Pluskylang Great Film overall

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Neive Bellamy Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

wes-connors In a working class New York City neighborhood, young Mickey Roth (as Little George Gershwin) and young Darryl Hickman (as Little Ira Gershwin) arrive home and are excited to see a piano being delivered to an apartment in their building. Brother Ira is inexplicably unsure if the piano is for their family, making him very likely the only boy in the Bronx who is unable to pick out his window from the street. Fortunately, the Gershwin brothers are bright in other areas. They quickly grow up to become Robert Alda (as George Gershwin) and Herbert Rudley (as Ira Gershwin). The focus turns almost exclusively on Mr. Alda, who essays a successful career as a pianist and composer. There are hit songs and Broadway shows, but romance is elusive...Like most Hollywood film biographies, "Rhapsody in Blue" takes some facts about a subject's life and fleshes them out with fiction. This story is best during Irving Rapper's well-directed opening and exciting closing sequences; other than that, the movie version of Gershwin's life is a colossal bore. However, the music is excellent. Many of the composer's greatest hits are heard. Legendary entertainer Al Jolson and conductor Paul Whiteman appear, with new versions of their #1 Gershwin hits "Swanee" and the title song. We also see original "Porgy and Bess" stage performer Anne Brown, and many others...Oscar Levant plays himself exceptionally well...This was the debut film for Alda, from success in musical theater; presently, he is more famous as the father of former "M*A*S*H" TV favorite Alan Alda. Robert Alda and Herbert Rudley do slightly resemble George and Ira Gershwin, especially in their scenes together. The filmmakers decided to focus on little brother George and his, at the time, significantly more dramatic life. A better idea might have been to tell both brothers' story as their relationship is the most interesting and engaging in the film. Rudley gets a lot of screen time, but is too often kept on the sidelines. The romances are ordinary and dull.****** Rhapsody in Blue (6/27/45) Irving Rapper ~ Robert Alda, Herbert Rudley, Oscar Levant, Joan Leslie

tavm When I found this on YouTube in a Spanish-dubbed version without English subtitles, I first looked to see if an English-recorded one was on the site. Since there wasn't one, I decided to view the Spanish one especially since I knew at least the songs would stay in the original language no matter what foreign version occurs of whatever American musical movie made. With that said, while I didn't completely understand what was being spoken by the characters, the way some of the feelings was visualized did clue me in what was happening. Anyway, I at least loved most of the musical sequences especially when Ms. Joan Leslie showed her legs in a couple of her numbers. And seeing Robert Alda as George Gershwin convincingly looking like he's actually playing the piano-even though it's possible it's actually Oscar Levant's hands being spliced on screen when Alda's full body shot is shown-was also a pleasure to watch. I also liked Hazel Scott's singing of some of Gershwin's tunes though I didn't like it when she was partly cut during some of her numbers for some dialogue between Alda and other leading lady Alexis Smith. I also liked the "Blue Monday" sequence especially when the players seemed like white performers authentically having shaded skin in comparison to the Al Jolson "Swanee" number where he once again had the now-offensive burnt cork look that would now be appalling to African-Americans watching this today. In summary, the language barrier didn't ruin my enjoyment of the drama-fictionalized though it was-that occurred when depicting George Gershwin's life and besides, the music in the original English language was more than enough to carry my enjoyment through.

rsternesq Really a great movie with wonderful performances. A bit of thin gruel in terms of the real story but the feeling is right and now that all the real people portrayed are gone, the time would be right to do a more serious biography. That said, this one will do fine until something better comes along and then the possibility is a g. cloowney bomb so perhaps we should stick with Robert Alda and be grateful for what we have. Thank you Miss Leslie for the luminous, beautiful tears. The emotional content was lovely and certainly matched the mood even if you were a lovely composite. I was left hoping that some one like your Julie was there for him.

Dave-137 This film presents many Gershwin tunes in great fashion with several great settings and great production numbers. Yes, it's unfortunate that the story line is so heavily fictionalized and even misleading. But, the sets are honest to the periods covered, several sequences are very tastefully done and fun, the show excerpts are good, and did I mention the music? As several other commentators have indicated, the music is faithfully recreated in long segments that bring you much or all of the tune.If you come to this film to hear some wonderful Gershwin performed by some great artists staged with a lot of character and splash (my favorite set is Hazel Scott's Paris show), you won't be disappointed. The story line is simply a convenient string to tie together the thread of music.