Fox
In Henry Levin’s pleasant but undistinguished musical melodrama, singer Pat Boone, in an effort to become a lgit-actor-star a la Elvis presley, plays Nick Conover, a youth forced to leave Chicago after being put on probation for stealing a car.
The punishment involves living and working hard on the Kentucky horse farm of his uncle Jed Bruce (Arthur O’Connell) and his aunt Henrietta. There are obstacles and at first he is not welcome. His uncle has not overcome the death of his son Jed Jr.
Of course, Nick is a good boy, and it’s only a matter of time before he is fuly accepted in the community, in large part as a result of kind-hearted aunt Henrietta, a wonderful trotter who has gone wild, and two young neighbors, Fran and Liz.
In due time, Nick falls for the good girl (Shirley Jones) and their romance is carried through songs, the most melodic and memorable being the title tune, “April Love,” which was Oscar nominated.
Oscar Nominations: 1
Song: April Love, music by Sammy Fain, lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
Oscar Awards: None
Oscar Context
The winner of the Best Song Oscar was “All the Way,” by James Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn, from “The Joker Is Wild.”
