| I Dream Too Much | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | John Cromwell |
| Written by | Elsie Finn David G. Wittels |
| Screenplay by | James Gow Edmund H. North |
| Produced by | Pandro S. Berman |
| Starring | Lily Pons Henry Fonda Eric Blore Lucille Ball |
| Cinematography | David Abel |
| Edited by | William Morgan |
| Music by | Jerome Kern Dorothy Fields Max Steiner(incidental) |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $627,000[1] |
| Box office | $640,000[1] |
I Dream Too Much is a 1935 Americanromantic comedy film directed byJohn Cromwell. It starsHenry Fonda andLily Pons, as well asLucille Ball in an early supporting role. It has been described as a "somewhat wispy operetta."[2] Songs are byJerome Kern andDorothy Fields. The film was nominated for anAcademy Award in the categorySound Recording (Carl Dreher).[3]
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Annette Monard Street is an aspiring singer, who falls in love with and marries Jonathan Street, a struggling young composer.
Jonathan pushes her into a singing career, and she soon becomes a star. Meanwhile, Jonathan is unable to sell his music, and he finds himself jealous of his wife's success.
Concerned about their relationship, Annette uses her influence to get Jonathan's work turned into a musical comedy. Once she achieves this, she then retires from public life in order to raise a family.
Writing forThe Spectator in 1936,Graham Greene gave the film a poor review. Greene criticizedJerome Kern's musical score as "pompous and middle-aged" in contrast to the times, which were more in line with fresh musicians likeCole Porter. He did compare Pons favorably toGrace Moore, describing her personality as "less ponderous". The only portion of the film that Greene found to provide a light touch was that of the performing seal.[4]
The film recorded a loss of $350,000.[1]