The title "Rose of Washington Square" was taken from that of an American popular song which is used in the film. The story is ostensibly about a fictitious Broadway singer named Rose Sargent, but was obviously inspired by events in the life of the real-life entertainer Fanny Brice. (Her life was later to be dramatised in the sixties stage and film musical "Funny Girl"). Some details were changed; Brice was of European Jewish ancestry and (as the title of "Funny Girl" suggests) as much a comedienne as a singer, basing much of her comedy around Jewish life, while Rose is Anglo-Saxon and a pure singer rather than an all-round entertainer. Nevertheless, there was little doubt who the character was based upon, especially as, at a key point in the action, Rose gives a moving rendition of "My Man", a song which was originally of French origin but which had become particularly associated with Brice. Brice was not amused, and sued the studio, 20th Century Fox, for invasion of privacy, claiming $750,000. (The case was eventually settled out of court). We will never know what she would have thought of "Funny Girl", as she died several years before it appeared.
The film was made in 1939, but the action takes place in the 1920s. (A sign outside a theatre suggests that the year is 1919, but this cannot be correct because Prohibition, which did not take effect until the following year, is already in force). The clothes and hairstyles, however, are more suggestive of the late thirties than of the twenties; these things tended to change more quickly in the early twentieth century than they do today, but film-makers did not always strive for accuracy if their film was set in the relatively recent past.
The film has an unusual storyline for the 1930s, probably because it was based upon real-life events. It is the story of a girl who loves both a good man and a bad man. Now normally a film with this particular theme would end up with the girl recognising the good man's superior virtues and choosing him over his villainous rival, but in "Rose of Washington Square" the bad man wins. The girl, of course, is Rose. The good man is Ted Cotter, an established Broadway performer who discovers her and does all he can to advance her career. The bad man is boulevardier Bart Clinton, younger and more handsome than Ted, possessed of a good deal of charm and, seemingly, also of a good deal of money. In fact, Bart is a con artist who is less rich than he seems, and what money he does possess has been made dishonestly. Bart was based upon Brice's second husband Nicky Arnstein; like Arnstein, he eventually goes to prison for dishonest share dealing. In real life Brice divorced Arnstein shortly after his release from jail, but in the film Rose stands by her man, vowing to wait for him after he is sentenced.
Although Bart ends up with the girl, the real hero of the film is Ted, portrayed as sincere and unselfish. He is played by Al Jolson, which causes what is probably the greatest problem with this film for modern audiences. Jolson has been described as "the king of blackface", and Ted also blacks up for his act, singing Jolson's best-known song, "Mammy". Autres temps, autres moeurs. Today, of course, the whole blackface tradition is widely regarded as offensive to black people, and it is no answer to claim (inaccurately) that it was not so regarded in the first half of the last century. The truth is that many people did find it offensive at the time, but their objections were not listened to.
On the plus side, Tyrone Power was perhaps better known for playing dashing heroes, but here makes a convincing "handsome heel", charming enough to make us realise why Rose falls for him despite his obvious lack of moral fibre. Alice Faye is an appealing heroine and gets plenty of opportunity to demonstrate what a fine contralto voice she had. The film is dated, but much of it can still be watched for pleasure. I just wished that an actor without Jolson's cultural baggage had been cast as Ted. 6/10.
The film was made in 1939, but the action takes place in the 1920s. (A sign outside a theatre suggests that the year is 1919, but this cannot be correct because Prohibition, which did not take effect until the following year, is already in force). The clothes and hairstyles, however, are more suggestive of the late thirties than of the twenties; these things tended to change more quickly in the early twentieth century than they do today, but film-makers did not always strive for accuracy if their film was set in the relatively recent past.
The film has an unusual storyline for the 1930s, probably because it was based upon real-life events. It is the story of a girl who loves both a good man and a bad man. Now normally a film with this particular theme would end up with the girl recognising the good man's superior virtues and choosing him over his villainous rival, but in "Rose of Washington Square" the bad man wins. The girl, of course, is Rose. The good man is Ted Cotter, an established Broadway performer who discovers her and does all he can to advance her career. The bad man is boulevardier Bart Clinton, younger and more handsome than Ted, possessed of a good deal of charm and, seemingly, also of a good deal of money. In fact, Bart is a con artist who is less rich than he seems, and what money he does possess has been made dishonestly. Bart was based upon Brice's second husband Nicky Arnstein; like Arnstein, he eventually goes to prison for dishonest share dealing. In real life Brice divorced Arnstein shortly after his release from jail, but in the film Rose stands by her man, vowing to wait for him after he is sentenced.
Although Bart ends up with the girl, the real hero of the film is Ted, portrayed as sincere and unselfish. He is played by Al Jolson, which causes what is probably the greatest problem with this film for modern audiences. Jolson has been described as "the king of blackface", and Ted also blacks up for his act, singing Jolson's best-known song, "Mammy". Autres temps, autres moeurs. Today, of course, the whole blackface tradition is widely regarded as offensive to black people, and it is no answer to claim (inaccurately) that it was not so regarded in the first half of the last century. The truth is that many people did find it offensive at the time, but their objections were not listened to.
On the plus side, Tyrone Power was perhaps better known for playing dashing heroes, but here makes a convincing "handsome heel", charming enough to make us realise why Rose falls for him despite his obvious lack of moral fibre. Alice Faye is an appealing heroine and gets plenty of opportunity to demonstrate what a fine contralto voice she had. The film is dated, but much of it can still be watched for pleasure. I just wished that an actor without Jolson's cultural baggage had been cast as Ted. 6/10.