Fannie Hurst's novel Humoresque is the lachrymose tale of a famed Jewish-American violinist who forgets all about his friends and family in his rise to fame. Screenwriters Clifford Odets and Zachary Gold refashioned this timeworn material into a first-class, big-budget soap opera, completely dominated by the high-octane talents of Joan Crawford and John Garfield. A gifted musician, Garfield rises from the slums to the upper echelons of society, thanks to the patronage of wealthy, alcoholic
Crawford. Virtually ignored by her husband Paul Cavanaugh, Crawford adopts Garfield as her lover as well as her protégé. He is only mildly offended by the setup; she, on the other hand, becomes jealous and possessive. It is not a woman who comes between Crawford and Garfield: it the intensity of his talent, not to mention the spectre of the great composers whose works he interprets so brilliantly. Garfield's virago of a mother (Ruth Nelson) feeds upon Crawford's jealousy, planting the seeds of guilt for (allegedly) holding her son back. The ultrastylish suffering of Joan Crawford and the street-punk insouciance of John Garfield (who looks like a "Dead End Kid" even while wearing a tux) is counterpointed by the phlegmatic comedy relief of Oscar Levant. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Now a days regarded as camp, Jean Negulesco's melodramatic exploration of desire features Joan Crawford at her limited best, but the music played by Isaac Stern and lush score by Franz Waxman offer pleasure, and so do Garfield, the decor and costumes.
A well-done classic film. Joan Crawford is great as an unstable and empty rich wife, threatening the success of a talented violinist. The acting performances are top notch all around. Notable was the mother of the violinist. The orchestra performances are a spectacle. High quality production and direction too. I
remember SCTV doing a skit based on this. The scenes on the beach on the end are well conceived. This movie caught my interest all the way through.
Goes on a little with the musical bits, (although some would probably see that as a positive thing). It also felt to me like this movie took a very long time to get going. About half way through it really does pick up and though I had gathered it probably wouldn't end well, the end was a shock. Joan Crawford, as usual,
plays a strong woman, although with vulnerability you don't see straight away. I had sympathy for her, though I am not sure she was intended to be that way. A must see for fans of older films.
No quotes approved yet for Humoresque. Logged in users can submit quotes.
Submit a Quote from 'Humoresque'
A quote can be a single line from one character or a memorable dialog between several characters. Please make your quotes accurate. Quotes will be submitted for approval by the RT staff.
Example:
Luke: Alright. I'll give it a try. Yoda: No. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.
