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Humoresque |  | Director: Jean Negulesco
Actors: Joan Crawford, John Garfield, Oscar Levant, J. Carrol Naish, Joan Chandler
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy New: $2.32
as of 11/8/2009 00:27 CST details
You Save: $17.66 (88%)
New (38) Used (16) Collectible (2) from $2.32
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Rating:  45 reviews
Sales Rank: 30777
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), French (Dubbed)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 125 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 67307
ISBN: 1419804901
UPC: 012569673076
EAN: 9781419804908
ASIN: B0008ENI98
Theatrical Release Date: December 25, 1946
Release Date: June 14, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Glamorous socialite Helen Wright (Joan Crawford) takes what she wants clothes, alcohol, men uses them up and tosses them aside. Then she meets brilliant young violinist Paul Boray (John Garfield). But this is one toy she can't break. Instead, her love for Paul brings Helen to the breaking point.In this acclaimed and profound exploration of desire, Crawford makes Helen a rich, layered character tor |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com essential video
The greatness of John Garfield was that he was a tough guy who wasn't afraid to wear his sensitivity on his sleeve. What makes this such a great film is that director Jean Negulesco and his two writers (including Clifford Oddets) construct a complex web of ambiguity around Garfield's own torment. He's a violin virtuoso from the slums of New York who rises to the top with the assistance of socialite Joan Crawford (who was never better). There's a sexual intensity to his art that she wants to possess, and there's a vulnerability behind her lacerating façade that he wants to expose. They play each other like a couple of virtuosos, stripping each other's spirit away. What helps transcend this depression-era class struggle is its cool sophistication. It's a sublime noir about loneliness. Everyone knows his dream has hit a dead end, except Garfield. He refuses to give up, even after his soul is long gone. --Bill Desowitz
Product Description
Glamorous socialite Helen Wright (Joan Crawford) takes what she wants clothes alcohol men uses them up and tosses them aside. Then she meets brilliant young violinist Paul Boray (John Garfield). But this is one toy she can't break. Instead her love for Paul brings Helen to the breaking point. In this acclaimed and profound exploration of desire Crawford makes Helen a rich layered character torn between selfless love and selfish impulses. Garfield matches her as the driven genius. Humoresque's production values extend to the musical interludes dubbed by Isaac Stern. Garfield's dazzling technique is thanks to two real violinists hidden behind him one to do the fingering and one the bow work. Bravo!Running Time: 125 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 012569673076
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 45
 Excellent film-- May 15, 2009
Dawn (USA)
I personally loved this movie. Joan Crawford was the name I recognized, but fell in love with John Garfield. The chemistry between the two incredible. The music took my breath away it is so hauntingly beautiful. I was happy to learn who actually played the violin pieces and have since bought two different soundtracks advertised on amazon.
Even high art is dog-eat-dog behind the scenes January 30, 2009
Joseph P. Menta, Jr. (Philadelphia, PA USA)
Sweeping, emotional "women's picture" from Warner Brothers' 1940's heyday features two strong, memorable leads: John Garfield's driven classical violinist and his rich patron, socialite Joan Crawford. Both characters are a piece of work, resulting in fireworks (both happy and otherwise) and some genuine complexity as Garfield moves up the ranks and becomes the toast of the classical music world. The real star of the movie, however, is the music, which is often featured front and center, and at length. If you're not partial to energetic, dramatic classical music performances, that aspect of the film may bore you a little, but if you do enjoy that sort of thing, you're in for a treat.
Oscar Levant's turn as Garfield's cynical friend, a capable piano player but not quite good enough to be a star performer himself, is also a highlight of "Humoresque". I liked the way he idly played old Gershwin Tin Pan Alley numbers as he argued with his friend about this and that.
The DVD of "Humoresque" features a sharp, clean print of the film and an interesting special feature that shows the clever ways the film made non-violinist John Garfield appear like a virtuoso on screen. For now I'll just say this: it helped that then-newcomer Isaac Stern was a big part of the sleight-of-hand employed.
"Humoresque" is a polished, well-crafted little gem from Hollywood's golden era, and well worth the time of film fans.
 Predictible, Trasparent & Cliched January 6, 2009
Shell-Zee (Long Island, NY)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Maybe I'm a dyed in the wool old cynic. Perhaps I have no sense of real drama. Or maybe my idea of a great love story is "Love Story". But for the life of me, I can not understand what all the fuss is about this sappy old melodramatic yarn. To start with the plot is about as unique as a three-horned unicorn...Boy from the wrong side of the tracks falls in love with a sophisticated upper-class society dame. He uses her to climb to the top of the ladder of his dreams and once he gets there, they both realize they have about as much in common as Abbott & Godzilla.
Really, is it me or doesn't it seem that this dime store romance plays on for a good two plus hours until you'd swear it takes up the better part of a whole day? The first half holds up pretty well...John Garfield struggling to raise above his grocery store humble beginnings, steadfastly clinging to his dream of becomming a concert violinist...Then his big break comes in the form of the wealthly society partron, Joan Crawford. The two engage in a verbal game of callous one-up-manship until she finally falls head over heels in love with him. She bestows him with lavish gifts and introduces him to the most influential people. She guides his fledgling career until he becomes the toast of the classical music world. But is our boy grateful and dutiful to his patron? Of course not. For his one true love is his art. And like all true artists he cares nothing for fortune and fame, and less for the woman who made it all possible.
But wait, is it too late for him to redeem himself? Can he mend his ways and finally find true love and happiness in his benevolent benifactor? And can Joan Crawford, who has given up everything, her husband, her pride, even the bottle hold out long enough to fianlly have her man? Well I won't give anything away. All I can say is the final twenty minutes is so transparent, so predictable, that even Inspector Clouseau would know how it all ends. Watching the closing sequence of John Garfield performing his violin concerto, while Joan Crawford drowns her sorrow in a barrel full of booze is just too agonizing for me.
On a brighter note, the acting is top notch for these two bonified Hollywood legends. Even the supporting cast, Oscar Levant, Joan Chandler and J. Carrol Naish all contribute stalworth performances. The scenes of Crawford's fabulous Fifth Ave apartment are most elegant. The costumes are flawless and the black & white cinamatography is awesome. Even the music is wonderful. But unfortunately none of this can rescue a plot that is far too cliched, dialogue that is overly cynical, urbane and glib to be real and characters that seem lifeless and void of any true humanity. I'm sorry John and my deepest appologies Joan...But this just isn't one of your finer screen moments.
humoresque December 30, 2008
Diane Kimball (Oak Lawn,IL)
This is a great acting/movie vehicle for John Garfield and Joan Crawford.The duo has great charisma and the storyline is unpredictable. One of the over-looked great films of this gentre. Diane(DK) K., Oak Lawn, IL
all the reviews written are 5 stars November 10, 2008
William P. Ruspantine
if you are a dedicated musician and had the rare opportunity to make it your life's work( which is near nil in today's world), then you will love this movie.It's the fight between the marriage of woman or music.music will always win because there is no separation of the man and his music, they are one and the same.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 45
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