Rhapsody in Blue (1945)

Director:

Irving Rapper

Writers:

Howard Koch (writer)
Sonya Levien (story)

Release Date:

22 September 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Musical

Tagline:

The jubilant story of George Gershwin.

Plot:

Composer George Gershwin is driven by his need to succeed. Unfortunately his drive destroys his romantic relationships with singer Julie Adams...

Plot Keywords:

Composer | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Robert Alda	...	George Gershwin
Joan Leslie	...	Julie Adams
Alexis Smith	...	Christine Gilbert
Charles Coburn	...	Max Dreyfus
Julie Bishop	...	Lee Gershwin
Albert Bassermann	...	Prof. Franck
Morris Carnovsky	...	Poppa Morris Gershwin
Rosemary DeCamp	...	Momma Rose Gershwin
Oscar Levant	...	Himself
Paul Whiteman	...	Himself
Al Jolson	...	Himself
George White	...	Himself
Hazel Scott	...	Herself
Anne Brown	...	Herself - as Bess
Herbert Rudley	...	Ira Gershwin

Runtime:

135 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Germany:16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Filmed between July 19 and October 12 of 1943, the movie's release was delayed until the Manhattan premiere at the Hollywood Theatre on June 27, 1945. Nearly three months later, the picture opened nationally on September 22, 1945.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In Max Dreyfus' office, Oscar Levant while looking at Georges' score of "Swanee" hums a perfect forth (D down to A) and says, "A diminished 9th." In the next scene Max Dreyfus also refers to the uniqueness of a diminished 9th. In Swanee there is no diminished 9th. There are enharmonic equivalents ie. a C# melody against a Db bass which sounds like a diminished 9th. It is acually a sharped major 7th. The interval of a diminished 9th ie. (C up to Dbb or C# up to Db)does not happen in Swanee. Both a diminished 9th and an enharmonic equivalent will sound like a perfect octave when played eight notes apart.

Quotes:

Oscar Levant: I've got a date with my insomnia.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hollywood Wonderland (1947)

Soundtrack:

Wiegenlied, Op. 49, No. 4 (Lullaby)

Worth watching.

The music was wonderful, I enjoyed watching the father of Alan Alda in the title role & I got one "mini surprise"! That was the solo song of a very young, enchanting Hazel Scott, accompanying herself on the piano. She was a musical prodigy on the piano from the age of 4 and the youngist student admitted to the Julliard School of Music at age 16. This was the last of her early film appearances, as she focused more on musical recordings and a TV series, until the late 50s. She also married Adam Clayton Powell Jr., noted congressman from Harlem & civil rights activist. Her 1955 album, "Relaxed Piano Moods," recorded with Charles Mingus and Max Roach was recently reissued on CD & named Album of the Month by National Public Radio.