• Rating:
• Genre: Drama
• Movie Type: Melodrama, Romantic Drama
• Themes: Romantic Betrayal, Love Triangles
• Director: Charles Vidor
• Main Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Vittorio Gassman, John Ericson, Louis Calhern, Michael Chekhov
• Release Year: 1954
• Country: US
• Run Time: 115 minutes

Plot

Rhapsody is high-gloss soap opera in the grand MGM manner. Elizabeth Taylor stars as Louise Durant, the beautiful but spoiled daughter of millionaire Nicholas Durant (Louis Calhern). Accustomed to getting whatever she wants, Louise sets her sights on violin student Paul Bronte (Vittorio Gassman). Before long, however, she tires of Paul's all-consuming devotion to his music. Pianist James Guest (John Ericson) is the next moth drawn to Louise's flame. He is willing to put his career on the back burner for her sake -- and becomes an irresponsible drunk in the process. Anxious to win back Paul, who is now a famed concert violinist, Louise tries to rehabilitate James so he will be able to resume his concert activities -- thereby allowing Louise free rein to chase after Paul. Someone's going to have to eat humble pie before all this is over, and that someone has black hair and violet eyes. Rhapsody was adapted from Maurice Guest, a novel by Henry Handel Richardson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast

• Elizabeth Taylor - Louise Durant
• Vittorio Gassman - Paul Bronte
• John Ericson - James Guest
• Louis Calhern - Nicholas Durant
• Michael Chekhov - Prof. Schuman

Barbara Bates - Effie Cahill; Richard Hageman - Bruno Furst; Richard Lupino - Otto Kraft; Celia Lovsky - Frau Sigerlist; Stuart Whitman - Dove; Madge Blake - Mrs. Cahill; Jacqueline Duval - Yvonne; Norma Nevens - Student Pianist; Jack Raine - Edmund Streller

Credit

Cedric Gibbons - Art Director; Arnold A. Gillespie - Special Effects; Augustus Goetz - Screenwriter; Johnny Green - Musical Direction/Supervision; Paul Groesse - Art Director; Hugh Hunt - Set Designer; Michael Kanin - Screenwriter; Bronislau Kaper - Composer (Music Score); Franz Liszt - Composer (Music Score); Warren Newcombe - Special Effects; Robert Planck - Cinematographer; Sergei Rachmaninov - Featured Music; Helen Rose - Costume Designer; Pyotr Tchaikovsky - Featured Music; William J. Tuttle - Makeup; Charles Vidor - Director; Lawrence Weingarten - Producer; Edwin B. Willis - Set Designer; Fay Kanin - Screenwriter; Ruth Goetz - Screenwriter; Peter Ballbusch - Special Effects; John D. Dunning - Editor; Henry Handel Richardson - Book Author

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rhapsody