Rhapsody in Blue (1945)

Oscar Levant: Oscar Levant

Photos 

Quotes 

• Oscar Levant : Tell me something, George... if you had it to do all over again, would you still fall in love with yourself?

• Oscar Levant : I've got a date with my insomnia.

• Oscar Levant : [climbing into a sleeper berth on the train to L.A]  The difference between an upper berth and a lower berth is the difference between talent and genius.

• Dreyfus receptionist : You're fresh!

  Oscar Levant : Unfortunately you're not.

• Oscar Levant : If I had your talent, I'd be a pretty obnoxious fella. What do you call yourself?

  George Gershwin : George Gershwin, it's my real name.

  Oscar Levant : Mine's Oscar Levant. I'm thinking of changing it.

• George Gershwin : I'm alright! My headaches gone, and I can play!

  Ira Gershwin : Don't overdo it, George.

  Oscar Levant : Take it easy, fella'.

  George Gershwin : 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.

• Oscar Levant : If it wasn't for Gershwin, I could've been a pretty good mediocre composer.

• Oscar Levant : With a little more suffering, I could become a great singer.

  Max Dreyfus : We've been doing the suffering, my boy.

• Dreyfus receptionist : Are you still here?

  Oscar Levant : How would you like to sponsor me through college?

• George Gershwin : I see you've learned to play with both hands.

  Oscar Levant : I took the liberty of recording our rhapsody.

• George Gershwin : How long have you known Mr. Dreyfus?

  Oscar Levant : Never met him in my life.

  George Gershwin : But you just called him by his first name.

  Oscar Levant : It's better than swearing. In this town, if you don't call a man by his first name, he doesn't publish your music. They don't publish mine anyway. But it's still a good theory.

• Ira Gershwin : The nearer we get to the coast, the faster the train goes.

  George Gershwin : Speed, how I love it. Listen to the wheels, Ira. Gotta-make-time, gotta-make-time,gotta-make-time, gotta-make-time.

  Oscar Levant : [from outside the door of the cabin, pretending to be a porter, singing]  Folks with plenty of living, de locks on de door.

  [knocks, talking] 

  Oscar Levant : De Porter, sah.

  George Gershwin : And what critics said "Porgy and Bess" was too high brow?

  Ira Gershwin : Come in.

  Oscar Levant : [George and Ira laugh to see it's Oscar]  Ya sah. Ya sah. Ya sah.