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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 Used: $5.97
as of 9/2/2010 13:48 CDT details
You Save: $14.01 (70%)
New (17) Used (10) from $5.97
Seller: Kiwiman1
Rating:  47 reviews
Sales Rank: 24099
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
Languages: English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Dubbed)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Running Time: 125 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
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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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
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
A glamorous but alcoholic socialite, trapped in a marriage to an older man, finds herself falling in love with the young musician whose performance she is underwriting.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: NR
Release Date: 14-JUN-2005
Media Type: DVD
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 47
 Classic movies June 7, 2010
Heller (jacksonville fl)
Someone at Warnes knew how great this movie was in 1947. It is perfectly preserved not a blemish on the transfer. Joan Crawford was at the zenith of career and her art. My GOD, what a performance !!! John Garfield, to have died so young is so tragic there are no words. The music was so beautiful in 1947 Columbia issued the soundtrack which was performed by Isaac Stern a young violinist in 1947 who would become world reknown. I wish this soundtrack was still available. Don't miss this movie. It is a treasure.
Leave him, Mrs. Wright! March 26, 2010
Norma Desmond2009 (Tucson, AZ USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I watched this excellent film with a friend recently. Of course over the years, I have watched Humoresque many times before and different things jump out at me each time, perhaps the sign of a truly great film.
This time, I found myself wondering about Helen Wright's (Joan Crawford's) frame of mind at the end of the film when she takes her dramatic leave of her lover. Was she simply losing her mental tether to reality or was she growing emotionally to reach a level of sacrifice? For a character of this type, and we have little sense of her except as a wealthy wife, she may have had little hope of rebuilding her life around some other center than Paul. I think that shimmering ambiguity in the character and in Crawford's portrayal is part of what makes the ending as close to totally effective as that of any film that I have seen.
In addition, Paul Boray's (John Garfield's) survival of his affair with Helen to a renewed encounter with his fellow musician and girl friend Gina must give us pause. Should we cheer or shudder for that girl? As he fades in the end of the film, this other ambiguity is never resolved. These complex characters and the waves of ambiguity they generate show screen writing and directorial skill--what a marvelous way to keep us turning the film over and over in our thoughts long after we have finished viewing!
Like a couple of others who have reviewed Humoresque, I will claim that this film's ability to charm does not lessen with a number of viewings. We may differ in our reasons for finding a new enchantment in the film each time we view it, but it has something special. Maybe Humoresque is not for everyone, but it delights many of us.
PS If for no other reason, then see the film for the excellent musical score and Oscar Levant's ascerbic shots that undercut the main melodrama, providing a commentary.
Gloria Mar. 2010
John Garfield fan February 26, 2010
G. Varelli
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I would always watch this movie when it came on television, but it was on so infrequently that I finally decided to buy it. The soundtrack is outstanding. You can't go wrong with Garfield and Crawford, and in a supporting role the talented Oscar Levant.
Excellent film-- May 15, 2009
Dawn (USA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
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)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 47
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