Rhapsody in Blue

Year:

1945

Duration:

135 min | 151 min (with overture)

Genres:

Biography | Drama | Musical | Romance

IMDB rate:

7

Director:

Irving Rapper

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 nomination

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1945-09-22

Filming Locations: Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Cast

Actor

Character

Morris Carnovsky

Robert Alda

George Gershwin

Joan Leslie

Julie Adams

Alexis Smith

Christine Gilbert

Charles Coburn

Max Dreyfus

Julie Bishop

Lee Gershwin

Albert Bassermann

Prof. Franck

Rosemary DeCamp

Rose Gershwin

Oscar Levant

Paul Whiteman

Al Jolson

George White

Hazel Scott

Anne Brown

Bess

Herbert Rudley

Ira Gershwin

John B. Hughes

Hughes

Mickey Roth

George Gershwin as a Boy

Darryl Hickman

Ira Gershwin as a Boy

Charles Halton

Mr. Kast

Andrew Tombes

Mr. Million

Gregory Golubeff

Mr. Katzman

Walter Soderling

Mr. Muscatel

Eddie Marr

Buddy De Sylva

Theodore von Eltz

Foley

Bill Kennedy

Herbert Stone

Oscar Loraine

Maurice Ravel

Johnny Downs

Dancer

Ernest Golm

Otto Kahn

Martin Noble

Jascha Heifetz

Hugo Kirchhoffer

Walter Damrosch

Will Wright

Rachmaninoff

Ernie Adams

Customer in Bakery (uncredited)

Glenn Anders

Party Guest (uncredited)

LeRoi Antoine

Bootblack (uncredited)

Clarence Badger Jr.

Song Plugger (uncredited)

Lynn Baggett

Guest (uncredited)

Elsa Bassermann

Guest (uncredited)

Oliver Blake

Painter (uncredited)

Caroline Burke

Party Guest (uncredited)

Henry Busse

Henry Busse (uncredited)

Gower Champion

Tap Dancer at Remick's (uncredited)

Jack Chefe

Headwaiter (uncredited)

Armand Cortes

Hotel Clerk (uncredited)

Paul Cristo

Party Guest (uncredited)

Oliver Cross

Party Guest (uncredited)

Bernard DeRoux

Porter (uncredited)

John Dilson

Music Critic (uncredited)

Dante DiPaolo

Speciality Dancer (uncredited)

Fred Dosch

Porter (uncredited)

Jay Eaton

Party Guest (uncredited)

Adolph Faylauer

Party Guest (uncredited)

Al Gallodoro

Clarinetist (uncredited)

William Gillespie

Porgy

Jesse Graves

Coachman (uncredited)

Kate Harrington

Music Teacher (uncredited)

Edward Harvey

Theatre Manager (uncredited)

Shep Houghton

Specialty Dancer (uncredited)

Bobby Johnson

Sport (uncredited)

Ivan Lebedeff

Nightclub Guest (uncredited)

Jacques Lory

Taxicab Driver (uncredited)

Wilbur Mack

Party Guest (uncredited)

Elsa Maxwell

Elsa Maxwell (uncredited)

Ralph McColm

Party Guest (uncredited)

Esther Michelson

Woman in window combing little girl's hair (uncredited)

Hans Moebus

Concert Spectator (uncredited)

'Big' Ben Moroz

Tall Man (uncredited)

Buddy Morrow

Trombonist (uncredited)

John Morton

Newsboy (uncredited)

Odette Myrtil

Madame DeBreteuil (uncredited)

Carl Neubert

Painter (uncredited)

Nellie V. Nichols

Other Woman (uncredited)

Jay Novello

Orchestra Leader (uncredited)

Broderick O'Farrell

Butler (uncredited)

Tom Patricola

Tom (uncredited)

Frank Pharr

Man in Turkish Bath (uncredited)

Lillian Porter

Telephone Operator (uncredited)

Constance Purdy

Party Guest (uncredited)

Frank Reicher

Guest (uncredited)

Georges Renavent

Guest (uncredited)

George Riley

Comic (uncredited)

Christian Rub

Swedish Janitor (uncredited)

Virginia Sale

Cashier (uncredited)

Cosmo Sardo

Party Guest (uncredited)

Sam Savitsky

Masseur (uncredited)

Harry Seymour

Piano Player (uncredited)

Robert Shayne

Christine's Escort (uncredited)

Mark Stevens

Steve (uncredited)

Harry Stockwell

Blackface Singer (uncredited)

Joe Sullivan

Song Plugger (uncredited)

Ray Turner

Pianist (uncredited)

Charles Waldron

Doctor (uncredited)

Walter White Jr.

Music Teacher (uncredited)

Joan Winfield

Party Guest (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

The characters played respectively by Alexis Smith, Joan Leslie, and Albert Bassermann are fictional. There was no love triangle between Gershwin and the two women, and Gershwin's music teacher did not die the night that "Rhapsody in Blue" premiered. The scene in which Gershwin is fired by the music publisher for playing his own music is also fictional. However, most of the other characters in the film did exist, including Max Dreyfus, and Anne Brown, who played Bess in the original "Porgy and Bess" is still alive ca. early 2009.

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John Garfield expressed interest in playing George Gershwin.

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Maurice Ravel actually rejected Gershwin as a student because he was afraid that classical training would interfere with Gershwin's unique style.

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Goofs

After Christine brings the terrier Tinker for George, when the camera angle is on George, Tinker's head is pointing up and his mouth is open. When the camera angle is on Christine, Tinker's head is level and his mouth is closed.

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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.

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The opening credits say "Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin", when in fact George wrote the music and Ira wrote the lyrics. DuBose Heyward, who wrote the lyrics to "Summertime", is not credited.

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Quotes

George Gershwin: I don't want to be just a concert pianist. I want to use the piano as a stepping stone!

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Max Dreyfus: [referring to "Porgy and Bess", which has just opened] You've made opera entertaining.

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Dreyfus receptionist: You're fresh! Oscar Levant: Unfortunately you're not.

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