My Cousin
About My Cousin
Tommasso Longo models plaster in a shop and tells everyone he is the cousin of Caroli, the Metropolitan's leading tenor. He wants to marry Rosa Ventura, who works the cash desk in her father's restaurant. Her father would rather she take the greengrocer Roberto Lombardi. Tommasso spends money he does not have on opera tickets. After the performance Caroli comes into the restaurant and does not know him. Rosa decides Tommasso has been lying. Turned away from Caroli's apartment, Tommasso is rescued by an errand boy, Ludovico, who tells the tenor the truth. Caroli visits the shop, has him finish a bust, and Tommasso wins Rosa back.
Cast & crew
More about My Cousin
Edward José directed Margaret Turnbull's script. Famous Players-Lasky produced it, with Adolph Zukor and Jesse L. Lasky producing, and Paramount released it through Artcraft on November 24, 1918. Hal Young photographed it. Enrico Caruso plays both Tommasso, with a moustache, and Caroli, without one.
Themes
Making
Caruso's double role is a change of moustache, clothes, and manner, not a second actor.
Look
Hal Young photographed the dual role, matching Caruso as the plaster worker and as the tenor.
Preservation
A print survives and has been copied to Wikimedia Commons.
Notes
- Carolina White plays Rosa. Henry Leone is Roberto Lombardi. Joseph Riccardi is her father, Pietro Ventura.
- Bruno Zirato, Caruso's real secretary, plays a secretary in the film. Will H. Bray plays Ludovico.
- The bust of Caroli is the sculpture Tommasso hopes to sell to his cousin.
- A copy is on Wikimedia Commons.
Scenes
- Caroli walks into the restaurant and walks past Tommasso.
- Caroli comes to the shop and sets him to finish the bust.
