originally released in 1939
technicolor; 82 minutes
Mixing history and fiction, this is an entertaining tale of Stephen C. Foster, the great American troubadour of the Nineteenth Century. Foster (Don Ameche), a penniless songwriter from Pittsburgh, falls in love with a pretty Kentucky belle (Andrea Leeds), and finds inspiration for his greatest compositions in the soulful songs of the Negro slaves of the South. When the War Between the States erupts, Foster is shunned by his fellow Pennsylvanians because of his obvious sympathies for the Southern people. This musical film features such timeless American classics as “Oh Susanna,” “Camptown Races,” and the title song, “Swanee River” — all sung by the legendary Al Jolson. Bonus features: the 60-minute 1945 Lux Radio Theater presentation of Swanee River and Jolson's 1920 recording of "Swanee."
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