Ketrivie It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

Mischa Redfern I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Patience Watson One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

robert-temple-1 This is a remarkable and wonderful film. In 1939, the classical violinist Jascha Heifetz (generally regarded by common consent in the classical music world as the greatest violinist of the 20th century, which is certainly my view) was actually a popular icon in America. So far have cultural standards declined that such a thing would be impossible to imagine today, in a world contaminated by Madonnas and Kylies and other such low life characters who prance around showing off their tits and bottoms and think of themselves as 'musicians'. And so Samuel Goldwyn decided to make a whole feature film around Heifetz, admirably directed by Archie Mayo. The story is first rate, and Heifetz is portrayed as a stratospheric and inaccessible concert star who happens to run into a poor kid in New York, through a series of amusing circumstances, and thereby becomes involved with the fate of a music school for disadvantaged urban children. The school is continually threatened with closure through lack of funds, but no one dares tell the idealistic head of the school, played by the endearing Walter Brennan, that there are drastic debts owing and angry creditors at the door. In one hair-raising scene, a ruthless music instrument supplier has removal men seize all the instruments from the children of the school's orchestra when they are in the middle of a concert. Joel McCrea is very good as the cheerful beau of Brennan's daughter, sympathetically played by Andrea Leeds, who cheerfully loses his job in order to help support the school and the cause of encouraging poor children to learn music. The star of the film is Gene Reynolds, who plays the poor boy Frankie at the centre of the story who enters the school because he has perfect pitch (or 'a good ear', as Brennan modestly puts it). Reynolds is admirably supported by one of the finest canine actors of the period, a little dog called Zero, who plays the character Sucker, a dog who is Frankie's inseparable companion. Child actor Terry Kilburn is also extremely good as Frankie's younger friend Limey, so named because he is British and sounds it. He is such a cheerful little chap. This film was entitled RAGGED ANGELS in a re-release at a later date in America, but in Britain was called MELODY OF YOUTH. Jascha Heifetz plays numerous extended virtuoso pieces in this film, such as RONDO CAPRICCIOSO by Camille Saint-Saens. No trouble is spared to film him from every angle, with plenteous close-ups of his fingers, his bowing technique, and views of him of every description. He also speaks and briefly 'acts' in a few scenes. From the point of view of the history of music and the violin, this film is a 'must-see' because of the extensive coverage given to Heifetz, around whom the whole film revolves. It was the first time he had appeared in a film. As all who have ever seen archive film of him playing know, Heifetz showed absolutely no emotion when he played, but while remaining as formal as a Greek statue, he could wring more emotion out of his violin than anyone since Paganini, and more than anyone since. He was simply the greatest. And what a treasure this film is, to contain such an early record of his performing. As for the film itself, it is charming and delightful, and most entertaining. It is most emphatically not just a story strung carelessly together to provide an excuse for getting Heifetz on screen. In fact, it is a pity that young people interested in music today cannot all be shown this film in school. I would recommend most strongly to any parents with a child serious about classical music that they show this film to the child. It also carries an important message about the power of music to uplift those who are in unfortunate circumstances and in great poverty. The scene where the mothers of the children block the entrance to the school to stop the men coming in to seize the instruments is touching testimony to how hard times produce backbone and determination. The social lesson is the need to spread classical music more widely through all levels of society. After all, it is such a civilising influence, and there are not many civilising influences left, are there? Isn't it better to be taught to play an instrument and to take part in a student orchestra than to sit at home playing computer games in which you kill people until you are so brutalised that you then pick up a gun from your father's gun cabinet yourself and carry out one of those school massacres? All of those student atrocities I blame on the parents, by the way, since the kids who carry them out are always the spoilt brats of spineless affluent upper middle class families, whose parents should be locked up as incompetents and enablers of their psychopathic offspring. Anyone in search of a bit of sanity in a world full of bad parents and vicious spoilt kids should watch this film, to remember that there was an innocent time when the worst entertainment to which children used to be exposed was likely to be the insipid charms of cowboy heroes like Gene Autrey and Roy Rogers, or perhaps a highly unconvincing monster from outer space invading the earth. Today all the monsters are here already, and do not need to be imported from other worlds. The 'other world' of today is the world of yesterday.

bkoganbing I think Samuel Goldwyn was trying to accomplish two things in this film. First the film is a homage to Jascha Heifetz, considered to be the best violin virtuoso of the past century. Secondly having brought to the screen the Dead End kids with his film of the same title and seeing them sign with Warner Brothers, he was trying to create a second gang of appealing urchins. Though the film was good there certainly was no demand that the kids from this film be reteamed for another feature. Leader of the gang is Gene Reynolds who at one time played the violin, but now leads a street gang of disreputable urchins. His stepfather, Arthur Hohl, breaks the violin his late father gave young Reynolds and threatens to send him to reform school over the feeble protests of his mother Marjorie Main.Young Reynolds happens to stumble onto a music school run by the old music maestro himself, Walter Brennan and his daughter Andrea Leeds. They take him in, but they have their financial problems with a lot of creditors led by Porter Hall.This film is mostly to be seen today because it's a chance for classical music lovers to see and hear Jascha Heifetz who as you gather is the solution one way or another to everybody's problems. Joel McCrea is in this film also, but has a rather colorless part as Andrea Leeds boyfriend. Besides Heifetz, one thing the film does do is touch on, albeit gingerly on the topic of child abuse and battered spouses. Arthur Hohl is one mean man and Marjorie Main is very clearly a much battered wife.The kids in the cast do well, Reynolds, Tommy Kelly, Terry Kilburn and a young girl under the name of Jacqueline Nash who grew up and performed as Gale Sherwood, nightclub partner to Nelson Eddy. She had a nice soprano even as a child.But it's Heifetz you see the show for.

Tom Barrister For many years, Samuel Goldwin tried to bring his friend Jascha Heifetz to the screen. One evening when Goldwyn and his wife Frances were having dinner with Heifetz and his wife, silent screen star Florence Vidor, Goldwyn proposed that Heifetz star in a movie. After some persuasion, Heifetz agreed, on the condition that his acting be kept to a minimum. And the movie, originally titled "Music School" was born.The story itself is rather stock: A streetwise boy (Gene Reynolds, who is best known as the producer of "M*A*S*H"), runs away from home and ends up at a financially troubled music school run by Professor Lawson (Walter Brennan). While attempting to raise funds for the school, the boy and some other kids happen across Heifetz at Carnegie Hall. After much ado, Heifetz ends up appearing at the school concert and sponsoring the school. The story, while predictable,is surprisingly well written, although the film contains several minor gaffes where different scenes were patched together, the most obvious being the young cellist who is sent out of the orchestra room on an errand and is seen sitting in the orchestra a few seconds later.What is not surprising is how good the acting is. As was customary for studios then, the studio surrounded the inexperienced star with veteran talent: Brennan, Joel McCrea, Andrea Leeds, Porter Hall, Marjorie Main (later of Ma and Pa Kettle fame), Arthur Hohl, Paul Harvey, and a Who's Who of character actors. Actress Diana Lynn and singer/actress Kaye Connor made their (uncredited) debuts in this film, as did longtime Nelson Eddy singing partner Gale Sherwood (as Jacqueline Nash). Child veteran actors Reynolds, Walter Tetley and Terry Kilburn also appear.Goldwyn hired the Peter Meremblum Symphony, a highly regarded youth orchestra from the Los Angeles Area, to appear in the film. Most of the kids in the orchestra weren't actors, but they were excellent musicians, as good as professionals (which many of them later became). Many of the kids in the orchestra went on to noteworthy careers: Kaye Connor and Diana Lynn both starred in the theater and movies, Richard Berres was a producer and director, Mitchell Lurie founded a well-known music supply company, Elliott Rapaport went on to be a prominent cardiologist, Lewis Elias was a band leader, Thomas Facey a conductor with different symphonies, Channing Robbins a prominent instructor at the Julliard School, his sister Joyce Robbins an instructor witn SUNY Stonybrook, and many of the kids in the orchestra pursued musical careers with major symphony orchestras.While Heifetz's acting was kept to a minimum, his salary wasn't. He commanded $70,000 for seven weeks. When some scenes had to be re-shot at a later date, he got an additional $50,000 for another four weeks. What thankfully wasn't kept to a minimum was his musical output. Composer Alfred Neumann (who was once a Meremblum Orchestra conductor) handled the scoring. Heifetz performs the "Introductionne and Rondo Capriccioso" by Camille Saint-Saens, his own arrangement of Manuel Ponce's "Estrellita" (with an off-screen Teddy Saidenberg accompanying), Dinicu's devilishly difficult "Hora Staccato" (from a Vitaphone recording, with Emanuel Bay at the piano), an excerpt from Tchaikovsky's "Melody", an excerpt arranged for violin solo from Tchaikovsky's well-known "Adante Cantabile" from his opus 11 string quartet (played during the opening credits at the beginning of the movie), and the final movement from Felix Mendelssohn-Barthody's E Minor Violin Concerto. During all of these performances, there are many closeups of Heifetz's performing, including some very close shots of his fingering and bowing, something that would be of value to violinists desiring to study his technique.The Meremblum orchestra also shines here, performing the arias "Caro Nome" by Verdi and "Casta Diva" by Bellini, (both with Sherwood singing ), an arrangement of the overture from Rossini's "Barber of Seville", a short excerpt from Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik", and the previously-mentioned Mendelssohn concerto (with Heifetz). Diana Lynn can be heard in the background of one scene, performing part of Chopin's Nocturne in B-flat Minor, and a five year old Mary Ruth performs Chopin's popular "Minute" Waltz.All in all, this is an excellent movie. AMC showed this regularly up until early 1992. I haven't seen it on television in recent years, but copies of it are not difficult to obtain. If you have the chance, I highly recommend that you view the movie.

brinchatt I thoroughly enjoyed this movie...and I watch it from time to time still. I've used it in my music classes at the school where I teach. The kids seem to enjoy it, although, they wish it were in color.The best thing about this movie is, for me, who grew up after Heifetz had died, is the chance to actually see the master violinist work his craft! I was surprised at how "up to date" the story line is. Although, references to "reform school" are outdated. A boy, whose father had died, and is being raised by his mom and stepfather....most of our kids today are being raised by stepparents, although the movie makes it seem like most stepparents are cruel. I get VERY angry when his mother doesn't take his side and defend his actions against the step-father.Also, the musical selections are difficult to believe. I find it unbelievable that a child, who looks to be about 8, can play the "Minute Waltz", or that a 13 year old girl could sing an aria from Rigoletto.Other than that, it's a really fun, feel good movie and I do recommend it. I wish it would come out on DVD.