Rose of Washington Square
by Gregory Ratoff
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Al Jolson, Alice Faye, Joyce Compton, Tyrone Power, William FrawleyDirector: Gregory Ratoff
Brand: Fox
Writer: Jerry Horwin
Writer: John Larkin
Writer: Nunnally Johnson
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 86 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-10-07
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Movie Reviews of Rose of Washington Square
Movie Review: fine musical with superlative acting, singing and dancing
Summary: 5 Stars
(4.5 stars)
Rose of Washington Square features great singing and dancing; and it boasts a fine cast with incredible acting. This is clearly one of the better Fox musicals; it'll keep your interest as the plot moves along at a good pace. The choreography and the cinematography work very well; and the quality of the print is actually pretty good after its restoration although there was still a moment here and there where the film could use some extra polish.
When the film starts, we meet several main characters: there's Rose Sargent (Alice Faye) who works in vaudeville clubs and speakeasies with her friend and showbiz partner Ted Cotter (Al Jolson). After they fail to convince their "agent" Harry Long (William Frawley) that they have what it takes for bigger and better things, Rose and her friend Peggy (Joyce Compton) decide to take a brief respite from the city into the country. They do indeed go--and Rose soon falls in love at first sight with "Bart" Barton DeWitt Clinton (Tyrone Power). Despite the fact that Rose eventually sees the extent to which Bart is really going against the law, she decides to stick by her man. That could cost her; Bart has fancy merchandise shipped to a home of a rich friend, Major Buck Russell (Moroni Olsen) as part of a scam to make it look like the store shipped a far more expensive item than he ordered by "mistake;" and Bart's dealings with some pretty shady characters don't stop after Rose enters his life. Bart's business goes against what Rose's showbiz partner Ted Cotter believes in; Ted tries to tell Rose that she should stay away from Bart but Rose is intent on loving her man. All the while, police detective Mike Cavanaugh (Charles C. Wilson) is trailing Bart, just waiting for Bart to slip up so badly that he can finally arrest him.
But the plot is not just about bad times--good things happen, too. Harry added a paid drunk to liven up Ted's show; and that worked to get Ted noticed! In addition, Rose is noticed by agents for Florenz Ziegfeld when she sings at a party to honor Ted's achievements in the theater. After a few very brief plot twists, Rose joins Ziegfeld's Follies as a star and she wows them with her performances!
Of course, with this being a musical we get marvelous song and dance numbers--much better than I'm used to seeing from Fox. There's an outstanding song and dance routine when Rose sings "Rose of Washington Square;" the dancing took my breath away! Al Jolson performs several of his classic numbers, although I wished very badly he hadn't done them in that awful blackface. I cannot give this a five star rating because of that. The finale features Alice Faye doing a sublime rendition of "My Man;" and it leaves you wanting more.
It may seem as if I've given it all away, but of course I really haven't. The plot can still go anywhere--and in fact there are several plot twists I'm leaving out on purpose so I don't ruin it for you. Will Peggy, Rose's friend, ever become a star in her own right? Will Bart ever get caught by the law; and what about those guys he does his business with? Will Ted ever lose his patience with Rose as she stubbornly refuses to leave Bart's side? No plot spoilers here, folks--watch the film and find out!
The DVD comes with a few really nice bonuses. There's a fascinating featurette on Alice Faye, a restoration comparison and more.
Rose of Washington Square is an excellent musical with a plot that is much meatier than the average musical offers--and that's terrific. Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, Al Jolson all give memorable performances; I love it! I highly recommend this film for fans of classic movie musicals.
Summary of Rose of Washington Square
ROSE OF WASHINGTON SQUARE - DVD Movie