The film explores the life of tenor Enrico Caruso, a vocalist who faces rejection from Musetta and Dorothy, and struggles to find acceptance in New York.The film explores the life of tenor Enrico Caruso, a vocalist who faces rejection from Musetta and Dorothy, and struggles to find acceptance in New York.The film explores the life of tenor Enrico Caruso, a vocalist who faces rejection from Musetta and Dorothy, and struggles to find acceptance in New York.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Won 1 Oscar
- 4 wins & 6 nominations total
- Antonio Scotti
- (as Paul Javor)
- Caruso (as boy)
- (as Peter Edward Price)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
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We watch the young Enrico (played with charm by Peter Edward Price) grow into an enterprising young man who realises his voice is potentially his fortune. As the young talent flourishes and develops we follow his rise to fame through to his eventual inevitable ending. I didn't get much sense that the character we were seeing in this film was 'Caruso'; having heard his recordings he projected a very different personality than that we see in Lanza; still, this production is entertaining enough.
Like Caruso before him, and long before the Three Tenors and Andrea Bocelli, Lanza became THE tenor superstar of his generation. If there is anyone who wants to know why, just listen to him sing some of the magnificent arias in this film. "Cielo e Mar," "E Lucevan le stelle," and especially his matchless "Vesti la Giubba," are evidence enough that Lanza could, indeed, have become bigger than Caruso, had not his excesses caught up with him at such a young age.
I have just a couple of negative comments to insert here. First, the plot, while it makes for a good story, actually has very little to do with Caruso's life (Read Enrico Caruso Jr.'s "Caruso: My Father and My Family" for a good, readable biography. He even compliments Lanza and his performance!). For one thing, Caruso didn't die on stage, but several months after that last performance at the Metropolitan. Second, the "Italian" mannerisms in this movie are straight out of the Henry Armetta/"Life with Luigi" school, stereotyped to the hilt.
But, given the overall scheme of things, these are relatively minor complaints. As to the rest, I say that, for those of you who've never heard Lanza and wonder why he was so great, this film will give you ample proof. For those of you who were there when Lanza was in his prime, here's a chance to live it all over again. A great film, and a matchless tribute to TWO of the legendary voices of our time.
But if everything else was in place it was no accident that no Hollywood studio attempted the task until Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had Mario Lanza under contract. No one else could have done it, I doubt whether it will ever be tried again.
And why should it. I think Enrico Caruso himself would have been satisfied as to how his singing was portrayed on screen. For his tenor voice was his life, his reason for being on the earth.
To say that liberties were taken with his life is to be modest. Caruso, like the man who portrayed him, was a man of large appetites although with a lot more self discipline. He had numerous relationships with several women and fathered two out of wedlock sons who are not in this film.
His contribution to the recording industry is treated as almost an afterthought. He's shown in a recording studio once late in his life. Actually he started recording right around the turn of the last century and together with Irish tenor John McCormack for RCA Victor made the recording industry what it became.
When Caruso and McCormack were at their heights you had to practically inherit a ticket to see either of them perform live. But a lot of immigrant Italian and Irish families had a phonograph and a record or three of either of these men. It's why both became the legends that they are.
What the film does have is some beautifully staged operatic arias done by Mario Lanza, a taste of what he might have become had he the discipline of a Caruso to stick to opera. The Great Caruso won an Oscar for sound recording and received nominations for costume and set design.
Mario himself helped popularize the film with an RCA Red Seal album of songs from The Great Caruso. Unfortunately due to contractual obligations we couldn't get an actual cast album with Ann Blyth, Dorothy Kirsten, and Jarmila Novotna also.
Though Blyth sang it in the film, Lanza had a big hit recording of The Loveliest Night of the Year further helping to popularize The Great Caruso.
If you're looking for a life of Enrico Caruso, this ain't it. If you are looking for a great artist singing at the height of his career, than you should not miss The Great Caruso.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis was the next-to-last completed MGM film under Louis B. Mayer's supervision (the last was Show Boat (1951), released in the summer of that year). A proxy fight soon after would see him removed as the head of the studio he helped to found. He was replaced by his former chief of production, Dore Schary. Mayer ran MGM for 27 years, Schary for barely 6.
- GoofsOpening credits: The events, characters and firms depicted in this photoplay are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual firms is purely coincidental. Says it ALL.
- Quotes
Enrico Caruso: It is true, Señor Barretto, that right now I sing for pennies. Pennies are not very important in a big house like this. But the singing, that is important everywhere. It makes people feel good inside, takes away the ugliness, the sadness, and it fills the empty place here. That too is something Señor, isn't it?
- Crazy creditsOpening credits: The events, characters and firms depicted in this photoplay are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual firms is purely coincidental.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story (1951)
- SoundtracksThe Loveliest Night of the Year
Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
Music adaptation by Irving Aaronson
Also performed by Ann Blyth (uncredited)
Adapted from "Sobre las olas" (uncredited)
Music by Juventino Rosas
- How long is The Great Caruso?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Der große Caruso
- Filming locations
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA(studio: made in Hollywood, U.S.A.)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 49 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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