Rhapsody in Blue [VHS]

Rhapsody in Blue is Rhapsody
What a great movie and my seller was absolutely great in service and promise of product. My Husband wanted to see this as it has been years since we had seen it. Thank you seller and Amazon.....

A Music Icon
George Gershwin is an American icon, a man who devoted his life to music, both jazz and "important pieces." His Rhapsody in Blue has been used to open the Olympic ceremonies, and his works stand the test of time. They are a symbol of an era, beautifully crafted songs that keep your feet bouncing. The movie does a good job portraying Gershwin, a temperamental workaholic whose restlessness gave him an amazing career in his short life. The outline of the film follows the details of his life well, from his start plugging tunes on Tin Pan Alley to fraternizing overseas with refined society. Gershwin's own friends appear in the film. Oscar Levant plays himself, as do Al Jolson, who introduced Swanee, Paul Whiteman, and George White. One of the best things about this movie is the extensive use of music. If you aren't a fan of Gershwin, you won't like this movie, as the music is the real focus. It is brilliantly displayed in performances and as background music.

Essential for the Music
As a Hollywood biopic this is only average. Too much of the film is devoted to Gershwin's supposed romantic involvement with two women, who are both entirely fictional. Far more important in reality was his friendship with Oscar Levant, who was not only the composer's best friend but also after his death was widely recognized as the most authoritative interpreter of his major works for piano, Rhapsody in Blue and Concerto in F. Levant's presence in the film lends it some historical authenticity. Also present are Al Jolson, a legendary figure in the history of American popular entertainment and the interpreter of Gershwin's single most popular song, "Swanee", and Paul Whiteman, the bandleader who collaborated with Gershwin in the premiere of Rhapsody in Blue. (Fred Astaire is sorely missed.) There is also a superb--I do not use the word lightly--extended three song set by singer/pianist Hazel Scott (who later married the controversial minister/politician Adam Clayton Powell Jr.) about halfway through the film. It has absolutely nothing to do with the plot but is magnificent nonetheless. Robert Alda deserves to be remembered perhaps not for his work in this film but for his origination of the role of gambler Sky Masterson in the great musical Guys and Dolls.

First the bad news
This is one of those films that seems WAY longer than it actually is, and it's not exactly short to begin with. Second, I can think of better leads than Alda. But he was actually better than I'd thought he'd be. What makes this film a little gem is seeing people like Hazel Scott act and perform, as well as all the great music and historical perspective the film offers. Hopefully, we'll be seeing it on DVD soon.

Not historically accurate, but still good fun.
Robert Alda stars in this odd, melodramatic potboiler which looks at the rags-to-rich (and more riches) rise of one of America's greatest popular composers. The film is hampered by a few small points, one being that Gershwin's life doesn't readily lend itself to dramatic portrayal (until the very end, when he drops dead at a very young age, and your jaw just drops)... The problem is that guy was just too darn successful! He hit a groove and never stopped, moving from one huge critical success to another (with one or two flops in between)... The scriptwriters were obviously aware of this, and insert several belabored sequences wherein Gershwin anguishes over this or that, and a couple of sniffly, symbolic deathbed scenes, just for good measure. Other problems include Alda himself (yes, he's Alan's dad...) who isn't completely up to the role, as well as the weak portrayal of George's brother Ira, a super-brilliant, super-important lyricist, who is here presented as a mere hanger-on and cheerleader for his brother, the big-shot genius. Hello? Excuse me... Ira Gershwin?!? Of the Gershwin brothers? Oh, forget it. Oh, also check out Gershwin's kooky pal Oscar Levant, who plays himself, in a somewhat true-to-life portrayal as George's confidant and stand-in concertizer. Other celebrities who play themselves here include Al Jolson and bandleader Paul Whiteman... and the music, of course, can't be beat.