171 Quiz Answer

Here’s the answer to this week’s quiz.
Citizen Kane was directed by and starred Orson Welles. It was his first feature film. The motion picture was nominated for Academy Awards in nine categories. There are many critics, filmmakers and fans who consider the movie to be the greatest film ever made

(Also for Three Word Wednesday and ABC Wednesday: "U" is for "ululation.")
Here’s this week’s Berownial quiz question.

We had a tough quiz last week; there were only five “winners.”  Maybe this week’s will be easier.  I wrote the following scenelet, which may remind you of a well-known film.  Many say this was the best motion picture ever made.  Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is: name the movie.

“I’m sorry, sir, your wife has a pleasant light voice, a lyric soprano, but not a voice suited for grand opera.”

“But Signor Rossi, that’s what I’m paying you five hundred an hour for, to train her voice so she can sing opera.”

“Sir.  Her voice is too light.  Opera singing requires power, the ability to sing loud enough to be heard over an orchestra in large auditoriums, power to control the diaphragm so that very long phrases are possible.”

“Again, that’s why you’re here.  She just needs the training.  They told me you were the best, so get to work.  I’ll see to it that she practices hard.”

“But an operatic voice is something you’re born with.  You either have it or you don’t.  Your wife was born with a comparatively small voice.  I could perhaps train her for, say, groups in your living room where she would sing, accompanied by a pianist, various show tunes.”

“No, no, no!  My wife has a magnificent voice.  When I first heard her sing opera I was swept off my feet.  That ‘Samson and Delilah’ number?”

“Mon coeur s’ouvre a ta voix.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s the one.  I thought, my God, this woman could be a great legitimate operatic star and I must make it my mission to see this happen!  I’m willing to spend what’s necessary.”

“I don't like to be damaging to her ego, but there’s also the question of pitch.  A professional singer of quality must have a keen sense of pitch – not necessarily perfect pitch, which is rare, but a solid sense of relative pitch.  Again, this is something you’re born with.  Unfortunately, your wife’s pitch is very shaky.  This results in a sort of voice ululation that is rather – special.”

“Well, good.  That gives you something to work with.”

“There are times when she drifts into a different key.  She has actually created some interesting effects that sound like twelve-tone dissonance, though that of course is not what we’re looking for.”

“Well, keep after it for another month or so; that should do the trick.  I think you’ll be surprised to see you’ve created a major opera star!”

(Also submitted to Sunday Scribblings.)