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Music drama

Rose of Washington Square (1939): Cast & Plot

Rose of Washington Square (1939) movie poster

Rose of Washington Square is a 1939 music drama directed by Gregory Ratoff, starring Alice Faye as Rose Sargent, Louis Prima and Al Jolson. It runs 1 hour 26 minutes.

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Rose of Washington Square (1939) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 26m (86 min)
Director
Gregory Ratoff
Genres
Drama , Music
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Rose of Washington Square About?

The premise of Rose of Washington Square without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Set in the Roaring Twenties, the film follows singer Rose Sargent as she rises to fame on the Ziegfeld Follies while her husband’s criminal activities drag him deeper into trouble. It features musical numbers performed by the stars of “In Old Chicago” and “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” highlighting a 1939 hit soundtrack.

Rose of Washington Square Themes & Keywords

· 49 tags
  • washington square manhattan
  • power and faye
  • ziegfeld follies
  • star
  • con game
  • singer
  • marriage
  • singing
  • new york city
  • 1920s
  • con artist
  • blind love
+37 more
  • vaudevillian
  • bail
  • loyalty
  • unrequited love
  • gambler
  • male female relationship
  • desertion
  • police
  • regeneration
  • unlikely criminal
  • scheme
  • reputation
  • prison
  • love
  • loot
  • get rich quick scheme
  • fame
  • incarceration
  • song
  • manhattan new york city
  • stage performance
  • speakeasy
  • rags to riches
  • place name in title
  • petty criminal
  • on the run
  • newspaper headline
  • musical number
  • loan shark
  • friendship
  • down and out
  • deception
  • dance number
  • burlesque
  • broadway manhattan new york city
  • blackface
  • 1910s
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Cast & crew

Rose of Washington Square Cast & Characters

Alice Faye leads the cast as Rose Sargent, with Louis Prima as Band Leader and Al Jolson as Ted Cotter. Directed by Gregory Ratoff; 58 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Rose of Washington Square

· 54 more
Show all 58 cast members
Plot

Rose of Washington Square Plot Summary

What happens in Rose of Washington Square from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 11 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Ted Cotter [Al Jolson], a successful Broadway minstrel performer, spots Rose Sargent [Alice Faye] performing in a vaudeville amateur night and immediately takes a personal and professional interest in her. He helps her climb the ladder of show business as she joins the famed Ziegfeld Follies, and her rising stardom begins to shine brighter with every performance. The pact between dream and drive pulls them into a larger world of entertainment, where talent must contend with nerves, nerves with nerves, and the ever-watchful gaze of audiences hungry for spectacle.

Full summary

The whole story of Rose of Washington Square, scene by scene

Read the full summary

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FAQ

Rose of Washington Square FAQ: Cast & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Rose of Washington Square, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Rose of Washington Square?

Rose of Washington Square runs 1 hour 26 minutes (86 minutes).

When was Rose of Washington Square released?

Rose of Washington Square was released on May 5, 1939.

Who directed Rose of Washington Square?

Rose of Washington Square was directed by Gregory Ratoff.

More films by Gregory Ratoff

Who is in the cast of Rose of Washington Square?

Rose of Washington Square stars Alice Faye as Rose Sargent, Louis Prima as Band Leader and Al Jolson as Ted Cotter, among 58 credited actors.

Does Rose of Washington Square have a post-credit scene?

No. Rose of Washington Square has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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