Intermezzo: A Love Story

Plot synopsis:
Renowned violinist Holger Brandt (Leslie Howard) finishes the final concert of his tour to ardent applause. He informs the fervid New York audience that this was the last performance of his accompanist, friend and mentor, Thomas Stenborg (John Halliday), who will now retire from touring. Holger himself will embark upon another tour after a few months' rest. He is in search of a new accompanist.Holger and Thomas return to Stockholm, where they are fondly welcomed by their respective spouses. Holger's wife, Margit (Edna Best), has been bringing up their two children, Eric (Douglas Scott) and Ann-Marie (Ann E. Todd), on her own for the past few years. Eric is now a teenager, while Ann-Marie is six. Ann-Marie has become a gifted pianist in Holger's absence under the tutelage of Miss Anita Hoffman (Ingrid Bergman), a young musician of exceptional promise. Anita is Thomas's prized pupil and is studying towards the prestigious Jenny Lind scholarship offered by a music academy in Paris.Holger is at first uninterested in Anita. However, he is forced to notice her when she plays the piano brilliantly at Ann-Marie's birthday party. Holger joins her on his violin and is stunned by their electrifying synchrony. He offers her to be his accompanist on tour but she declines, citing her need to study for the scholarship.Holger and Anita gradually fall in love. Initially, Anita feels guilty about the affair and attempts to break off her relationship with Holger by leaving Stockholm. However, Holger confesses his true feelings about Anita to Margit. This results in a separation which leaves him free to commence the next tour with Anita as his accompanist.Holger and Anita perform together to immense acclaim. At the end of the tour, they go on vacation to a picturesque seaside town in France. Anita receives a letter from her former mentor, Thomas, informing her that she has won the Jenny Lind scholarship. However, she burns the letter rather than allow her career to stand in the way of her relationship with Holger. Holger is deeply in love with Anita but she notices that he occasionally longs for the family he has left behind. He befriends a little girl named Marianne (Maria Flynn), who reminds him of his daughter Ann-Marie.Thomas Stenborg visits the couple as their mutual friend. He informs Holger that Margit is seeking divorce and urges him to sign the papers immediately to enable both of them to move on. Holger is reluctant to take this final step to uproot himself from the past. Thomas also speaks to Anita separately. He expresses his disappointment that she is neglecting her promising career and asks if she truly believes that Holger can forget his family. Anita sadly realises that she and Holger cannot build a life together based on the unhappiness of others. She has been no more than an "intermezzo" in his life. She leaves the next day, presumably to Paris to accept her scholarship, leaving a letter to Holger that urges him to return home.Holger is devastated but is too proud to return to Stockholm now that Anita has left him. He finally decides to return for a day when he learns that Thomas has promised Ann-Marie that her father will return by spring. Knowing that Ann-Marie wants a camera, Holger buys a camera for her as a present and goes to visit her at school. Ann-Marie is so delighted to see her father across the street that she runs into the middle of the road and is hit by a cab. Holger rushes her home to Margit and sits awake in the drawing room overnight while the doctor and Margit tend to Ann-Marie in an upstairs room. He reconciles with his son, Eric, after admitting to Eric that he has erred gravely and asking for his forgiveness.The next morning, the doctor informs a haggard-looking Holger that his daughter will make a full recovery with time and rest. Holger is immensely relieved but believing that he has lost his place in the family, makes for the door. Before he can leave, Margit calls out to him and welcomes him home. Holger turns around towards her and closes the door behind him as he walks back into their home.

Tags: melodrama

Review:
After a successful tour ended in New York, the famous violinist Holger Brandt (Leslie Howard) returns to his home in Stockholm.
In the birthday party of his beloved daughter Ann Marie (Ann Todd), he feels attracted by and plays with her piano teacher, Anita Hoffman (Ingrid Bergman), who is waiting for a music scholarship in Paris.
A car accident changes the destiny of the Brandt family.The debut of Ingrid Bergman in an English spoken film may be dated in 2006, but it is still a wonderful romance about a man in a middle age crisis, with a stabilized marriage, who sparks with the love of a talented gorgeous woman that worships him.
The performances of Ingrid Bergman, Leslie Howard and Ann Todd are fantastic, and Ingrid looks like a pianist in the sequence in the birthday party.
Concert violinist Holger Brandt, Leslie Howard (Gone with the Wind), spends much of his life on tours, and loses perspective of his family ties.
He has an adorable family: wife, Greta Stenborg,  Enid Bennett (Strike Up the Band),  a daughter and one son,  and also a cute dog (which he had never seen before).His daughter is studying piano and the piano teacher is Anita Hoffman, played by beautiful,  Ingrid Bergman (Casablanca)  in her first English speaking role.
As soon as she recovers, he starts to leave and his wife asks him to stay home.Favorite Quote :" I wonder if anyone has built happiness on the unhappiness of others." Favorite Scenes: Daughter playing a duet with dad, has small hands almost do not make an octave on the piano.
Off the cuff, here are seven reasons why:1) There IS a good message here: that a married person having a fling with a pretty young woman might be an exciting prospect but in the end, "you reap what you sow" and if either of the two parties has a conscience, the illicit romance will be doomed, especially if there are kids involved.2 ) For male viewers, Ingrid Bergman, making her English-speaking debut, is a real feast for the eyes.
4) At 70 minutes, the film flies by, which also makes it easier to watch and enjoy multiple times.5) Leslie Howard and John Halliday also were excellent in here as the two male leads.
I thought Halliday, in particular, had some great words of wisdom.6) For those who appreciate how difficult it is to forgive people, this ending contained another nice message.7) Classical music lovers will very much appreciate the soundtrack to this film..
"Intermezzo" is a beautifully photographed, bittersweet story about a the love affair between a concert violinist (Leslie Howard) and a pianist (Ingrid Bergman).
Her natural beauty and freshness is shown to wonderful advantage here, as is her sensitive acting in the role of Anita Hoffman.Howard plays Holger Brandt, a married man with two children who leaves his wife and family when his affair with Bergman becomes too intense.
While vacationing, he becomes attached to a little girl who obviously reminds him of his daughter (Ann Todd), whom he adores, and Anita wonders if their illicit affair can ever bring them happiness.The film is rich in subtext and metaphors.
Even the title of his daughter's favorite piece that he plays, "Intermezzo" takes on a special meaning.Few actors have cut the romantic, ethereal figure that Leslie Howard did during his film career.
The picture deals with a young pianist (Ingrid Bergman) who acts as piano teacher of a child (Ann Todd) whose father( Leslie Howard) , happily married (Edna Best) , is a violinist .
The movie has romance , tearjerker , drama, tragedy, a love story and is very entertaining .The film is a remake in Hollywood style of a Swedish film directed by Gustaf Molander in 1936 and equally interpreted by Ingrid Bergman ; here plays his first US role , in fact , is best known as Bergman's American debut and became her in world star .
This remake of the Swedish film of the same name is worth a look because it's the first time American audiences got a chance to see Ingrid Bergman.
Gregory Ratoff, the director, utilizes well the short time of the movie to present the melodrama in an appealing way.From the beginning, we realize the attraction Holger feels for Anita is doomed.
Holger has a loving wife as well as two children that clearly adore their distant father.Basically, Holger is a decent man who sees in Anita something that he doesn't have at home, which seems to happen whenever a fresh and beautiful woman arrives at the scene and the marriage is shaky.Leslie Howard was an amazing actor.
Ingrid Bergman brought a freshness to Anita that is hard to imagine another actress playing her.
Also, Cecil Kellaway plays Charles, Holger's manager.This is a movie to watch because of the impressive debut of Ingrid Bergman, also because the glorious music..
(Some Spoilers) Touching 1939 tear-jerker that introduced to the movie going public here in the USA the beautiful and stalely 23 year-old Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman as Anita Hoffman.
Todd, the daughter of famed concert violinist Holger Brandt, Leslie Howard.After being a smashing success in America ending his concert tour at Carnegi Hall in New York City Holger tell his star struck admirers that he's leaving for his home in Sweden together his mentor and fellow musician Thomas Stenborg, John Holliday, to be with his family and get a long and well deserved rest from his grueling string of public performances.
Back home with his loving wife Margit, Edna Best, and his two beautiful children Ann Marie and Eric, Douglas Scott, everything is wonderful for the Brandt family.
Thats until Holger lays his eyes on Ann Marie's piano teacher, and also Thomas' music student, the stunning Anita Hoffman and it's love at first sight, or at first sound.
In no time at all Holger and Anita fall in love and both leave together for Europe as a duet, him playing the violin and Anita the piano, on the concert circuit.
The good news is that Anita has been awarded a scholarship to a major music academy and the bad news is that he has the divorce papers from Margit's lawyer for Holger to sign, which he doesn't.
At the same time Anita tearfully leaves poor Holger all by himself by going back to Sweden to the music academy to accept her scholarship.Holger soon becomes a man without a country, or family, as he bums around Europe afraid to go back home to face his family that he so selfishly destroyed by having an affair with Anita.
Completely destroyed by his actions with his wife and son not even speaking to him and little Ann Marie on the brink of death or ending up crippled for life Holger, now for the first time, sees what a heel he was.
That he so foolishly threw away in the pursuit of his love, forbidden as it was, for Anita.The movies contrived ending is a bit far-fetched but it's just how you would want it to end.Leslie Howard is perfect as Holger the tortured soul who was torn between the beautiful piano teacher Anita and his loving wife Margit.
As we all know Ingrid Bergman learned it quite well indeed.Intermezzo is the story of a world famous concert violinist played by Leslie Howard who comes home from a world tour with his piano accompanist John Halliday to wife Edna Best and children Ann Todd and Douglas Scott.
At a party Bergman plays and Howard picks up the violin to accompany her.That's it for him, the beautiful music they make together kindles a romance.
Except of course for Best and the kids.This version of Intermezzo is a faithful remake of the original Swedish film and the reviews that Ingrid Bergman garnered insured her American stardom.
Selznick with both of them also involved with Gone With The Wind.The theme from Intermezzo is most often done as an instrumental, but words were actually written for it and Tony Martin made a hit record of it at the time film was out in theater.Seen today Intermezzo and its romantic story hold up well today.
Intermezzo got two Oscar nominations for black and white cinematography and film editing, but this was the year of Gone With The Wind.You didn't think David O.
Small-Scale Love Story Offers Fresh-Faced Bergman in Her American Debut.
Selznick gloss is all over this minor 1939 soap opera, most noteworthy as the American film debut of 24-year old Ingrid Bergman.
Her fresh-faced beauty and natural manner are intoxicating as she plays Anita Hoffman, first a piano teacher to the young daughter of renowned violinist Holger Brandt and then his accompanist on a world tour.
It's a brief movie, only seventy minutes long, directed by Gregory Ratoff (more famous as the ulcer-ridden producer Max in "All About Eve") focusing on the illicit affair that develops between Anita and Holger.Much of the story has to do with the guilt they both experience in terms of the familial repercussions, and the ending reflects as much.
A role away from his Ashley Wilkes in "Gone With the Wind", obviously the more important Selznick movie in production a the time, Leslie Howard plays Holger in his familiar erudite manner.
Beyond Bergman, the most accomplished aspects of the film are Gregg Toland's lush cinematography, Lyle Wheeler's art direction (making Monterey, California look very much like the Italian Riviera) and Max Steiner's romantic music (oddly uncredited).
My main problem with the movie is that there is no chemistry between Leslie Howard and Ingrid Bergman.
At the start, Bergman is giving piano lessons to Leslie's daughter and when he finds out she's really talented herself, they begin to have an affair.
Leslie Howard does a good job and Ingrid Bergman is gorgeous..
This is a nice little film about Holger (Leslie Howard), a married concert violinist who falls in love with Anita, his daughter's young piano teacher (Ingrid Bergman, in her US debut).The two go on tour together and true to the old lyric: "music leads the way to romance", the two musicians begin an affair.
A world famous violinist Holgar Brandt (Leslie Howard) falls in love with his child's piano teacher, Anita Hoffman (Ingrid Bergman).
When he asks Anita to join him on a world tour things start to unravel.Bergman's first English language film (she had done previous ones in Denmark).
The acting is all good but Bergman and Howard especially are superb in their roles.
Leslie Howard who has been brilliant in nearly al his films (esp The Petrified Forest, Of Human Bondage, Pygmallion, Teh Scarlette Pimprenel and of course GWTW) realy gave a stiff, false performance in this 1939 movie that he himself co-produced with David o' Selznick of the Gone With The Wind (1939) -- I'm thinking that both their creative juices were at a major low --- this movie was so insincere and contrived and lacks any universal appeal that makes movies "classics".
It's a remake of the same name Swedish film made three years earlier, in which Ingrid Bergman played the same role.
Remarkable only for Ingrid Bergman's first starring role in an American film....
Here, at least, the story is told in a simple and brief style, the production itself is a handsome one, and although the performances are competent enough only one performer really stands out as "the new star"--and that, of course, is INGRID BERGMAN making her film debut under David O.
Edna Best does nicely as his understanding wife and all of the supporting roles are played in a competent manner.But except for this being a star vehicle to present Bergman to American audiences, there is nothing special about INTERMEZZO.
Holger Brandt is a famous Classical violinist who falls in love with Anita Hoffman, his daughter's attractive young piano teacher.
Holger leaves his wife and family for Anita, and they tour Europe together, with her acting as his accompanist.
There is no attempt to suggest any marital discord which might have contributed to Brandt's infidelity; adultery is simply presented as "one of those things that happen", like an accident.This is not Ingrid Bergman's greatest film, but her vibrant, lively personality shines through and she does enough to show why she was to go on to become a major Hollywood star.
Apart from Bergman, the two leading roles are played by British actors, Leslie Howard and Edna Best.
I am a sucker for a love story, but this one just didn't move me.First, I find Leslie Howard rather lacking as a leading man.
Howard's wife is played by Edna Best, who looks and acts quite bland and comely.
I would think that would have been difficult to light.Even though there is an obvious moral failing in the adulterous affair, there are good lessons such as when Halliday's character tells Bergman "I wonder if anyone has built happiness on the unhappiness of others".
This movie about the world renowned violinist and his daughters piano teacher is beautiful.
Leslie Howard did an amazing job and Ingrid Bergman looked lovely.
Leslie Howard stars as Holger Brandt, a world renowned violinist who returns home from a long standing tour to reunite with his family and in the process meets Anita, played by Ingrid Bergman in her first American role as his daughter's piano teacher.Nothing much happens up to the build up of Holger and Anita's relationship.
All done sufficiently by Ingrid Bergman who captured the senses of a naive woman swept and confused by love.The ending of their affair only intensifies the moralist theme of Intermezzo which quickly sinks to melodramatic depths once Holger returns home.
This is a movie you Want to like not least because it marked the English-speaking debut of Ingrid Bergman who was just as gorgeous at 24 as she remained until her death - trivia buffs may like to know that she played a classical pianist both in this, her first English-speaking film and Autumn Sonata her last film on the big screen which was, of course, shot in Swedish, her native language.
With only seventy minutes to play with Gregory Ratoff is prodigal with time; the film opens with violin maestro Howard playing a farewell gig at Carnegie Hall; he then TELLS his audience that he is returning home to Sweden; he is then SHOWN on board ship to Sweden in a scene that adds little to the story and then he Arrives in Sweden.
It's ironic that Bergman made her to all intents and purposes film debut as an adulteress who would play the part for real a decade later when she co-starred with Roberto Rossellini in Life Imitating Art. Perhaps in an effort to sugar the pill the adulterers are depicted as cultured, cultivated people, classical musicians in fact as if that somehow lessens the pain of those left behind and almost adding insult to injury they throw in a scene where Howard's young daughter (Ann E Todd) is so happy to see him when he makes a fleeting visit home that she dashes in front of a car and is badly injured.
The film stars Leslie Howard, Ingrid Bergman, Ann Todd and Edna Best.This beautiful love story features the Ingrid Bergman in her first English speaking role.Renowned violinist Holgar Brandt(Leslie Howard)returns home from a tour.
He is warmly welcomed back by his loving wife Margit(Edna Best)and young daughter Ann Marie(Ann Todd).
He meets his daughters piano teacher Anita (Ingrid Bergman)and the two fall in love.
As time goes on they begin an affair and Anita leaves her employment with the family and becomes Han's piano accompanist on his tours.
Holger soon begins to miss his wife and daughter and comes to realise the pain he is causing them.You feel for Holger and Anita because they genuinely do love one another but they both know their affair is wrong and Anita tries to find the strength to end it, even though it is very painful for her to do so.Ingrid is excellent in her American debut, she conveys her characters feelings so well through her expressions, her eyes especially show so much to the audience.
Howard is very good as a rather self centred man, his music is his greatest passion and he falls for Anita partly because she shares his love and talent for music, Holger would be difficult to like if it were not for his love of his daughter, it's obvious he cares for her and that is a redeeming quality.Edna Best is very good as the long suffering wife, confused as to why her husband seems to have stopped loving her and who finds herself unable to forget him or hate him even when he has the affair.The film looks beautiful thanks to Gregg Toland's exquisite photography.
Classical music lovers will enjoy the soundtrack and both Howard and Bergman are quite convincing in the scenes where they have to play musical instruments..
I love how Leslie plays the role so nonchalantly in the beginning, then all that changes when Ingrid's character performs at the birthday party.
Anyways, if he didn't come back Ann Marie would have never had the run in with the car, and the whole family still doesn't like him as much after Anita.
He has the honour of directing the very beautiful Ingrid Bergman in her first Hollywood role.
Did I just see "that" or was I dreaming?" There is a very brief moment in Intermezzo: A Love Story which happens with Ms. Bergman, while she is in a shot all off her own, while looking down at her Lover, it took me by surprise and was, in a way, quite shocking and breath taking, you'll know what I mean after you have seen it.
Overall, Intermezzo: A Love Story is a beautifully shot movie that conveys the struggle of Marriage and how to keep the Family values together, while in the face of temptation.