Too many fans seem to be blown away

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

George Gershwin's music speaks for itself. No movie can ever completely capture the essence of Mr. Gershwin's career, but this movie represents a wonderful attempt. The real star of this movie, besides the music itself, is Oscar Levant. His performance is stunning; he carries the movie. The final scene is exquisite. Accolades are also in order for Joan Leslie. What a great actress and she proves it in this movie. This movie is about genius and creativity that brought joy to people. Who hasn't ever heard a Gershwin song? This movie is even more impressive in that it avoids becoming overly melodramatic and up scores not his untimely death but his incredible achievements. Under a less skillful director, this movie could have easily devolved into a tearjerker, but instead stays on course, tells, the story and in the process allows the audience to appreciate what Mr. Gershwin meant, not only to his family and friends, but to all of us. This movie is a fitting tribute to the life and achievements of a musical genius. Hollywood deserves praise for having made this movie and of putting together a production that does credit not only to George Gershwin's memory but to the importance of music to society.

The world was robbed with the untimely passing of George Gershwin in 1937. We should not be deprived of seeing this magnificent biography of the great music writer.Robert Alda is just superb in the title role. He received marvelous support from Joan Leslie, as well as Rosemary DeCamp and Morris Carnovsky. As his friend, Oscar Levant also did well in this film.The music was phenomenal but how could it not be. Gershwin's writings were magnificent and had he lived longer, the world would have been a much richer place.His scoring of "Porgy and Bess" was terrific.Alda was so convincing as Gershwin, a man who literally had to write music as fast as he could as his destiny was an early demise. This film was greatly under-rated. It sports a magnificent cast led by Robert Alda, Joan Leslie, Alexis Smith and others. Gershwin gave us such a list of memorable music; he was driven as it stated in the film: "Got to make time, got to make time!" A totally memorable line was stated by Alexis Smith in the film. She knew that marriage with him would not work because he had to give so much of himself to the world. Nostalgic, a wonderful testament to the life and works of the great George Gershwin.

George Gershwin was perhaps, America's greatest composer. Judging by his output of popular songs, as well as some of the serious music he left behind. George Gershwin was a man that got his inspiration by a lot of the popular and black music he heard when he was growing up and mixed it with some of the classical music that he learned as a young piano student. The result is a body of work that is not easy equaled by any of his contemporaries.In "Rhapsody in Blue", his biographical picture, director Irving Rapper has recreated that period in the young composer's life with the help of the screen play writers, Howard Koch, Sonya Levien, and the uncredited Clifford Odets, as he takes us along to witness a account on this original music man.We get to see the ambitious George, who could play anything on the piano his parents intended for his brother Ira to study music. It was clear from the start George was a natural who had no problem composing some of the best melodies that became standards during the 20th century and continue to delight us after so many years.Along the way there is the story of the man who falls in love with the lovely and sophisticated Christine Gilbert, who he met in France. Julie Adams, the girl who was to become the star in many of his shows, loved George in silence. Of course, these two women are a product of the writers imagination, or a composite for the real women in his life.We are also shown the world in which George lived. There is Prof. Frank, who taught the young man the best of the classical piano repertoire. His parents, Morris and Rose, who adored their sons. We also meet some of the men that shaped his life like Max Dreyfus, his manager, Oscar Levant, his friend and best interpreter, along with some real figures like Paul Whiteman, George White, Al Jolson, Hazel Scott, among others.Robert Alda resembled the real George Gershwin; his take on the man rings true. Joan Leslie is Julie Adams, and Alexis Smith is Christine Gilbert, the women in George life. Charles Coburn plays Max Dreyfus. Morris Carnovsky and Rosemary DeCamp are seen as the parents.The best excuse to watch the film is the glorious music one hears in it. The movie is easy on the eye, and while it might not be accurate, it still makes for a pleasant view of this genius of some of the best American popular music of all times.

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.