The Great Caruso
The Great Caruso is a 1951 American biographical musical film about the life of opera singer Enrico Caruso. Mario Lanza stars as Caruso, and the movie is directed by Richard Thorpe. It was produced by Joe Pasternak for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
The screenplay, by Sonya Levien and William Ludwig, is based on Dorothy Caruso’s 1945 biography Enrico Caruso: His Life and Death but adds many fictional elements. Johnny Green wrote the music, Joseph Ruttenberg was the cinematographer, and Helen Rose and Gile Steele designed the costumes. The film features many famous opera singers in supporting roles, and Peter Adler served as technical advisor and voice coach for Lanza.
The Great Caruso was controversial for its mix of fact and fiction, and the Caruso family sued MGM over inaccuracies, briefly leading to a withdrawal in Italy. The director said they aimed to be authentic but could not follow every detail exactly.
Premiere and release: The film premiered in Cincinnati on April 26, 1951, and opened in New York on May 10, 1951, with a Hollywood gala on May 29, 1951.
Reception: The New York Times critic Bosley Crowther called the script sentimental and clichéd, while the Los Angeles Times praised the film’s song performances and lavish production.
Box office and awards: The budget was about $1.85 million. It earned about $9.27 million at the worldwide box office, making a generous profit for MGM. It won Best Sound at the 24th Academy Awards and received nominations for costume design and score. RCA Victor released a soundtrack album that became very successful, helping popularize Lanza’s music. The film was also considered for the American Film Institute’s Greatest Movie Musicals list in 2006.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 20:20 (CET).