seen on film, this film deserves better DVD treatment. --Piers Ford

• Till The Clouds Roll By | DVD | (18/12/2006) from £6.31   |  Saving you £1.68 (26.62%)   |  RRP £7.99

  A fascinating and colourful screen biography of Jerome Kern (Robert Walker). It starts with the opening night of his smash hit ""showboat"" and flashes back to his beginnings as an almost penniless songwriter. The film follows his friendship with James I Hessler and journeys to England where the best songwriters are reputed to be and where he finds his early successes - and the future Mrs Kern (Dorothy Patrick). After some difficult times in the USA he collaborates with Oscar Hammerstein II; the result being the classic adaptation of Edna Ferber's ""Showboat"". The picture's grand finale features Frank Sinatra singing ""Ol' Man River"" - This is one huge and lavish theatrical feast; great entertainment.

• Ziegfeld Follies (1946) | DVD | (26/02/2015) from £15.21   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Kiss Me Kate (1953) | DVD | (24/11/2020) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Classic Sinatra | DVD | (14/05/2018) from £11.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Classic Sinatra 4 DVD box set features: MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM When lawless card dealer and recuperating drug addict Frankie Machine (Frank Sinatra) gets out of prison, he decides to go straight at last. All he has is an old drum set and so Frankie tries for genuine work as a drummer. Frankie s old employer, small-time crook Schwiefka (Robert Strauss) and Frankie s old drug pusher, Louis (Darren McGavin), come back into his life. Frankie tries to stay clean although eventually succumbs to his former lifestyle.

• Till The Clouds Roll By | DVD | (12/01/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £4.99

  A fascinating and colourful screen biography of Jerome Kern (Robert Walker). It starts with the opening night of his smash hit ""Showboat"" and flashes back to his beginnings as an almost penniless songwriter. The film follows his friendship with James I. Hessler and journeys to England where the best songwriters are reputed to be and where he finds his early successes - and the future Mrs Kern (Dorothy Patrick). After some difficult times in the USA he collaborates with Oscar Hammerst

• Till The Clouds Roll By | DVD | (21/04/2003) from £4.99   |  Saving you £-1.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  A fascinating and colourful screen biography of Jerome Kern (Robert Walker). It starts with the opening night of his smash hit Showboat and flashes back to his beginnings as an almost penniless songwriter. The film follows his friendship with James I. Hessler and journeys to England where the best songwriters are reputed to be and where he finds his early successes - and the future Mrs Kern (Dorothy Patrick). After some difficult times in the USA he collaborates with Oscar Hammerstein; the result being the classic adaptation of Edna Ferber's Showboat. The picture's grand finale features Frank Sinatra singing Ol' Man River. This is one huge and lavish theatrical feast; great entertainment!

• Judy Garland - Till The Clouds Roll By | DVD | (28/01/2008) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Till The Clouds Roll By is an American musical-biographical film made by MGM in 1946 and based on the life and music of composer Jerome Kern starring Robert Walker as Kern. Best remembered for its large cast of well-known musical stars including Judy Garland Frank Sinatra Kathryn Grayson Tony Martin and many more all of whom appear in cameo roles performing Kern's songs.

• Till The Clouds Roll By | DVD | (01/09/2003) from £12.96   |  Saving you £-5.98 (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99