Rhapsody in Blue (Warner Bros.) (1945)

Jubilant Musical Scheduled To Open At Strand Friday Story Of Gershwin Filmed In Warners’ ‘Rhapsody In Blue’ (Advance Reader) “Rhapsody In Blue,” War ner Bros.’ all-star musical romance based on the life and ‘music of George Gershwin, will have its (Name of City) premiere Friday at the Strand Theatre. The role of the immortal American composer is portrayed by Robert Alda, newly-created star, while other outstanding roles are filled by Joan Leslie, Alexis Smith, Charles Coburn, Julie Bishop, Albert Basserman, Morris Carnovsky and Rosemary DeCamp. In addition, many topranking personalities of stage and screen—Oscar Levant, Al Jolson, Paul Whiteman, George White, Hazel Scott and Anne Brown among them appear, as themselves, in the film. Depicting the rise of New York’s own youngster from dire poverty his final emergence as one of America’s most Mat 110—15e famous | deg Charles Coburn POS*TS: Rhapsody in Blue keeps equal pace with Gershwin’s dramatic life story and his ever-expanding list of hit musical numbers. Twenty-nine of Gershwin’s compositions, including all of his more serious works—with special attention being given to the title number, “American in Paris” and “Concerto in i, fin particular — as well as the most popular of his song hits, provide the picture's musical framework. Produced by Jesse L. Lasky and directed by Irving Rapper, the — screenplay was adapted by Howard Koch and Elliot Paul from an original story by Sonya Levien. LeRoy Prinz created and directed the many dance numbers while Ray Heindorf was responsible for the brilliant orchestral arrangements. Al Jolson Repeats Hit Gershwin Tune In Strand Musical When AI Jolson sang his ‘“Swanee” number for Warner Bros. “Rhapsody in Blue,” currently at the Strand Theatre, he wore the same suit, necktie and shoes he wore when he first introduced the George Gershwin song in 1918 as a feature of his musical show “Sinbad the Sailor.” | kept them for sentiment,” the star explained. “After the song ‘Swanee brought us together, Gershwin and I became close friends and_remained so until his death.” It’s for sentiment, also, that Jolson is playing himself in the film life story of his friend. When Warners asked him how much salary he wanted to do the role, he answered, “None.” Note Of Dissension Stili RB 40 Mat 210—30c Robert Alda as George Gershwin, Paul Whiteman (as himself), Eddie Marr as Buddy De Sylva, popular songwriter, and Charles Coburn as Max Dreyfus, famous music publisher, in a dramatic moment from Warners' stirring musical tribute to George Gershwin, "Rhapsody In Blue," which opens at the Strand tomorrow. Joan Leslie And Alexis Smith In Strand Film 2 Leading Warner Stars Appear In Scenes Together For First Time In Studio’s ‘Rhapsody In Blue,’ Story Of Gershwin For the first time in their fast progressing careers, Joan Leslie and Alexis Smith, the two fair haired youngsters of the Warner Bros. star roster, are working together in a picture. The film is “Rhapsody In Blue,” the Jesse L. Lasky production, a film biography of the late George Gershwin, currently at the Strand, in which the red-haired Joan and the blonde Alexis. are matching wiles for the alffections of Robert Alda, the pictures Gershwin. So far as the script is concerned, it’s a pretty even race with Miss Leslie being the early favorite and Miss Smith moving forward for a strong stretch contention as the American girl who captures Gershwin’'s fancy in Paris. The fact that Gershwin died a bachelor saves the studio the possible embarrassment of hav Still RB 607 Mat 123—15c Vivacious Joan Leslie sings and dances to dozens of George Gershwin's lilting melodies in Warner Bros.’ moving tribute to that great American, ‘Rhapsody In Blue,'’ currently at the Strand Theatre. Robert Alda is starred in the film as George Gershwin. ing to declare a winner. Practically contemporaries as Warner Bros. ‘discoveries, Miss Leslie and Miss Smith have made almost parallel progress to fame and stardom, with Joan having a slight edge in experience. Joan was doing her first featured role in “High Sierra,” with Humphrey Bogart and Ida Lupino, when Alexis moved onto the lot as a stellar threat from the Los Angeles City College campus. In ‘Sergeant York’ “Sergeant York” swept Miss Leslie into the charmed circle of the studio's elect, while “Gentleman Jim” and “The Constant Nymph” turned the same trick for Miss Smith. Both girls have gone on to clinch their stellar ratings, Miss Leslie in “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” Irving Berlin's “This Is the Army and “The Sky’s the Limit,’ Miss Smith in “The Adventures of Mark Twain’ and the recent “Conflict.” The closest the two actresses came to being bracketed prior to the Gershwin film was having both their names on the forty-eight star roster ‘of the musical “Thank Your Lucky Stars.” They never worked a scene together in that picture, however. Come Face To Face As the Gershwin girl friends, they come face to face under dramatic circumstances, although most of their respective scenes are with Alda. That young man, incidentally, is properly impressed by his screen sweethearts. “Just think of it,” he says. “Joan has played opposite Gary Cooper, Jimmy Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Dennis Morgan and Ronald Reagan. Alexis has played opposite Errol Flynn, Charles Boyer, Frederic March and Bogart. Now I've got ‘em both. Gosh!” ‘Rhapsody In Blue,’ Hit Musical, Opens At Strand Warners’ Newest Screen Biography, The Story Of George Gershwin, Is Tuneful, Distinguished Filmfare (Prepared Review) A musical treat of magnilicent proportions is Warner Bros.’ newest and most distinguished biographical film to date, “Rhapsody In Blue,” the story of George Gershwin, which opened last night at the Strand Theatre. With a olittering cast of top-rank performers headed by Robert Alda, newly-created star who makes his screen debut as the immortal composer, and Joan Leslie, Alexis Smith and Charles Coburn in other important roles, the film is an exciting and thoroughly rewarding blend of musical and cinematic achievement, certain to be warmly welcomed by music and drama lovers alike. Fulfilling the promise contained in its title (borrowed from Gershwin’s best-loved musical composition) , the film presents an unabridged rendition of “Rhapsody In Blue” with Paul Whiteman on hand to conduct and Oscar Levant, lifetime friend of the composer, doing full justice to the piano passages. Both | stars have speaking parts as well, in the film, as do many other notables of stage and _ screen who figured prominently in the composer's life. Among them are: Al Jolson, George White, Hazel Scott, Anne Brown and Tom Patricola. Warm, Human Story The warm and human story of the rise of a young American from the sordid, unin spired ranks of New York's lower East Side, “Rhapsody In Blue” is a remarkable saga of inspiration and simple human dignity. Gershwin’s talent sprang mushroom-like, from an otherwise sordid boyhood. As a youngster of ten, he had picked up enough music from studying the keyboard of a player piano in a neighborhood penny arcade, to astound his devoted but poverty-ridden parents (played in the film by Rosemary DeCamp and Morris Carnovsky) by rendering a fairly accurate Ru enstein's Melody in F. By the time he was eighteen, George (Robert Alda) had advanced | sufliciently to be accepted as a pupil by the eminent Professor Frank (Albert Basserman). Supporting himself by playing professiona ly, first in a vaudeville theatre, later as a songplugger in New York's famed Tin Pan Alley, the young composer early began to write his own tunes. An Early Champion It was through the efforts of music publisher Max Dreyfus (Charles Coburn), his earliest champion and lifetime associate, that Gershwin achieved his first solid success when Al Jolson, then a star, introduced ‘“Swanee’ — Gershwin’s first song hit~in a Winter Garden show. From that moment, success, money and fame flooded in on the musician, bringing with them a conflict that persisted to his untimely death in 1937. Spurred by Professor Frank and his own inner urge to write classical music, he found himself chained to Broadway by the ease and consistency with which he wrote popular hit tunes. 2 Women In His Life As the film goes, there were two women in Gershwin’s colorful life. One, Julie Adams (Joan Leslie) rose to Broadway fame to the tempo of George's musical hits. The other, Christine Gilbert (Alexis Smith), met George at the time of his greatest struggle in choosing between serious music and Broadway hit shows and decided, most sensibly, that in either eventuality he was a man who belonged solely to his art. In his initial screen performance as George Gershwin, Robert Alda contributes an unusually finished and moving portrait of the composer, combining unquestionable histrionic ability with a_ thoroughly likable personality, certain to win him a host of devoted fans. Many consistently superior performances are turned in by other members of the cast, too—notably by Joan Leslie, Alexis Smith, Charles Coburn and Herbert Rudley, a veteran of the Broadway theatre who portrays Ira Gershwin, George's devoted brother, otherwise known as the “Mr. Words’ of the brilliantly successful “Mr. Music and Mr. Words” combination. In supporting roles, Morris Carnovsky, Rosemary _ DeCamp, Julie Bishop and Albert Basserman are all excellent while those eminent celebrities who appear as themselves in the film do so most effectively. A Musical Feast A. veritable musical feast, “Rhapsody In Blue’ presents in all twenty-nine of _Gershwins own compositions, including all of his more serious works, and the most popular of his song hits. The complicated and all-important orchestration was brilliantly accomplished by Ray Heindorf under the supervision of musical director Leo F. Forbstein, with the exception of the special orchestral arrangement for the rendition of the title song, which was executed by Ferde _Grofe. LeRoy Prinz both con and directed the nuspecialty dance se all of which are ceived merous quences, superior. The same successful producer-director combination which was responsible for the recent “The Adventures of Mark Twain” — Jesse L. Lasky and Irving Rapper, respectively — can be credited with turning out this beautifully balanced and thoroughly distinguished film contribution, which can rightly claim a place alongside of other important movie classics of all time. 29