Rhapsody in Blue

Released Sep 22, 1945

2h 19m

Biography

List

33%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

60%

Audience Score

250+ Ratings

From childhood, George Gershwin (Robert Alda) shows remarkable musical ability, and his parents place him in training with Professor Frank (Albert Basserman). Despite Frank's warning not to succumb to popular music, George focuses on show tunes and jazz. While he's studying, he performs at vaudeville theaters and tries to sell his songs in music stores. After Al Jolson sees success with his music, George's career takes off on Broadway and in Hollywood, before tragedy strikes.

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Fannie Hurst

Modern Screen

All of this, naturally, is heightened to the nth degree by a brilliant and flooding accompaniment of Gershwin music.

Jun 15, 2023

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

The music is glorious, but the biopic is pedestrian and fictionlaized to a fault, and Robert Alda as the genius George Gerhsiwn is too bland

Rated: C+

Jul 28, 2011

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

It's the usual inaccurate Hollywood biopic.

Rated: C+

Feb 6, 2009

Full Review

Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Typical Hollywoodized biopic with some amazing moments.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 8, 2003

Full Review

Carol Cling

Las Vegas Review-Journal

Rated: 2/5

Aug 22, 2003

Full Review

Jeffrey Westhoff

Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

Rated: 2/5

May 29, 2003

Full Review

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David K

It's all about the music.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/13/23

Full Review

Tim M

Rhapsody in Blue has all the issues of all biopics: shoving a person's life into a 2-hour bottle. It's entertaining and generally well done. Appearing are some legends: actor/pianist Oscar Levant, Louis Armstrong, and the impossibly beautiful and elegant Alexis Smith. But the real star is the music, specifically, a fantastic production of the Rhapsody in Blue. It's a spectacle, with choreography and use of light and shadow. Definitely worth watching the movie just for this! Cue this segment up for your budding young musician. Happy watching!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/16/23

Full Review

william d

The dialogue has a lot of Hollywood hokum, Robert Alda lacks the acting chops to handle the lead, and I really don't know how accurate the story is (probably not very). Why recommend it? The music is superb, and Oscar Levant at the piano - even when mimicked by another actor - is a joy to behold.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The music is great. The story not so much.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This is a much better film than the critical reviews it has received. Some wonderful moments with Levant, interesting musical sequences, and anyone who ever expects veracity from a Hollywood biopic is simply delusional. It "misrepresents" Gershwin far less than Amadeus distorts Mozart. I also love watching Morris Carnovsky work.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Fictionalized bio of George Gershwin. Robert Alda is miscast, and it turns into soap opera

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

06/25/21

Full Review

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Irving Rapper

Director

Robert Alda

George Gershwin

Joan Leslie

Julie Adams

Alexis Smith

Christine Gilbert

Oscar Levant

Self

Charles Coburn

Max Dreyfus

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Synopsis

From childhood, George Gershwin (Robert Alda) shows remarkable musical ability, and his parents place him in training with Professor Frank (Albert Basserman). Despite Frank's warning not to succumb to popular music, George focuses on show tunes and jazz. While he's studying, he performs at vaudeville theaters and tries to sell his songs in music stores. After Al Jolson sees success with his music, George's career takes off on Broadway and in Hollywood, before tragedy strikes.

Director: Irving Rapper
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Bros.
Genre: Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 22, 1945, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009
Runtime: 2h 19m

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