Yes, George Gershwin wrote some wonderful music and yes, Warner Bros. does use a lot of his music almost continuously throughout the background--but this has to be a musical bio even more fabricated than NIGHT AND DAY, which purported to be the bio of Cole Porter.
All the standard Hollywood clichés are there--the girl friend (JOAN LESLIE--who never really existed) upset because another woman (who else, but ALEXIS SMITH) has stolen her true love's affection. There's even a melodramatic scene where Alexis nobly gives up her love for Gershwin because she knows she's only "the other woman" in his life.
Then there's the best friend, played by Oscar LEVANT, who did indeed know George Gershwin well, the devoted brother Ira Gershwin, and the loving parents, including teary-eyed mother ROSEMARY DeCAMP.
But while the plot is standard formula bio stuff, the kind that Warner Bros. did throughout the '40s, not much can be said for the performances which are also pretty standard, including ROBERT ALDA as Gershwin. (He's Alan's dad, you know.) Highlights are Gershwin's works performed before concert audiences, including "Rhapsody in Blue" and "Porgy and Bess". There's even a familiar face popping up now and then before stardom came--for example, MARK STEVENS (who is uncredited in the billing) as a singer.
Just as NIGHT AND DAY was a complete fabrication, so is RHAPSODY IN BLUE. Music lovers will find plenty to listen to, but don't expect to learn more about Gershwin's real life as a composer.
This is one case where the B&W photography looks drab. The studio should have gone all out for color--at least then the film would have been worth watching as well as listening to.
All the standard Hollywood clichés are there--the girl friend (JOAN LESLIE--who never really existed) upset because another woman (who else, but ALEXIS SMITH) has stolen her true love's affection. There's even a melodramatic scene where Alexis nobly gives up her love for Gershwin because she knows she's only "the other woman" in his life.
Then there's the best friend, played by Oscar LEVANT, who did indeed know George Gershwin well, the devoted brother Ira Gershwin, and the loving parents, including teary-eyed mother ROSEMARY DeCAMP.
But while the plot is standard formula bio stuff, the kind that Warner Bros. did throughout the '40s, not much can be said for the performances which are also pretty standard, including ROBERT ALDA as Gershwin. (He's Alan's dad, you know.) Highlights are Gershwin's works performed before concert audiences, including "Rhapsody in Blue" and "Porgy and Bess". There's even a familiar face popping up now and then before stardom came--for example, MARK STEVENS (who is uncredited in the billing) as a singer.
Just as NIGHT AND DAY was a complete fabrication, so is RHAPSODY IN BLUE. Music lovers will find plenty to listen to, but don't expect to learn more about Gershwin's real life as a composer.
This is one case where the B&W photography looks drab. The studio should have gone all out for color--at least then the film would have been worth watching as well as listening to.