vincentlynch-moonoi
It's almost as if you have two separate movies here. There's Rose of Washington Square and her love affair...and there's Al Jolson reaching for the top of Broadway. The two stories do come together, but they almost seem like separate plots.The great thing about this film is that you see Al Jolson singing a few of his greatest hits...although he's not playing himself...sort of. The good news is that Jolson is in particularly fine voice here. More mellow and with a lower key than his early 78s, but clearer and purer than the Jolson on his recordings of a decade later, around the time of his bio-pics. The bad news is, ironically, that the father of sound films is a pretty stiff and lousy actor. Twentieth Century Fox thought so, too. This was his last starring role! And then you have the romance and drama between a Fanny Brice-like character and a Nicky Arnstein-like character. A coincidence? No, Fox just changed the names, and Brice sued them...and settled. But it's all very interesting. I can't say that Alice Faye had the best songs in this film, but she does do "My Man". If there's a problem here with this film it's that you have its other star (Tyrone Power) playing the bad guy...and we so want to like Tyrone Power.There was definitely screen chemistry between Tyrone Power and Alice Faye, but, unfortunately, their two other pairings -- "In Old Chicago" and "Alexander's Ragtime Band" -- are simply more compelling films.This is a film supremely worth watching for the singing performances of Al Jolson; too bad his acting wasn't as good! The drama of Rose...it's okay. Recommended, but it may not end up on your DVD shelf...unless Jolson tempts you!
gkeith_1
Tyrone. So good to look at. I feel that he is much more handsome in this part than the actor who played the real Nicky in the Funny G. movie (also shown tonight). No offense meant, buttttttt Tyrone was hot-hot-hot. He would make your heart melt. Both actors did good jobs as scoundrels, however.Tyrone, I hate to see you in these bad-guy/heel roles. You are much cuter in sympathetic roles, ala "Alexander's Ragtime Band".Alice. Excellent singer. Heartfelt emotions. Head-over-heels (her character) over Bart. Maybe she should have known better, but who could ever resist Tyrone? I would not have been able to, if I had been around in those days.Jolson. So wonderful to see him, and hear him perform his famous standards. The drunk in the balcony was an interesting addition to his (Ted's) act.Frawley. He of "I Love Lucy". It was good to see him. I think he played a police detective in yet another movie, the name of which escapes me.Viva the musicals.10/10
theowinthrop
It's a good film, but FUNNY GIRL is far better (and with it's sequel FUNNY LADY, more on target). At least Streisand plays the role of Fanny Brice as Fanny Brice - not like Alice Faye who plays her as Rose Sergent - the "Rose of Washington Square." This must have been a trend at 20th Century Fox when doing Faye - Power musicals. In ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND, Power was the great ragtime conductor, "Mr. Alexander". I'm sure though Irving Berlin did not mind about that one way or the other.Everyone knows that ROSE OF WASHINGTON SQUARE was a fictionalized account of the career of Fanny Brice (concentrating more on Brice's singing, rather than her gifts as a comedian). And Tyrone Power was (as Bart Clinton) playing her gambler husband Nicky Arnstein. But while the performance of Omar Shariff in FUNNY GIRL was well built up (his involvement in a stock fraud a desperate last attempt at retaking his self - respect as an independent bread winner, and not Fanny's leech-like husband), the performance of Power is far different. He does love Faye, but he is a rat from the start. Which is curious for fans of Power's career. Up to 1939 Power was always good, decent, heroic - he was Darryl Zanuck's "fair haired" (if dark haired) boy. Zanuck cast him only as great heroes. If he showed anger, it was directed against worst villains (even when he played Jessie James or a pirate). Zanuck must have been willing to allow this distinctly less likable part to Power, as he was opposite his usual screen lover (Faye) and he could really the role. And don't forget, at the end of the film Rose will remain faithful and wait for him to come back from prison.Power's first heel part is only one interesting aspect of the film. Faye's singing is on top, especially when she does I'm Always Chasing Rainbows. But the reappearance (after a few years on the nightclub circuit) of Al Jolson is quite intriguing. Several of his standards (April Showers, California Here I Come, and Avalon) are sung in the film by Jolson, but he plays it straight and (given his tendency to grab the entire film frame in earlier films) with considerable restraint. It is like he finally realized that he was part of an ensemble, not the whole show. So he gives yeoman work as Ted Cotter, the man who loves Rose but can't compete in her eyes with Bart. But he does force Bart to consider what his behavior is doing to Rose. In some ways, while THE JAZZ SINGER is the film he's recalled for, and his best starring movie was HALLELUJAH, I'M A BUM, Joly's best performance on film is as strong, good natured Ted.One final thing I like about this film. After their successful stealing of part of LILIAN RUSSELL from Faye, Edward Arnold, and Henry Fonda, it is nice that here again Weber and Fields showed up to give us a taste of their comic routines. A perfect cherry to the rest of this film sundae.
lugonian
ROSE OF WASHINGTON SQUARE (20th Century-Fox, 1939), directed by Gregory Ratoff, a nostalgic musical, is a worthy follow-up to Fox's previous success, ALEXANDER'S RANGTIME BAND (1938), both starring the up-and-coming Tyrone Power and Alice Faye, making their third and final screen appearance together (their initial being IN OLD CHICAGO in 1937). While this production belongs to Alice Faye and Tyrone Power in that order, it's Al Jolson, assuming third billing in a secondary role, who comes off best. His fine acting and song delivery remain the film's major asset, which makes one wish he were given more to do. ROSE OF WASHINGTON SQUARE is also the most musical of all the Jolson, as well as Faye films.In a story that opens circa 1919, Ted Cotter (Al Jolson) and Rose Sargent (Alice Faye) partners who specialize in singing, struggling to achieve success, are both working separately, he in a burlesque house singing while passing out theater programs, and she at amateur nights singing for nickels and dimes tossed to her. Disappointed, Rose breaks away from theater life to a Long Island resort accompanied by her friend, Peggy (Joyce Compton). While there she encounters Barton DeWitt Clinton (Tyrone Power), a handsome war veteran who happens to be a petty thief. A smooth operator, Clinton immediately wins Rose's affections. After his latest theft involving an expensive stolen necklace backfires, and under the watchful eye of Detective Mike (Charles C. Wilson), Clinton quickly leaves without any notice to Rose. In the meantime, Harry Long (William Frawley), a booking agent, has arranged for Ted to appear in a tryout. Thanks to the unintentional interruptions by the intoxicated loud-mouth patron (Hobart Cavanaugh) sitting up in the box, the act proves favorable and hired to boost up attendance. successful. As for Rose, she's singing in a basement speakeasies until she she once again encounters Clinton who saves her from a police raid. This time the two become inseparable and eventually marry, much to the dismay of Ted, who sees through Clinton for what he really is, but agrees to remain neutral for Rosie's sake. After Rose achieves her long delayed success in the Ziegfeld Follies, her personal life turns to heartache as Clinton, in desperate need of money, gets himself deeper and deeper in debt, leading to arrest and prison term.With a handful of old-time Broadway songs from the 1920s era, Alice Faye sings them in her usual manner, although several of them, including "My Man," are reportedly long associated with the legendary Fanny Brice. As for Al Jolson, he reprises many of his most celebrated hits in his traditional black-face manner. He is one for the memory book of legendary bygone entertainers. The musical program includes: "Pretty Baby" (sung by Al Jolson); "I'm Sorry I Made You Cry" (sung by Alice Faye); "Ja-Da" and "Vamp" (both sung by Faye); "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody" and "Toot-Toot Tootsie, Goodbye" (both sung by Jolson); "I'm Just Wild About Harry" (Alice Faye); "California, Here I Come" (Al Jolson); "I Never Knew Heaven Could Speak" and "Rose of Washington Square" (both sung by Faye); "Mammy" (Al Jolson); "My Man" and "My Man" (reprise, both sung by Faye). While the majority of the tunes are mainly sung by the principal players, with the camera giving them full focus, only the title tune is given the full production number treatment running nearly ten minutes.Also seen in the cast are: Moroni Olson playing Buck Russell; E.E. Clive, Louis Prima, Ben Weldon, Harry Hayden, Charles Lane and John Hamilton.According to an well documented, "HIDDEN Hollywood: FROM THE VAULTS OF 20th CENTURY-FOX" narrated by Joan Collins, which premiered on American Movie Classics in 1997, ROSE OF WASHINGTON SQUARE was originally planned as a two hour presentation, but was then cut to 86 minutes. Included in this documentary are numerous outtakes, featuring Jolson's rendition of "April Showers" and "Avalon," and Alice Faye's version to the film's theme song, "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows." Another added bonus was the guest appearances of the comedy team of Weber and Fields doing a stage act, as observed in the audience by Jolson and William Frawley. It's also been noted somewhere that actress Winifred Harris appeared as Broadway legend Lillian Russell (a role Alice Faye would portray in 1940), whose scenes were also cut. The documentary does explain as to why certain scenes didn't make it to the final print. As with other 20th Century-Fox musicals attempting to recapture the days of old Broadway, ROSE OF WASHINGTON SQUARE is historically inaccurate in the hairstyle and fashion department being 1939 modern. Although the opening titles credit this movie to be entirely fiction, there's no doubt that it's suggested on the career of Fanny Brice.In spite of these shortcomings, ROSE OF WASHINGTON SQUARE, as a musical, is entertaining as well as involving in plot. As mentioned before, Al Jolson nearly steals the limelight from his leading players. Sadly, this would mark an end of a era for this legendary singer whose legacy remains with THE JAZZ SINGER (Warner Brothers, 1927),Hollywood's "first talkie," while Power and Faye would continue their fame and fortune for the duration of their careers.ROSE OF WASHINGTON SQUARE, distributed to home video in the 1990s, unseen on cable TV since it's American Movie Classic days, made its Turner Classic Movies premiere May 5, 2013. The home video edition contains "April Showers" and "Avalon" outtakes, along with its theatrical trailer. Of her musicals, ROSE OF WASHINGTON SQUARE has become one of the most remembered and admired of all her movies. (***)
