Plot Synopsis
Rigoletto, set in Depression-era America, stars Joseph Paur as Ribaldi/Rigoletto and Ivey Lloyd as Bonnie, a young girl who is gifted with a beautiful singing voice. Her favorite fairy tale is the story of a cursed fairy prince who must live as an ugly monster until he can find someone who can see through his appearance to the heart within.
The film opens up with Bonnie who is competing against a girl in a singing contest and loses. After congratulating the winner, a girl who is known for being inconsiderate and verbally vicious to others, Bonnie sees a strange man standing in the back of the church. He makes eye contact with her, nods, and then leaves quietly.
When a mysterious man arrives in town and buys the mortgage on Bonnie's house, Bonnie agrees to work for him in exchange for his allowing her family to keep their home. At first, Bonnie believes the man, Ribaldi, is a monster due to his physical deformity and his cold, angry demeanor. When Bonnie finds Ribaldi giving a beautiful princess named Gabriella voice lessons, she realizes that he is a gifted musician and a kind, misunderstood person. Bonnie convinces Ribaldi to give her music lessons.
Meanwhile, many in the town are being evicted from their homes and suspect the mysterious Ribaldi. The villagers spread rumors about Ribaldi and most believe that he is a monster. The children of the town, on the other hand, are drawn to him.
The townspeople threaten to keep Bonnie from singing in the state singing competition unless she stops visiting Ribaldi. Bonnie tells Ribaldi she will not leave him, but he tells her that to abandon the competition would waste all their hard work, and insists that Bonnie forget about him and follow her dream.
In the climax, while Bonnie is singing in the competition, Ribaldi rescues a girl from drowning. When he carries the unconscious girl to town, the townspeople attack him, thinking he has hurt her. Afterward they destroy Ribaldi's home in search of evidence that he has been taking their homes and land. Instead of this proof, however, they find lists of people Ribaldi has helped.
Bonnie returns home to find that Ribaldi has died from his injuries. While visiting his house after the funeral, she hears Ribaldi's piano being played and goes inside. There she finds a man who looks like Ribaldi, only without scars. When Bonnie asks him his name, he says "Some people call me Rigoletto, but you don't believe that, do you?" before leaving with Hans and Gabriella. It is implied by this that the curse on Ribaldi, hinted at throughout the film, has been lifted because Bonnie had seen the true beauty of Ribaldi's heart.
The film ends as Bonnie finishs reading the Rigoletto story.
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