Jonny's Pick: Humoresque

"Here's to love...and here's to the time when we were little girls, and no one asked us to marry."



I recently saw another film my darling Jonathan picked out for me. It is the 1946 movie, Humoresque, starring Joan Crawford and John Garfield.



Humoresque follows the tale of Paul Boray, a struggling violinist, desperate to be part of the classical music scene.



He is discovered by a wealthy married socialite, Helen Wright. She is enchanted by his talent and sets out to make him a star.



The two embark on a playful affair.



But sex quickly turns to love.



Their romance in doomed from the very start. After all, Helen is married and has been married twice before. Paul's close knit family does not approve of his romance with the ball-busting alcoholic heiress.



Helen also quickly learns that loving a musician is an incredibly difficult task. She will always play second fiddle to his first love, the violin. Plus, the more successful Paul gets, the more obsessed with his career he becomes. She feels completely neglected and devastatingly depressed.



It is the perfect role for Hollywood diva, Joan Crawford. She portrays the emotionally battered and bruised vamp with an incredibly vulnerable performance. All without losing her snap, of course.



After all, it is Joan Crawford.



I was also pleased with the realistic chemistry between Joan and her co-star, John Garfield. The two really seemed to mesh together. Which isn't surprising, given their obvious playfulness in the behind-the-scenes photo above. The two were actually close friends.

I highly recommend Humoresque. The screenplay was beautifully written and contains some of the best one-liners in Hollywood history. The acting by both stars was superb. Plus, the breathtaking classical music doesn't only narrate this film, it practically steals the show...and your heart.

Thanks to my bestie, Jonny, for introducing me to this magical film!