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A Black violinist's dreams shattered by racism—then his son chooses jazz over Beethoven. DRAMA.
TMDB
48
IMDb
57
Rotten Tomatoes
100

Broken Strings (1940)

pre-Civil Rights heartbreakswing vs. symphonypoverty row prestige

Overview

DramaMusic

After noted violinist Arthur Williams suffers a hand injury which ends his playing career, his hopes are transferred to his son, who prefers swing music to classical.

Flag of USUS
Content warning
violinist

Standout Aspects

Acting

Clarence Muse carries every frame with wounded dignity.

Direction

Ray squeezes genuine pathos from Poverty Row constraints.

Best for:Solo: Quiet night when you want to feel something deeply specific.·Rewatch: Catches more nuance once you know where it's heading.
Heads up:Emotional: Father-son estrangement hits brutally hard.
Bernard B. Ray

Director

Bernard B. Ray

ReleasedMar 25, 1940
Runtime1h
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacesteady
Intensitymedium
Tonedark
Feelheavy
L.C. Borden Productions
Goldport Productions

Top Cast

Clarence Muse

Clarence Muse

Arthur Williams

Sybil Lewis

Sybil Lewis

Grace Williams

Matthew Beard

Matthew Beard

Dickey Morley

Darby Jones

Darby Jones

Stringbeans

Ask about Broken Strings

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Cultural

One of the few 1940s films centering Black classical musicians—made by white director Bernard Ray for Black audiences on the 'race film' circuit.

Insight

Muse was a real concert violinist; his bowing is authentic, making Arthur's lost career feel lived-in rather than performed.

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