Restoring Rhapsody in Blue

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George Feltenstein from the Warner Archive joins host Tim Millard to discuss the remarkable restoration and reconstruction of the 1945 film "Rhapsody in Blue," now available on Blu-ray in its complete 161-minute version for the first time in 80 years.
• Warner Bros.' restoration team combined original camera negative footage with a composite fine-grain master to reconstruct the complete film as director Irving Rapper intended
• The rediscovered 5-minute Porgy and Bess sequence featuring Anne Brown's full performance of "Summertime" replaces the truncated 1:45 version shown in theaters
• The Warner Brothers Studio Orchestra deserves special recognition for their outstanding musical performances and arrangements by Ray Heindorf
• Many actual Gershwin associates appear in the film, including Paul Whiteman's orchestra, Oscar Levant, and Al Jolson performing "Swanee"
• The film successfully portrays Gershwin's dedication to creating uniquely American music that incorporated jazz and diverse cultural influences
• This frame-by-frame restoration delivers unprecedented audio and visual quality, surpassing even the original theatrical presentation
• Robert Alda delivers a charismatic performance as George Gershwin, supported by excellent performances from Joan Leslie, Alexis Smith, and Charles Coburn

Purchase Link:

RHAPSODY IN BLUE (1945) [EXTENDED PRE-RELEASE VERSION] Blu-ray
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Chapters

1. Restoring Rhapsody in Blue (00:00:00)

2. Introduction to Rhapsody in Blue (00:00:03)

3. Discovering the Lost Footage (00:03:06)

4. Reconstructing the Extended Version (00:06:26)

5. The Significance of Porgy and Bess (00:15:24)

6. Warner's Musical Department Excellence (00:21:52)

7. Gershwin's Life and Legacy (00:30:30)

8. Cast Performances and Original Artists (00:36:10)

9. Film Restoration and Final Thoughts (00:42:58)