The Great Caruso

The Great Caruso

US (1951): Musical/Biography

This MGM biopic directed by Richard Thorpe loosely traces the life of tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921), played by Mario Lanza. He loves Musetta, in his home town of Naples, and then Dorothy Benjamin (Ann Blyth), the daughter of one of the Metropolitan Opera's patrons. Caruso is unacceptable to both women's fathers: to one, because he sings; to Dorothy's, because he is a peasant. To New York patricians, Caruso is short, barrel chested, loud, emotional, unrefined. Their appreciation comes slowly. The film depicts Caruso's lament that "the man does not have the voice, the voice has the man": he cannot be places he wants to be, because he must be elsewhere singing, including the day his mother dies. Throughout, Mario Lanza and stars from the Met sing. (IMDb)

View Lanza singing "Celeste Aida" from Verdi's Aida in this film on YouTube.com.

· Best Sound Recording 1951: Douglas Shearer - Sound Director

· Costume Design (Color) 1951: Helen Rose, Gile Steele
· Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Musical Picture) 1951: Peter Herman Alder, Johnny Green

3 nominations, 1 Award