The Magic Bow is a 1946 British musical film based on the life and loves of the Italian violinist and composer Niccolò Paganini.
[10] In August it was announced Stewart Granger would play the lead role as part of his last two films for Gainsborough Pictures; the other project was Caravan.
[12] Filming had to be postponed due to an illness to Phyllis Calvert, so Caravan was rushed into production and made first.
Lockwood said "he was absolutely charming, heard both of us voice our opinions on various scripts, and, as far as I was concerned, upheld my determination not to accept the part of Bianca.
Paganini's relationship with Bianca is rather a tricky business to get past the Hays Office, but we hope, with tact, to manage it.
[19] More traditional Gainsborough melodramas like The Wicked Lady and Caravan made the list of popular British films for 1946 but not The Magic Bow.
[20][21][22] In their review, The New York Times concluded, "...the behind-the-scenes playing of Yehudi Menuhin as the violinist, drawing his magic bow over the compositions of Paganini, Tartini and Beethoven, is in itself almost worth the price of admission.
Phyllis Calvert, as the other half of the romance, does well under the same handicaps, while Jean Kent and Dennis Price, aso [sic] facing script difficulties, do the best they can as a couple of jilted lovers.
What few pleasant moments occur in the film — outside of the splendid musical sequences — fall to Cecil Parker as Paganini's manager.