Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Simply Perfect

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

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.

In a working class New York City neighborhood, young Mickey Roth (as Little George Gershwin) and young Darryl Hickman (as Little Ira Gershwin) arrive home and are excited to see a piano being delivered to an apartment in their building. Brother Ira is inexplicably unsure if the piano is for their family, making him very likely the only boy in the Bronx who is unable to pick out his window from the street. Fortunately, the Gershwin brothers are bright in other areas. They quickly grow up to become Robert Alda (as George Gershwin) and Herbert Rudley (as Ira Gershwin). The focus turns almost exclusively on Mr. Alda, who essays a successful career as a pianist and composer. There are hit songs and Broadway shows, but romance is elusive...Like most Hollywood film biographies, "Rhapsody in Blue" takes some facts about a subject's life and fleshes them out with fiction. This story is best during Irving Rapper's well-directed opening and exciting closing sequences; other than that, the movie version of Gershwin's life is a colossal bore. However, the music is excellent. Many of the composer's greatest hits are heard. Legendary entertainer Al Jolson and conductor Paul Whiteman appear, with new versions of their #1 Gershwin hits "Swanee" and the title song. We also see original "Porgy and Bess" stage performer Anne Brown, and many others...Oscar Levant plays himself exceptionally well...This was the debut film for Alda, from success in musical theater; presently, he is more famous as the father of former "M*A*S*H" TV favorite Alan Alda. Robert Alda and Herbert Rudley do slightly resemble George and Ira Gershwin, especially in their scenes together. The filmmakers decided to focus on little brother George and his, at the time, significantly more dramatic life. A better idea might have been to tell both brothers' story as their relationship is the most interesting and engaging in the film. Rudley gets a lot of screen time, but is too often kept on the sidelines. The romances are ordinary and dull.****** Rhapsody in Blue (6/27/45) Irving Rapper ~ Robert Alda, Herbert Rudley, Oscar Levant, Joan Leslie

Little of Gershwin's true life story was depicted here. As in the case of so many composers, their lives were not as dramatic as their music so an infringement or two on reality didn't disturb the audience or the flow of the film. No, Ravel didn't want to disturb Gershwin's style - neither did Nadia Boulanger for that matter - and things worked out well in the long run. For those of us who have performed the "Concerto in F", the orchestra is in imitation of Ravel so Gershwin chose the perfect model. As a film, this certainly isn't "Amadeus" or anything of that ilk. It's an Irving Rapper paint-by-the-numbers pic that celebrates the music above all else and some of the music here wasn't top-notch Gershwin - I've never heard the "Cuban Overture" in public, for example, and the "Porgy and Bess" snips were definitely not in the opera as presented here but these are minor details. I'm glad I saw the film for the music but that's all I want from it.Curtis Stotlar

I love Robert Alda. I love George Gershwin. Yet, this was one of the most embarrassing clunkers of a biopic I have ever seen. And yet it is indispensable for the appearance and piano playing of the great Oscar Levant and the full performances of great Gershwin music.Gershwin's last days and his illness were as overwrought and melodramatic as cinematic deaths can be.So why am I even taking the time to add these comments? Because despite everything, it was absolutely riveting as a curiosity. And unlike most movie musicals where an actor does not actually play the piano, Oscar Levant -- Gershwin interpreter extraodinaire -- was there.