My Cousin

Here is another example of running across an item totally by accident and finding something extremely worthwhile. I wasn't looking for this title. In fact I didn't even know that it existed. But what a find! This 2 disc set, VOICE OF THE CENTURY, contains a DVD and a CD of Caruso recordings and was put out by BMG Entertainment, the German conglomerate who owns the rights to the RCA Victor classical music library. The CD features arias by Verdi, Puccini, and others along with his signature tune (Vesti la giubba) from PAGLIACCI. The DVD features the A&E BIOGRAPHY episode on Enrico Caruso which runs about 45 minutes. It provides a good but superficial introduction to the great tenor but as pointed out in another review it leaves quite a few questions unanswered.

As also pointed out elsewhere the real prize in this collection is the inclusion of Caruso's 1918 silent film MY COUSIN. This rarely seen offering features Caruso in two roles. One is as a famous opera singer (naturally) while the other is that of a poor sculptor in New York's Little Italy who might be the singer's cousin. While the story is routine what makes the film so remarkable is Caruso himself and the authentic NY backgrounds including a performance inside the old Metropolitan Opera house. While you can't hear Caruso's voice (that's what the CD is for) you can easily tell what a natural and dynamic performer he must have been and why he was (and still is) so beloved. The movie was directed by Edward Jose' who is best known to silent film fans as Theda Bara's primary victim in A FOOL THERE WAS.

MY COUSIN looks to be taken from a 16mm copy but is in decent shape by silent film standards and the piano accompaniment of opera arias and popular Italian tunes works quite well. Looking at this release as a silent film fan and as a classical music lover I found it to be an unbeatable combination. Sure the BIOGRAPHY segment is not as good as it could have been and there are better Caruso recordings available elsewhere but this is the only place to get MY COUSIN. Put all three together and that makes it a must buy for the opera lover and/or the silent film enthusiast. BTW, 2021 marked the 100th anniversary of Caruso's passing...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

Enrico Caruso was one of the early global icons for his opera singing and here appropriately plays duel roles as a world famous Italian opera singer and his poor cousin living in NYC who works as a sculptor. Within the two roles he is quite distinct in his appearance and, indeed, the film begins with a sequence of various appearances the opera singer took on for his opera roles.

The plot hinges on the sculptor's love for Rosa who both works as his model and for her father in the restaurant the sculptor frequents. Although he has not seen his famous cousin since they were boys, he has sculpted a bust of him and seemingly likes to brag about his famous relative.

He takes Rosa to see his cousin play the old Metropolitan Opera house which is shot on location and offers a nice chance to see the place in 1918! But afterwards they attend a restaurant where the opera singer happens to be eating incognito. A brief meeting between the cousins who don't recognize each other on the opera star's way out is shortly followed by someone remarking upon who the man really was and Rosa believes the sculptor lied to her about having a famous cousin and breaks off their relationship.

I won't get any further into the plot to let the film speak for itself but there is interest in the line of people, fans and hopeful singers who want to meet the opera star and the greeting he gets while driving to his cousin in Little Italy which does seem like it might have been shot on location during a festival.