MovieChat Forums > Rhapsody in Blue (1945) Discussion > Timeframes/Accuracy ?

Timeframes/Accuracy ?

posted 19 years ago by belacane
3 replies | jump to latest

Boy, am I having problems with some of this stuff. George meets Oscar Levant in Max's waiting room. According to Wikipedia (which I know is not always 100% accurate), "Swannee" was published in 1918. Well, Oscar Levant in real life would only have been 12 years old at that time! Instead the 39-year-old Levant plays himself...?

Same problem with George White and Paul Whiteman; they were both much older in the movie than they would have been at the time of meeting Gershwin (obviously). The movie makes it seem like these successful older men are hobnobbing with Gershwin, but in reality (if the story is accurate) they would have only been in their 30's. Wonder why they didn't simply get younger actors to play those guys, too?

Jolson we could get away with; he only appeared in blackface (as I recall) but that covers a multitude of sins.

What's the real deal? Did Gershwin really meet these guys in the 1920s?

Hmmm...upon more digging at Wikipedia, there are lots of holes between the movie and the real-life of George Gershwin. Maybe the movie was a sensationalized account of his life. Bleah.

Ah, the rapier wit of an armless D'Artagnan.

[–] bradford-1 19 years ago

Do not, repeat do not, view biopics (the older ones especially) in order to get factual accounts of the subjects' lives. You have to take them for their entertainment value, like RHAPSODY. The same goes for flicks like WORDS AND MUSIC, SWANEE RIVER, NIGHT AND DAY, I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS, etc. If you want facts, either read some biographies, or try to find documentaries.
BTW, Levant and Gershwin apparently first met sometime in 1928.

[–] mrplankton 17 years ago

hallo belacane- from what i gather rhapsody in blue is mostly fiction so i daresay we must not rely on this for facts. not including his death apparently gershwins life didnt have a terrible amount of conflict so the odd love story was added as well.

cheers.

[–] NoirCat2528 16 years ago

He did have a love affair with Kay Swift but never married her and was a bit of a womanizer. I guess that was too scandalous for 1945.

"The eyes, Socrates, go for the eyes."