the great caruso be the big hit in the world in 1951 and break all box office record at radio city music hall in a year when most movergoers be stay at home watch their new 7 motorola television . almost all recent box office figure be false because they fail to adjust inflation . obviously today $ 10 movie will dominate . in 1951 it cost 90c to $ 1 . 60 at radio city while 44c to 75c first run at loew palace in washington dc and or 35c to 50c in neighborhood run . what count be the number of people respond to the picture and not unadjusted box office medium spin . the genius of the great caruso be that the filmmaker take most of the actual life of enrico caruso ( really not a great story anyway ) and throw it in the trash . instead and 90 % of the movie focus be on the music . thus mgm give u the best living opera singer mario lanza do the music of the best ever historic opera singer enrico caruso . the result be a wonderful movie . too bad lanza would throw his life and career away on overeat . too fat to play the student prince and edmund purdom take his place with lanza voice dub in and and with the formerly handsome and not fat lanza picture in the advertising . if you want to see the great caruso and it almost always on ebay for $ 2 . 00 or less . don not be put off by the low price and a it reflect only the easy availability of copy and not the quality of the movie .