Great Caruso, The

Bravo, Enrico! Bravo, Mario! Renowned tenor Mario Lanza portrays his long-time singing idol Enrico Caruso in the crowd-pleasing musical that was 1951's #4 box-office hit. Suggested by Dorothy Caruso's biography of her husband, The Great Caruso rings out with aural pleasures (27 musical selections) and shines with the grandeur of a life lovingly refracted through the Hollywood biopic lens. The music (by Puccini, Donizetti, Verdi and more) emphasizes works most closely associated with Caruso. The story, spanning Caruso's Naples boyhood to worldwide acclaim and tragedy-stricken final performance, touches on the down-to-earth character traits that spread the singer's fame beyond the black-tie society of Metropolitan Opera connoisseurs. Nominated for three Academy Awards*, the movie won for Best Sound Recording.

• biography
• drama
• musical