John Garfield is sensational as a low-class, hot-tempered violinist who enters the wealthy upper class via relationship with society shark Joan Crawford. Melodrama is intriguing and engrossing, if a bit ham-handed, with humorous asides from Oscar Levant as Garfield's wry pianist. For classical music buffs, the soundtrack is a dream (with Garfield's playing dubbed by Isaac Stern). Production is handsome, and the screenplay is entertaining despite the soap opera trimmings. As for Crawford: she doesn't stretch at all, but her innate predictability turns a lot of people on. This is really John Garfield's picture (he reminds one now of a young Robert De Niro); Robert Blake plays Garfield as a child and he's terrific, too. **1/2 from ****
Review of Humoresque
