Region: All, Rating: NRThere's slightly more fancy than fact in this lavish film biography of legend ary American composer George Gershwin, but oh! That music! Director Irving Rappe r had wanted Tyrone Power to play Gershwin, but Power was still serving in the M arines, so Rapper had to settle for Robert Alda--who isn't bad at all, just a tr ifle over-enthusiastic. The film traces Gershwin's rise from a song plugger fo r a Manhattan music publishing company to the heights of international fame and fortune. Gershwin's first big hit is Swanee, introduced on Broadway by Al Jols on (who plays himself, making his first film appearance in six years). In collab oration with his lyricist brother Ira (well played by Herbert Rudley), George pe ns hit after hit in show after show. Impresario Charles Coburn is happy with thi s, but George's kindly old music teacher Albert Basserman wants his prize pupil to aspire to something more artistic. Gershwin responds with Rhapsody in Blue, which debuts at Aeolian Hall in 1924 under the baton of bandleader Paul Whitema n (also playing himself). As his fame and workload grows, George finds he has no time at all for romance; the two (fictional) ladies in his life, both of whom e ventually realize that they'll always have to play second fiddle to Gershwin's m use, are musical comedy star Joan Leslie and socialite Alexis Smith. Gershwin co ntinues to compose such masterpieces as An American in Paris, Cuban Overture, Concerto in F and the 1935 folk opera Porgy and Bess. He will not allow hims elf to rest on his laurels, ruthlessly pushing himself to top all his previous a ccomplishments. Finally, the strain proves too great: George Gershwin dies of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1937, at the age of 39. Featured in the cast as themselve.

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Bibliographic Details

Title

Rhapsody in Blue [DVD]

Publisher

Warner Archives

Publication Date

2012

Binding

DVD

Condition

Very Good

Seller catalogs

Drama

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