The Great Caruso - Factual Discrepancies

Factual Discrepancies

The film, while following the basic facts of Caruso's life, is largely fictional. The Caruso family successfully sued MGM for damages because of this. Here are a few of the factual discrepancies:

• Early in the film, the young Caruso is shown in a montage rising through the ranks from operatic chorister to supporting singer, including the minor role of Spoletta in Puccini's opera Tosca. Caruso never sang in an opera chorus, nor did he ever sing a supporting role. When Tosca premiered in 1900, Caruso was already a rising opera star and was considered by Puccini himself for the starring tenor role of Cavaradossi, though the part was given to Emilio De Marchi. Caruso, however, did sing the role shortly after the premiere and Puccini stated that he had never heard the part better sung.

• In the film, Caruso makes his American debut at the Metropolitan Opera in Verdi's Aida and is met with silence from the audience and scathing critical reviews. In reality, Caruso's Met debut in Rigoletto was warmly received and he became an immediate favorite with New York audiences and critics.

• In real life, Caruso met Dorothy Park Benjamin, his future wife in 1917. In the film, he meets her at the time of his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1903.

• In the film Caruso seems to die after a throat hemorrhage onstage during a Metropolitan Opera performance of Martha. Caruso did suffer from a throat ailment and suffered a hemorrhage during a Metropolitan performance of L'elisir d'amore in Brooklyn on December 11, 1920, causing the performance to be cancelled. His last performance was in La Juive at the Met on December 24, 1920. He died on August 2, 1921 in Naples of peritonitis following months of illness and several surgical procedures.