Forbidden Music: A Silly Musical That Forgets the Plot

If you have any patience for musicals where the singing is better than the script, you might get a kick out of Forbidden Music. It’s light, it’s fluffy, and it’s about as deep as a kitchen sink. People who want a plot that makes sense should probably skip this one. It's really just a vehicle for Richard Tauber to show off his lungs.

The whole premise is that the state is broke because everyone is too busy singing to do their jobs. It’s a funny idea for about ten seconds. Then the Princess bans all music, and honestly, the movie starts to feel like a chore. You can tell they were trying to make a point about the power of art, but it mostly just feels like an excuse to have someone start a song every time the dialogue gets too dull.

The Jimmy Durante Factor

Jimmy Durante is in this, which is both the best and weirdest part. He’s doing his usual thing, and it feels like he wandered in from an entirely different movie set. Every time he’s on screen, the energy shifts in a way that’s hard to ignore. It’s like watching a real person interact with a cardboard cutout.

• The sets look suspiciously like they were built with leftover cardboard from The Morals of Marcus.
• The romantic subplot is so rushed it feels like they realized they needed a kiss and just shoved it into the final reel.
• I swear the extras in the background of the Lucco street scenes are just walking in circles.

There’s a scene where Carlini comes back and everyone just... starts singing again? It’s a bit too convenient. The transition from 'music is banned' to 'everyone is having a parade' happens in about thirty seconds of screen time. It’s almost funny how little effort the film puts into its own stakes.

If you like this sort of vintage fluff, it sits comfortably alongside other oddities like Baby Face Harrington, though it lacks the punch of the better genre pieces. It’s fine for a rainy Sunday if you’re folding laundry. Just don’t expect to remember the plot by Monday. 🎶