Rhapsody in Blue Page #9

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Poppa knew that.

The last thing he said was,

"it should have been Julie."

It should have been

Julie. It still can be.

I want you to come back.

Please, you must.

George,

please don't go on.

Oh, Herb. Herb!

Yes, Julie?

George, this is Herb

Stone, the orchestra leader.

Of course.

Herb, this is-

George Gershwin. How nice to meet you.

You see, George...

Herb and I are engaged to be married.

Julie, I-

Thank you,

Mr. Gershwin.

Julie, this is a-

Congratulations.

Good night, Julie.

Julie, darling, what'd

you tell him that for?

I'm sorry, Herb.

I had to tell him

something to make him go.

George Gershwin.

And you don't

love him?

I never said that.

Summertime

And the livin' is easy

Fish are jumpin'

And the cotton is high

Oh, your daddy's rich

And your ma

is good-lookin'

So hush, little baby

Don't you cry

One of these

mornin's

You're gonna rise up

singin'

Then you'll spread

your wings

And you'll take

the sky

But till that mornin'

There's a-nothin'

can harm you

With daddy and mammy

Standin' by

Most of the audience

loved it.

Tell me the worst. What

did the critics say?

Some of them said

it wasn't opera.

Why wasn't it opera? Just

because ordinary people liked it?

Others said

it wasn't Gershwin.

After spending two of the

hardest years of my life.

If that isn't

Gershwin, what is?

In all the years we've

been together, George,

I've been right,

now and then,

But about Porgy and Bess,

I was wrong.

This time,

you've done it, my boy.

You've made opera

entertaining.

The nearer we get

to the coast,

The faster

the train goes.

Speed-

How I love it.

Listen

to the wheels, Ira.

Got to make time.

Got to make time.

Folks

with plenty of plenty

Keep their locks

on the door

The porter, sir.

What critic said Porgy

and Bess was too highbrow?

Come in.

Yowsah, yowsah, yowsah!

I thought we lost you at Albuquerque.

I had to autograph some

blankets. Here's the telegram.

From Los Angeles.

"We wish you

to perform

"An all-Gershwin

concert

"February 10.

The Los Angeles

Philharmonic."

That's the chance

I've been waiting for.

Play good, George, and

I'll get a job in pictures.

Good night, Ira.

Happy dreams,

Oscar.

Think about

that concert.

The difference between an

upper berth and a lower berth

Is the difference

between talent and genius.

Got to

make time. Got to make time.

Got to make time.

Got to make time.

Got to make time.

Got to make time...

Georgie, what is it?

What's happened?

My fingers

wouldn't obey.

But you've only played

it a hundred times.

And then the pain

between my eyes,

Like a knife.

Oscar, talk to the crowd.

Hold them off

until we get out.

George.

Georgie.

You're coming home

with me.

Come. We'll go home.

Ira, what's happening to my boy?

Please

don't worry, Momma.

No, you can't talk to him

now. He's resting, Momma.

But it isn't right for

me to be so far away

When my George

is ill.

Ira, I'm coming out

by plane.

No, Momma, please. We'll have him

back in New York in a few weeks,

And then we'll all

be together again.

All right. I'll

call you tomorrow.

Ira...

Take care of him.

Good night.

Good night, Momma.

Ira, these lyrics

are wonderful.

They are good,

aren't they?

They practically

sing themselves.

You could use your voice, too, you know.

When George is finished playing,

Maybe he'll go over it with you.

I'm getting

scared, Oscar.

I think it's a nervous breakdown.

You exaggerate, Ira.

You think so?

No, I don't.

Is there something

I can do, Georgie?

I've just got

a headache.

Maybe it's us. Maybe

we get on your nerves.

It's this stabbing pain in my head.

I'm sick,

that's all.

Hold my hand,

Ira... tight.

It eases the pain.

Yes, Georgie.

Your kid brother

is giving you

A lot of trouble,

isn't he?

Let's forget

all this work.

Somebody else

can finish it.

6 months' rest

is what you need.

I'd blow up

in a thousand pieces

If I didn't work

for that long.

You'll blow up anyway if

you don't quit for a while.

I can't help it.

Work is a compulsion. It's an obsession.

And there's so much

I want to do.

What are you trying to prove,

Georgie? You've already-

Don't you see, Ira?

It's only

with my music

That I can prove

my right to live.

I must write...

And I can't even hear

it inside me anymore.

Hello?

New York?

Just a moment, please.

George...

It's Julie.

Julie.

Talk to her, George.

Julie?

Oh, Julie.

Just your voice.

I've been so lonely.

George,

please let me come out.

I can't bear to be so far away when

you're ill. I can take the next plane.

Meet me, darling.

We mustn't waste a minute.

George, do you hear me?

Yes, darling.

You're right.

I need you.

Come out here, and we'll make

up for all the lost years.

Remember? I have the longest

lifeline you ever saw.

Hurry, darling.

Hurry.

Tinker, wake up.

Wake up, Tinker.

You can't sleep now.

Julie is coming.

Wake up, Tinker.

Good news from Julie?

She's coming out here. George, I don't-

I'm all right. My headache

is gone, and I can play.

Don't overdo it, Georgie.

Take it easy, fella.

Why should I take it easy?

I feel wonderful.

Now we can finish

the score of the picture

And get on

with something else.

I'd like to try a ballet. Or maybe

a string quartet. Or better yet...

I'd like to set the

Gettysburg Address to music.

Lee, darling,

Julie is coming.

So that's it.

How do you feel?

I'm hungry.

How about some food?

I'll get you some

right away.

I'm hungry,

too, lee,

But I got to

catch a plane.

What for?

I'm broadcasting our

concerto in new york.

Oscar...

Yes?

Remember, it's a very important piece.

Be sure and give

our love to Momma.

I will.

Lots of luck,

Oscar.

Thanks.

Take care

of yourself, George.

Steve, do you know

the lyrics?

I've been working

with Ira.

Fine. Then let's

make music.

Love walked right in

And drove

the shadows away

Love walked right in

And brought

my sunniest day

One magic moment

And my heart

seemed to know

That love said hello

Though not a word

was spoken

One look, and I forgot

the gloom of the past

One look, and I had

found my future at last

One look, and I had

found a world

Completely new

When love walked in

With you

George! George!

This is Walter Damrosch speaking.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We have interrupted

the concerto

To tell you that its

composer, George Gershwin,

Has just passed away

in California.

We will continue

the Concerto in F.

George Gershwin

will live

As long as there is joy,

As long as there is music

in the world.

He was a lucky young man,

Lucky to be so in love

with the world

And because the world

was so in love with him.

He had the happy faculty

of enjoying all his talents,

And through them,

he gave voice

To the America he knew

and loved so well.

We rejoice that through

his imperishable harmonies,

George Gershwin

will forever sing to us.

We weep that in passing,

He left so many songs

unsung.

And now the orchestra, with

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