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IMDbPro

Rose of Washington Square

  • 19391939
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 26m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
626
YOUR RATING
Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, and Al Jolson in Rose of Washington Square (1939)
  • Drama
  • Musical
  • Romance
A singer becomes a star in the Ziegfeld Follies, but her marriage to a con man has a bad effect on her career.A singer becomes a star in the Ziegfeld Follies, but her marriage to a con man has a bad effect on her career.A singer becomes a star in the Ziegfeld Follies, but her marriage to a con man has a bad effect on her career.
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
626
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Gregory Ratoff
  • Writers
    • Nunnally Johnson(screen play)
    • John Francis Larkin(based on a story by)
    • Jerry Horwin(based on a story by)
  • Stars
    • Tyrone Power
    • Alice Faye
    • Al Jolson
Top credits
  • Director
    • Gregory Ratoff
  • Writers
    • Nunnally Johnson(screen play)
    • John Francis Larkin(based on a story by)
    • Jerry Horwin(based on a story by)
  • Stars
    • Tyrone Power
    • Alice Faye
    • Al Jolson
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 21User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos27

    Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, and Al Jolson in Rose of Washington Square (1939)
    Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, and Al Jolson in Rose of Washington Square (1939)
    1 sheet 28 x 39
    Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, and Al Jolson in Rose of Washington Square (1939)
    Alice Faye and Al Jolson in Rose of Washington Square (1939)
    Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, Lew Hicks, George Mori, and Charles C. Wilson in Rose of Washington Square (1939)
    Tyrone Power and Alice Faye in Rose of Washington Square (1939)
    Tyrone Power and Alice Faye in Rose of Washington Square (1939)
    Tyrone Power and Alice Faye in Rose of Washington Square (1939)
    Alice Faye in Rose of Washington Square (1939)
    Tyrone Power and Alice Faye in Rose of Washington Square (1939)
    Tyrone Power and Alice Faye in Rose of Washington Square (1939)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tyrone Power
    Tyrone Power
    • Barton Dewitt Clintonas Barton Dewitt Clinton
    Alice Faye
    Alice Faye
    • Rose Sargentas Rose Sargent
    Al Jolson
    Al Jolson
    • Ted Cotteras Ted Cotter
    William Frawley
    William Frawley
    • Harry Longas Harry Long
    Joyce Compton
    Joyce Compton
    • Peggyas Peggy
    Hobart Cavanaugh
    Hobart Cavanaugh
    • Whitey Booneas Whitey Boone
    Moroni Olsen
    Moroni Olsen
    • Major Buck Russellas Major Buck Russell
    E.E. Clive
    E.E. Clive
    • Barouche Driveras Barouche Driver
    Louis Prima
    Louis Prima
    • Band Leaderas Band Leader
    Charles C. Wilson
    Charles C. Wilson
    • Police Lt. Mike Cavanaughas Police Lt. Mike Cavanaugh
    Hal K. Dawson
    • Chumpas Chump
    Paul E. Burns
    Paul E. Burns
    • Chumpas Chump
    • (as Paul Burns)
    Ben Welden
    Ben Welden
    • Tobyas Toby
    Horace McMahon
    Horace McMahon
    • Irvingas Irving
    • (as Horace MacMahon)
    Paul Stanton
    Paul Stanton
    • District Attorneyas District Attorney
    Maurice Cass
    Maurice Cass
    • Mr. Mok - Furniture Buyeras Mr. Mok - Furniture Buyer
    Harry Hayden
    • Dexteras Dexter
    Charles Lane
    Charles Lane
    • Sam Kressas Sam Kress
    • Director
      • Gregory Ratoff
    • Writers
      • Nunnally Johnson(screen play)
      • John Francis Larkin(based on a story by)
      • Jerry Horwin(based on a story by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This film closely resembles the life of entertainer Fanny Brice, and Alice Faye even sings Brice's signature song, "My Man" in the film. According to Alice Faye: The Star Next Door (1996), Brice sued 20th Century Fox for $750,000. The studio benefited from the publicity generated by the lawsuit - the film became the highest grossing musical of 1939 - and eventually settled out of court with Brice for an undisclosed amount. It has also been alleged that Power's character resembles Nicky Arnstein.
    • Quotes

      Barton Dewitt Clinton: You know, I wish you were in some kind of trouble.

      Rose Sargent: But why?

      Barton Dewitt Clinton: Just so that I could get you out of it.

    • Alternate versions
      They cut out Alice Faye singing "Chasing Rainbows" from the film, but it is on the DVD.
    • Connections
      Featured in Take It or Leave It (1944)
    • Soundtracks
      Rose of Washington Square
      Music by James F. Hanley

      Lyrics by Ballard MacDonald

      Performed by Alice Faye

    User reviews21

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Alice Just Shines
    In this early version of the Funny Girl story, Alice Faye as Rose Sargent simply shines in her performance. Alice's warm contralto voice was one of the easiest to take of any musical star from the Thirties. She's helped her by a collection of post World War I standards and a new song written by the 20th Century Fox songwriting team of Mack Gordon and Harry Revel, I Never Knew Heaven Could Speak.

    Other than the names were changed to make them ethnically neutral, Alice, as Fanny Brice, sings a lot of ballads in her own style. Fanny Brice as a performer was nothing if not ethnic. Other than her famous standard My Man, in which Faye reprises her well, Brice's repertoire consisted of comedy numbers mostly with an accent to identify her Lower East Side of New York Jewish origins.

    Still Alice in her goyish version of Fanny was real enough so that Fanny sued 20th Century Fox to stop the film. She and Darryl Zanuck reached an out of court settlement.

    Tyrone Power is Hobart DeWitt Clinton(Nicky Arnstein), a name certainly waspy enough to disguise any ethnicity. It's Ty's third and final film with Alice Faye. Whether played by Power or Omar Sharif, the husband's role is a tricky one. He's a charming con man and you can't make him to weak or the audience will never understand why Faye is even bothering with him. Of course if you have the looks of Tyrone Power, it's easy. But you do have to have the talent to match which Power does. In the storyline at the beginning, Power is identified as having served in the American Expeditionary Force in France in World War I. Deliberately put there to make the audience empathetic with him. After all in 1939 there were certainly a lot of moviegoers who were veterans or in the families of World War I veterans.

    Al Jolson was here and shares the spotlight with Faye in singing some of his old standards from that period. He was very good in his part as Faye's confidante and fellow performer. But Jolson with his ego did not like sharing the spotlight with anyone. His three 20th Century Fox roles were supporting or guest star roles and he hated it. Equally I might add that Alice Faye couldn't stand him.

    Irony of ironies, back in the day Jolson himself got into a famous feud with Walter Winchell who was the creative genius behind Broadway Through a Keyhole. That film was a disguised version of his own courtship and marriage to Ruby Keeler and Jolson was the one doing the suing then.

    Alice Faye is not Fanny Brice in the film, but I'm happy with her just being Alice Faye.
    helpful•18
    1
    • bkoganbing
    • Oct 9, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 5, 1939 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Roža velemesta
    • Filming locations
      • Stage 14, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Twentieth Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 26 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Related news

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    Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, and Al Jolson in Rose of Washington Square (1939)
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