The matriarch of a poor Jewish family nurtures her talented son's dream of being a great violinist, but as an adult, global events call for him to postpone his dream.The matriarch of a poor Jewish family nurtures her talented son's dream of being a great violinist, but as an adult, global events call for him to postpone his dream.The matriarch of a poor Jewish family nurtures her talented son's dream of being a great violinist, but as an adult, global events call for him to postpone his dream.
- Awards
- 2 wins
Ann Wallack
- Esther Kantor (adult)
- (as Ann Wallick)
Louis Stern
- Sol Ginsberg
- (as Louis Stearns)
- Director
- Writers
- Fannie Hurst
- William LeBaron(uncredited)
- Frances Marion
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFannie Hurst later adapted her story Humoresque into a play which premiered on Broadway on February 27, 1923, at the Vanderbilt Theatre and ran for 32 performances. Laurette Taylor played the leading role and the production was staged by J. Hartley Manners (then-husband of Laurette Taylor).
- ConnectionsSpoofed in Humor Risk (1921)
Featured review
Wonderful performances by Gordon and Connelly
In the Jewish ghetto of New York City, young Leon Kantor takes up the violin, much to his father's disapproval. Mama Kantor, however, encourages their son. Leon grows up to become a famous violinist, and falls in love with his childhood friend Gina Ginsberg. Just as Leon is offered a lucrative contract, he announces he has enlisted to fight in World War I. Mama Kantor is heartbroken. The family awaits his safe return from the front.
This movie was a pleasant surprise. I certainly expected some sentimentality and some tear-jerking (and the ending is a bit corny), but this film kept my interest, mainly because of the performances. However, it wasn't Gaston Glass and Alma Rubens who impressed me (although they give adequate performances). The standouts were Vera Gordon as Mama Kantor and Bobby Connelly as the young Leon. Their scenes together are filled with genuine warmth, and they are both so likable. Good performances are also turned in by Dore Davidson as the father, and Miriam Battista as the young Gina. In fact, Battista's portrayal of Gina is more interesting than Reubens' adult interpretation. It is odd that Reubens is given sole acting credit in the opening titles, since she doesn't have as much screen time as many of the others.
The direction is also first-rate. Most scenes are succinct, and not drawn out. This keeps the film moving at a good pace.
Contemporaneous reports mention that in the original ending to the film, Leon was to return from the war with an artificial hand. But this was changed to make the ending happier.
It has been some time since I've seen the 1946 version with John Garfield and Joan Crawford. Though that version is excellent, it has little in common with this version. I was unable to find the short story by Fannie Hurst on which both films are supposedly based. However, I would hazard a guess that the 1920 version is probably closer to the Hurst story than the later version.
This movie was a pleasant surprise. I certainly expected some sentimentality and some tear-jerking (and the ending is a bit corny), but this film kept my interest, mainly because of the performances. However, it wasn't Gaston Glass and Alma Rubens who impressed me (although they give adequate performances). The standouts were Vera Gordon as Mama Kantor and Bobby Connelly as the young Leon. Their scenes together are filled with genuine warmth, and they are both so likable. Good performances are also turned in by Dore Davidson as the father, and Miriam Battista as the young Gina. In fact, Battista's portrayal of Gina is more interesting than Reubens' adult interpretation. It is odd that Reubens is given sole acting credit in the opening titles, since she doesn't have as much screen time as many of the others.
The direction is also first-rate. Most scenes are succinct, and not drawn out. This keeps the film moving at a good pace.
Contemporaneous reports mention that in the original ending to the film, Leon was to return from the war with an artificial hand. But this was changed to make the ending happier.
It has been some time since I've seen the 1946 version with John Garfield and Joan Crawford. Though that version is excellent, it has little in common with this version. I was unable to find the short story by Fannie Hurst on which both films are supposedly based. However, I would hazard a guess that the 1920 version is probably closer to the Hurst story than the later version.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- ユーモレスク(1920)
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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