Till The Clouds Roll By (1946 American Technicolor Musical film)

Till The Clouds Roll By is a 1946 American Technicolor musical film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A fictionalized biopic of composer Jerome Kern, portrayed by Robert Walker, Kern was originally involved with the production, but died before its completion. Featuring an ensemble cast of well-known musical stars, it was the first in a series of MGM biopics about Broadway composers.

Plot
Kern attends the opening night of Show Boat in 1927, the landmark musical that secured his popularity. Following several of the show's most notable songs, Kern departs to reminisce about his early days as a young songwriter.

Kern recounts meeting Jim Hessler, a musical mentor, and Hessler's young daughter Sally. Kern and the Hesslers grow close, and he later visits them in London. Taking Sally to the fair, a swing ride inspires Kern to conceive a stage production for one of his songs. At the London Gaieties revue, Kern's song garners the attention of theatrical producer Charles Frohman.

Cast
Robert Walker as Jerome Kern
June Allyson as Herself/Jane in Leave It to Jane
Lucille Bremer as Sally Hessler
Judy Garland as Marilyn Miller
Kathryn Grayson as Magnolia Hawks in Show Boat/Herself
Van Heflin as James I. Hessler
Lena Horne as Julie LaVerne in Show Boat/Herself
Dorothy Patrick as Eva Kern
Van Johnson as bandleader in Elite Club
Tony Martin as Gaylord Ravenal in Show Boat/Himself
Dinah Shore as Julia Sanderson
Frank Sinatra as Himself
Gower Champion as Specialty dancer in Roberta
Cyd Charisse as Specialty dancer in Roberta
Angela Lansbury as London specialty
Ray McDonald as Dance Specialty in Oh, Boy! and Leave It to Jane
Virginia O'Brien as Ellie Mae in Show Boat/Herself
Mary Nash as Mrs. Muller
Joan Wells as Young Sally Hessler
Harry Hayden as Charles Frohman
Paul Langton as Oscar Hammerstein II
Paul Maxey as Victor Herbert

Cast notes
Esther Williams makes a cameo appearance
Sally Forrest and Mary Hatcher make appearances as "chorus girls".
Kathryn Grayson reprised the role of Magnolia Hawks in MGM's film adaptation of Show Boat, released in 1951.

Production
Lena Horne as Julie Laverne in a mini production of Show Boat, singing "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man".

The first 15 minutes of the film consist of a condensed adaptation of Act I of Show Boat, with the order of some of the songs shifted - "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" is sung after "Life upon the Wicked Stage", and "Ol' Man River" was used as an Act I Finale, dissimilar to the show.[citation needed] "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" as sung by Lena Horne was filmed, like many of her other musical numbers in MGM films, so that it could be easily removed from the print by sensitive Southern distributors.[citation needed]

When the film started production in the fall of 1945, Judy Garland was signed as Broadway singer-dancer Marilyn Miller, having just returned to California after a long New York honeymoon with her new husband, director Vincente Minnelli.[1] Soon after, Kern returned to New York towards the end of October and died in November 1945.

During the six months that it took to shoot the film, producer Arthur Freed had to come up with one director after another.

Songs
"Cotton Blossom" - MGM Studio Orchestra and Chorus
"Where's the Mate for Me" - Tony Martin
"Make Believe" - Kathryn Grayson/Tony Martin
"Life Upon the Wicked Stage" - Virginia O'Brien/MGM Studio Orchestra and Chorus Girls
"Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" - Lena Horne
"Ol' Man River" - Caleb Peterson/MGM Studio Orchestra and Chorus
"Ka-Lu-a" - MGM Studio Orchestra
"How'd You Like to Spoon with Me" - Angela Lansbury/MGM Studio Orchestra and Chorus
"They Didn't Believe Me" - Dinah Shore
"Till the Clouds Roll By" - June Allyson/Ray McDonald/MGM Studio Orchestra and Chorus
"Leave It to Jane" - MGM Studio Orchestra and Chorus/June Allyson/Ray McDonald
"Cleopatterer" - June Allyson/Ray McDonald/MGM Studio Orchestra and Chorus
"Leave It to Jane" (Reprise) - MGM Studio Orchestra and Chorus/June Allyson/Ray McDonald
"Look for the Silver Lining" - Judy Garland
"Sunny" - Judy Garland/MGM Studio Orchestra and Chorus
"Who?" - Judy Garland/MGM Studio Orchestra and Chorus
"One More Dance" - Lucille Bremer (Dubbed by Trudy Erwin)
"I Won't Dance" - Van Johnson/Lucille Bremer (dubbed by Trudy Erwin)
"She Didn't Say Yes" - Lee and Lyn Wilde, aka "The Wilde Twins"
"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" - Cyd Charisse/Gower Champion
"The Last Time I Saw Paris" - Dinah Shore
"The Land Where the Good Songs Go" - Lucille Bremer (dubbed by Trudy Erwin)
"Yesterdays" - MGM Studio Orchestra and Chorus
"Long Ago (and Far Away)" - Kathryn Grayson
"A Fine Romance" - Virginia O'Brien
"All the Things You Are" - Tony Martin
"Why Was I Born?" - Lena Horne
"Ol' Man River" (Reprise/Finale) - Frank Sinatra/MGM Studio Orchestra and Chorus