The Great Caruso

Director: Richard Thorpe Richard Thorpe

Overview

The film traces Naples-born Caruso's ascension from adolescent choir singer to the uppermost ranks of the opera world. Caruso is brought to America, getting off to a bad start by inadvertently insulting the impresario (Carl Benton Reid) responsible for his Metropolitan debut. This complication has a happy outcome when Caruso marries his benefactor's daughter (Ann Blyth). Refusing to spare himself or to hold back his talents from his fans, Caruso's health fails him, and he dies in 1921 at the age of 47. Featuring no fewer than 27 musical numbers, Great Caruso also stars Mario Lanza as Caruso, as well as such operatic superstars as Dorothy Kirsten and Jarmila Novotna.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/01/2011
UPC:	0883316326206
Original Release:	1951
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[Full Frame]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:49:00
Sales rank:	24,959

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Mario Lanza	Enrico Caruso
Ann Blyth	Dorothy Benjamin
Carl Benton Reid	Park Benjamin
Dorothy Kirsten	Louise Heggar
Richard Hageman	Carlo Santi
Eduard Franz	Guilio Gatti-Casazza
Ludwig Donath	Alfredo Brazzi
Paul Javor	Antonio Scotti
Jarmila Novotna	Maria Selka
Carl Milletaire	Gino
Alan Napier	Jean de Reszke
Shepard Menken	Fucito
Yvette Duguay	Musetta
Nestor Paiva	Egisto Barretto
Vincent Renno	Tullio
Peter Price	Caruso as a Boy
Mario Siletti	Papa Caruso
Angela Clarke	Mama Caruso
Ian Wolfe	Hutchins
Argentina Brunetti	Mrs. Barretto
Edit Angold	Hilda,Hilda
Peter Brocco	Father Bronzetti
David Bond	Father Angelico
Matt Moore	Max
Anthony Mazola	Fucito at Age 8
Blanche Thebom	Opera Singer
Teresa Celli	Opera Singer
Nicola Moscona	Opera Singer
Giuseppe Valdengo	Opera Singer
Lucine Armara	Opera Singer
Marina Koshetz	Opera Singer
Robert Bright	Opera Singer
Gilbert Russell	Opera Singer
Mario DeLaval	Ottello Carmini
Maurice Samuels	Papa Gino
Charles Evans	Finch, Benjamin Butler
Tito Vuolo	Pietro Toscano
Minerva Urecal	Carmencita Toscano
Paul Harvey	Benefit Spokesman
John Hamilton	Foster DeWitt
Bert Roach	Technician
Peter Edward Price	Caruso, as a boy
Mae Clark	Woman
Sherry Jackson	Musetta as a Child
Silvio Minciotti	Actor
Yvette Dugay	Musetta Barretto
Peter Adler	Conductor
Johnny Green	Composer

Technical Credits

William Ludwig

Sonya Levien

Richard Thorpe	Director
William Ludwig	Screenwriter
Sonya Levien	Screenwriter
Peter Ballbusch	Special Effects
Warren Newcombe	Special Effects
Joe Pasternak	Producer

Editorial Reviews

Mario Lanza's tenor voice made this film one of the top box-office draws of 1951. What's more, it helped to popularize opera among the general public and to inspire two boys to pursue opera careers -- Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras. In the film, Lanza portrays the legendary tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921), who first rises to prominence in his native Italy, then earns critical acclaim in America. The film takes many liberties with the facts as it romanticizes Caruso's life. Moreover, Lanza's acting is generally mediocre. However, in imitating the power and majesty of Caruso's voice, he excels. Among the arias he sings are "Celeste Aida" (from Aida, by Giuseppe Verdi), "Vesti la giubba" (from I Pagliacci, by Ruggero Leoncavallo), and "Che Gelida Manina" (from La Boheme, by Giacomo Puccini). Lanza also sings popular selections and performs the Johann Sebastian Bach-Charles Francis Gounod version of "Ave Maria" with a boy choir. In a PBS television special, acclaimed opera star Domingo, one of the "three tenors," said the 1951 film truly inspired him when he was a boy growing up in Mexico, and that Lanza "was a superstar before that word was even invented." Carreras, another of the three tenors, dedicated one of his albums to Lanza. Ironically -- because of hard living, debilitating stage fright, and an unruly temperament -- Lanza himself never joined an opera company, and opera critics generally snubbed him as an undisciplined lout even though he became the first opera singer to sell more than 50 million albums. The Great Caruso won an Academy Award for best sound recording and an Academy Award nomination for best music and best scoring. Opera star Dorothy Kirsten also sings in the movie in the role of Louise Heggar. Actors Carl Benton Reid and Ann Blyth turn in good performances as the father-in-law and wife of Caruso.

All Movie Guide - Mike Cummings