The Toast of New Orleans and The Great Caruso

In Mario Lanza’s second movie, he was again paired with Kathryn Grayson as his co-star. This time Mario played a fisherman in the bayous near New Orleans, who of course has natural talent as a singer.

Of course. And the voice is superb; just watch Kathryn Grayson look in disbelief as Mario adds an additional high note in their duet, “Be My Love.” The record sold more than a million copies.

Mario and Kathryn sang another lovely duet, this time from Verdi’s La traviata (“Libiamo ne’ lieti calici”).

The Toast of New Orleans was released in 1950, and Lanza went to work on his next film, The Great Caruso, which would be released in 1951. We cannot find many clips on youtube from this splendid movie; however, anyone interested in opera and/or Mario Lanza ought to see the complete movie.

We did find the sextette from Donizetti’s Lucia de Lammermoor  (“Chi mi frena in tal momento?”), where Lanza is joined by soprano Dorothy Kirsten, mezzo-soprano Blanche Thebom, tenor Gilbert Russell, baritone Giuseppe Valdengo and bass Nicola Moscona. Watch the way the announcement of the birth of Caruso’s daughter is spread throughout the cast and audience.

We also found Mario’s performance of “Vesti la guibba” from Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci.

Here is Caruso singing the same aria.

We will pick up with the ill-fated Student Prince in the next post.