Humoresque (B or 3/4 stars)
'Humoresque' (a romantic drama potboiler directed by Jean Negulesco) starts out as the story of Paul Boray (John Garfield), a tough & talented violinist from a poor, working-class background who is championed on by his piano-playing friend, Sid Jeffers (Oscar Levant). 20 some-odd minutes into the plot is when Paul meets Helen Wright (Joan Crawford), a near-sighted, super wealthy society hostess {and drunk} who falls hard for him after he plays his violin - and then insults her - at one of her lavish parties. As an aside, Crawford gets to wear glasses for this role and, I think they were quite fetching on her. So anyway, Helen takes him under her wing; having the means & connections needed to get Paul's foot in the door of the music world.
Now, for better or worse, 'Humoresque' is chock full of classical music. During most of the recitals that occur - where Isaac Stern doubles for Garfield's violin playing - we are left to look at Joan Crawford's enraptured, near-sexual emotional reactions to Paul's playing. Cinematographer Ernest Haller zones in on Garfield's impassioned playing so much & zones in on Crawford's face with such erotic fervor that it is almost laughable how suggestive it all is. Basically, 'Humoresque' is all about Joan Crawford's pleasured face, haha. The central relationship btwn. these two characters turns into a romantic one {shocker}, but the utterly destructive behavior of neurotic Helen may soon be too much for Paul Boray to bear.
There is a lot of glitz & glamor, here. There is a lot of drunken self-loathing. And while I won't divulge the ending, let's just say it is tragic. There is a death march scene that feels like it goes on forever; verging on parody, when it is meant to be serious. What happens - visually - at the tail end of this sequence is just something to behold. All of this makes it sound like I didn't care for 'Humoresque'. On the contrary, I found it absolutely hypnotic to watch. Hypnotic for Garfield. Hypnotic for Crawford -- they are both exceptional in their roles. Hypnotic, too, for how artificial the story & dialogue is. I loved watching 'Humoresque' as much as Garfield loved watching his instrument, and as much as Crawford loved watching Garfield.
Now, for better or worse, 'Humoresque' is chock full of classical music. During most of the recitals that occur - where Isaac Stern doubles for Garfield's violin playing - we are left to look at Joan Crawford's enraptured, near-sexual emotional reactions to Paul's playing. Cinematographer Ernest Haller zones in on Garfield's impassioned playing so much & zones in on Crawford's face with such erotic fervor that it is almost laughable how suggestive it all is. Basically, 'Humoresque' is all about Joan Crawford's pleasured face, haha. The central relationship btwn. these two characters turns into a romantic one {shocker}, but the utterly destructive behavior of neurotic Helen may soon be too much for Paul Boray to bear.
There is a lot of glitz & glamor, here. There is a lot of drunken self-loathing. And while I won't divulge the ending, let's just say it is tragic. There is a death march scene that feels like it goes on forever; verging on parody, when it is meant to be serious. What happens - visually - at the tail end of this sequence is just something to behold. All of this makes it sound like I didn't care for 'Humoresque'. On the contrary, I found it absolutely hypnotic to watch. Hypnotic for Garfield. Hypnotic for Crawford -- they are both exceptional in their roles. Hypnotic, too, for how artificial the story & dialogue is. I loved watching 'Humoresque' as much as Garfield loved watching his instrument, and as much as Crawford loved watching Garfield.