They didn't do right by Pinza when casting him. He had a magnetic personality that was well known, coupled with his glorious voice. I would listen to him sing anything!
MGM should have known better than to cast Ezio in a Hollywood musical (especially "Mr. Imperium"). Just because he became the "Toast of Broadway" in "South Pacific" two years earlier, didn't mean he had the "charisma" to become a movie star like Mario Lanza...especially in THIS film. A great singing voice does NOT a successful movie make, yet MGM thought, "We gotta find SOME way to lure people away from television and back into the theaters...if they loved this PInzo guy in 'South Pacific'.."
This is one of master composer Harold Arlen's most powerful ballads, a highlight
of the movie MR IMPERIUM.', along with Arlen's ANDIAMO.
They didn't do right by Pinza when casting him. He had a magnetic personality that was well known, coupled with his glorious voice. I would listen to him sing anything!
MGM should have known better than to cast Ezio in a Hollywood musical (especially "Mr. Imperium"). Just because he became the "Toast of Broadway" in "South Pacific" two years earlier, didn't mean he had the "charisma" to become a movie star like Mario Lanza...especially in THIS film. A great singing voice does NOT a successful movie make, yet MGM thought, "We gotta find SOME way to lure people away from television and back into the theaters...if they loved this PInzo guy in 'South Pacific'.."
The greatest basso voice of the century singing a very forgettable song. A pity.