Humoresque (1946)

Director:

Jean Negulesco

Writers:

Clifford Odets (screenplay) and
Zachary Gold (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 December 1946 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

TWO WHO MET AND KISSED AND NEVER SHOULD HAVE MET AGAIN! (original poster - all caps)

Plot:

A classical musician from the slums is sidetracked by his love for a wealthy, neurotic socialite.

Plot Keywords:

Concert | Violinist | Musician | Talent | Violin

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Joan Crawford	...	Helen Wright
John Garfield	...	Paul Boray
Oscar Levant	...	Sid Jeffers
J. Carrol Naish	...	Rudy Boray
Joan Chandler	...	Gina Romney
Tom D'Andrea	...	Phil Boray
Peggy Knudsen	...	Florence Boray
Ruth Nelson	...	Esther Boray
Craig Stevens	...	Monte Loeffler
Paul Cavanagh	...	Victor Wright
Richard Gaines	...	Bauer
John Abbott	...	Rozner
Robert Blake	...	Paul Boray as a Child (as Bobby Blake)
Tommy Cook	...	Phil Boray as a Child
Don McGuire	...	Eddie
Fritz Leiber	...	Hagerstrom
Peg La Centra	...	Night Club Singer (as Peg LaCentra)
Nestor Paiva	...	Orchestra Leader
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sylvia Arslan	...	Gina as a Girl (uncredited)
Patricia Barry	...	Fritzie - Bauer's Secretary (uncredited)
Monte Blue	...	Moving Man (uncredited)
Harlan Briggs	...	Jeffers - Toy Shop Proprietor (uncredited)
Eric DeLamarter	...	Orchestra Conductor (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Boray Fan (uncredited)
Angela Greene	...	Tipsy Blonde at Party (uncredited)
Creighton Hale	...	Professor (uncredited)
Jane Harker	...	Redhead Snob with Sid at Party (uncredited)
Ann Lawrence	...	Florence as a Girl (uncredited)
Esther Michelson	...	Mrs. Klein (uncredited)
Paul Panzer	...	Theater Worker (uncredited)
Don Turner	...	Man with Dog (uncredited)
Richard Walsh	...	Teddy (uncredited)

Directed by
Jean Negulesco

Writing credits
Clifford Odets		(screenplay) and
Zachary Gold		(screenplay)
Fannie Hurst		(short story "Humoresque")

Produced by
Jerry Wald	....	producer
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Ernest Haller		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Rudi Fehr

Art Direction by
Hugh Reticker

Set Decoration by
Clarence Steensen

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist
Edwin Allen	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Della Barnes	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Gertrude Wheeler	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Louis Baum	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Herbert S. Greene	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Philip Quinn	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
William Wallace	....	props (uncredited)
Levi C. Williams	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Charles David Forrest	....	sound (as David Forrest)
Robert B. Lee	....	sound

Special Effects by
Roy Davidson	....	special effects director
Willard Van Enger	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Ralph Burbank	....	gaffer: stills (uncredited)
Paul Butler	....	best boy (uncredited)
James Geldenhar	....	gaffer (uncredited)
William Schurr	....	second camera (uncredited)
Jack Woods	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Stanley Young	....	grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Adrian	....	wardrobe: Miss Crawford
Bernard Newman	....	wardrobe
Mary Dery	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Ralph Hibbs	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)
Jeanette Storck	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Vic Vallejo	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Isaac Stern	....	music advisor
Franz Waxman	....	conductor
Leonid Raab	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Isaac Stern	....	musician (solo violin: John Garfield ) (uncredited)
Franz Waxman	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Other crew
Herschel Daugherty	....	dialogue director
James Leicester	....	montages
Alma Dwight	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Oscar Levant	....	technical adviser (uncredited)
John Mitchell	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
John Strauss	....	publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1946) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

125 min | West Germany:115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | Australia:PG | Australia:G (TV rating) | USA:Approved (certificate #11490) | West Germany:16 (nf) | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

The famous beach scene at the end of the movie was recreated by Madonna in her 1998 music video The Power of Good-Bye.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the scene where Paul Boray is practicing on stage in his shirt sleeves, you can see the top of the head of a man crouched down behind him. This has to be one of the violinists who did the playing for John Garfield by reaching around him.

Quotes:

Sid Jeffers:[regarding Helen Wright] She was born with a silver flask in her mouth.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Music of 'Humoresque' (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart

A Timeless Romance for Cinema and Music Lovers

In New York, the performance of the virtuoso violinist Paul Boray (John Garfield) is cancelled. In his apartment, Paul recalls when he was a boy and chooses a violin as a birthday gift from his working class parents. Paul dedicates his youth playing violin studying in the National Institute Orchestra with Professor Rozner and dreams on becoming a concert violinist. During the Great Depression, Paul overhears a conversation of his father and his older brother about his dedication to the violin and seeks out his best friend Sidney Jeffers (Oscar Levant) asking for a job.

Sid introduces Paul to the wealthy Helen Wright (Joan Crawford) and her husband Victor Wright (Paul Cavanagh) in a party. Helen is an unhappy alcoholic woman that sees that Paul is a talented violinist and brings him to work with the influent agent Bauer (Richard Gaines). His career starts to take off and Paul becomes her protégée. Sooner they have a love affair and they fall in love with each other. But Helen is jealous of the love of Paul for his violin and her insecurity ends in a tragedy.

"Humoresque" is a timeless romance for cinema and music lovers. The screenplay has awesome dialogs with unforgettable lines. When Helen gives a note in the theater to Paul, he is playing Carmen of Bizet and she feels like Don José and learns that she would never have the exclusive love of Paul since he is in love with his violin (and music). In the end, he is playing the tragic Tristan and Iseult of Wagner. Therefore, the film has many layers associated to the classical music. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Acordes do Coração" ("Chords of the Heart")