Matcollis This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Anoushka Slater While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

SimonJack This is a very good biopic of the great American composer, George Gershwin, who has left his mark on the musical world everywhere. Gershwin (1898-1937), was born Jacob Gershowitz in New York City. Like many other musical geniuses, he died young. Mozart (1756-1791) was just 35 years old when he died. Franz Schubert (1779-1828) was just 31. Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) died at 39. And the just blossoming American, Louis Chauvin (1881-1908) died at 27. Gershwin was just 38 when he died. And, as those before him born with a natural genius for music, Gershwin left a treasure trove of great music to be enjoyed by all throughout the ages. How much more Gershwin, and the others who died so young might have contributed can't be known. But their musical legacy can be enjoyed and appreciated for all time. This film was made just seven years after Gershwin's death. It's notable for including some actual artists and friends who loomed large in Gershwin's professional life. Among those playing themselves are pianist, composer and actor Oscar Levant, and big band leader and composer Paul Whiteman. And Al Jolson reprises his first performance of "Swanee" in black face that made it a great hit and catapulted Gershwin's career.Oscar Levant gives a light touch to the film with his witty dialog in places. And the film has some scenes with some other great talents. The tap dancer in Remick's music store is Gower Champion who would become one of the great dancers and choreographers of Broadway. Hazel Scott is the talented musician who plays the piano and sings when Gershwin goes to dinner in Paris. Al Gallodoro is the jazz clarinetist who plays the eerie opening to "Rhapsody in Blue." This film is appropriately named for Gershwin's best-known and most clearly American musical work, "Rhapsody in Blue." Robert Alda, who resembles Gershwin in appearance, played him in this film. It was Alda's screen debut, and he does a marvelous job. He gives just the right amount of self-pride to the composer who was known to be very self-centered, but also very likable. Alda was a versatile actor who won a Tony on Broadway. This is a considerably fictitious portrayal about Gershwin's personal life and women. The romances shown here are fictional. Gershwin had a long affair with a fellow composer, Kay Swift. She was married for the first seven years and then divorced her husband to be closer to Gershwin. But they never married. Gershwin discussed his music with her and looked to her for advice. She remained his close companion until his death in 1937. Professor Franck in this film (played by Albert Bassermann) is probably based mostly on Charles Hambitzer. He mentored Gershwin for eight years (ages 12 to 20) until Hambitzer died in 1918. He coaxed Gershwin to study and play the European composers. These aspects are covered in the film. It also shows George getting his start plugging songs in a music store. But it doesn't allude to his quitting school at age 15. Gershwin's death was treated as a simple collapse in the movie. In reality, he had been suffering severe headaches since early in 1938. He had mood swings and bouts when he was incoherent. Some thought he was becoming hysterical. Only at the last did doctors think he might have a brain tumor. They operated and removed a large tumor, but he didn't recover from the surgery. Gershwin was versatile in his musical genius. He composed "Rhapsody in Blue" at age 25. His opera, "Porgy and Bess," is considered the quintessential American opera. He composed the music for a Broadway show, "Of Thee I Sing," that won the Pulitzer Prize for drama for his brother, Ira, and George Kauffman and Morrie Ryskind in 1931. His compositions spanned the range of music from ballads to waltzes, and included blues, classical, country, jazz, pops, and South American. With his brother Ira, George Gershwin has left a plethora of memorable music, much of it from the stage musicals that he wrote. His most popular songs, still played and sung around the world well into the 21st century, include "Swanee," "I Got Rhythm," "Love is Here to Stay," "Summertime," "Someone to Watch Over," "Nice Work if You Can Get It," and "The Man I Love." Others are, "They Can't Take That Away," "Embraceable You," "S Wonderful," "A Foggy Day," "Somebody Loves Me," "Oh, Lady be Good," "Strike Up the Band," "Love Walked In," "Funny Face," and "That Certain Feeling."What this movie leaves out or glosses over in his life is more than made up for in the music. It has a performance of the full score of Rhapsody in Blue. It has great scenes and numbers from "Porgy and Bess." It has highlights from some of his Broadway musicals. And, it has numerous scenes with some of the big hit tunes that most everyone will recognize a century or more later. If for no other reason, it's worthwhile to see this film just to enjoy Gershwin's wonderful music.

MarkJGarcia Nominated for two Oscars this 1945 movie based on George Gershwin's life is enjoyable if not for its accuracy but for its music scenes and sounds. The film received Academy Award nominations in the Music (Scoring of a Musical Picture) and Sound Recording categories. Although modern sources state that Joan Leslie's singing voice was dubbed by Louanne Hogan, Leslie's voice was actually dubbed by Sally Sweetland. This film marked the motion picture debuts of Broadway actors Robert Alda and Herbert Rudley. Robert Alda is the father of TV's classic hit MASH star Alan Alda. In the film, Al Jolson sings "Swanee," the song he made famous, and Anne Brown, the original "Bess," sings "Summertime" from the opera Porgy and Bess. Again, the movie was not wholly accurate but I did enjoy seeing this movie.

adaitch Completely true or not, corny or not, it's still a wonderful film, especially with Gershwin's music being showcased. I've been viewing this film for probably 25 years or more - maybe even 35 years, and I never get tired of it. Remember that this was a film released near the end of WWII, and is typical of biopics of the day, and also remember the mood of the public was such that they loved this type of depiction of a beloved composer's life. The cast is perfect - I can't even try to imagine any other actors in these roles, and I love Oscar Levant being Oscar Levant. This movie also shows Oscar's great talent as a pianist, something many forget with his wry self-deprecating humor.

bkoganbing Of all our famous Tin Pan Alley composers George Gershwin alone managed to bridge that gap between the old masters of Europe and our own American musical traditions. I've always had a particular affinity for his music, maybe because he and I share the same birthday, 49 years apart though. He did so much in his life of 38 years and left so much unwritten and unsung it's impossible to comprehend all this beauty could have come from the mind of one man.Rhapsody In Blue is no better or worse than some of the other Hollywood biographies of our composers. The idea was to make a musical picture and story is always sacrificed, especially in the accuracy department. Joan Leslie and Alexis Smith play a compilation of characters of many women involved in George Gershwin's life. It is true however that Gershwin sacrificed all for his art. He wanted to attain heights that no American composer ever did and he succeeded.There is also the problem of contracts and copyrights in making these kind of films. Certain Gershwin standards you won't hear because either Warner Brothers didn't have the rights or Jack Warner was spending way too much money for the Gershwin songs to begin with. Al Jolson, Paul Whiteman, and Oscar Levant all appear as themselves in this, the story of Gershwin could not be told without them. Jolson introduced Gershwin's first hit song of Swanee, he interpolated it in one of his shows which he always did. Paul Whiteman, the King of Jazz, took that crown with his concert at Aeolian Hall of Rhapsody In Blue from whence this film gets its title. It maybe the most well known instrumental piece of music by an American composer ever.And certainly no life of Gershwin could have even been filmed without Oscar Levant whose friendship and abiding affection for George Gershwin was well known. Levant's wit was devastating, even upon himself and his friend George. But he worshiped at the altar of that music.But a real treat for me was Anne Brown, the original Bess from Porgy and Bess singing Summertime. That alone is worth seeing this film.Hazel Scott, singer, jazz pianist, and outspoken civil rights advocate plays a Josephine Baker type role and does several Gershwin numbers while he's in Paris. The film sadly makes no mention of Fred Astaire or Gertrude Lawrence both of whom are very important in George Gershwin's career. And it would have been nice to see Victor Moore playing Throttlebottom from Of Thee I Sing which got a one line mention about it winning a Pulitzer Prize and that was it.Robert Alda plays the title role and he did get good reviews and to the limited extent the script gave the character, he does capture the essence of the driven Gershwin. Stardom in Hollywood would elude Alda however, he'd have to wait for Broadway and Guys And Dolls.I was sorry to see the role of Ira Gershwin by Herbert Rudley given such a short shrift. Ira was an interesting man in his own right. He wrote lyrics with several other name composers both before and after his brother's demise. In fact he wrote with others specifically to establish his own credentials so no one would think he was just riding on brother George's coattails.Gershwin's one man who could use a new biographical film. Maybe we can get a better idea of his life, have his songs done in proper chronological order and see him from another century's perspective.Until then Rhapsody In Blue will give you a general idea.