Thursday, May 21, 1998
UCLA salutes George Gershwin
FILM: Archive celebrates centennial of composer’s birth by
showing classics
By Terry Tang
Daily Bruin Contributor
When a musical gets Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire as its main man,
who could ask for anything more? But, Hollywood knew star power was
not enough without quality music. So, the studios knocked on George
Gershwin’s door in search of snappy show tunes.
The centennial of Gershwin’s birth celebrates the composer of
legendary songs like "I Got Rhythm" and "Someone to Watch Over Me"
with a two-week film-fest hosted by the UCLA Film and Television
Archive. Appropriately titled "Strike Up the Band!", the festival
premiers today at the James Bridges Theater; the 10 movies
showcasing Gershwin’s work will let Broadway music buffs relish
everything from the merry melodies of "An American in Paris" to the
serious solos in "Porgy and Bess."
Because the composer’s music encompassed such a wide scope of
genres, Gershwin was the ideal candidate for the Archive to
honor.
"He’s probably the quintessential American composer of the 20th
century," says film and television archivist Charles Hopkins. "In
addition to writing pop songs, he had ambitions as a classical
composer. He tried to cover the range of musical forms and he did
most of them quite well."
Much of Gershwin’s experience stems from years spent tinkering
away at the piano keys in Tin Pan Alley – a notorious area of New
York where influential sheet music publishers hung out. In 1919,
the icon-to-be hit the jackpot with "Swanee," a tune he trumped up
to lyrics by Irving Caesar. The song quickly gained fame through
the crooning of Al Jolson, one of the first stars in a film world
with sound. As a result, Gershwin launched into a foray of jazz,
blues and classical elements.
"In 1924, he was asked by Paul Whiteman to write a semi-serious
piece and he decided to write a rhapsody. This is how ‘Rhapsody In
Blue’ emerged," explains Ian Whitcomb, a musicologist who studies
various music genres ranging from ragtime to rock and roll. "It was
performed in 1924 by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra. It was the first
time an American pop song composer had ever written a serious
classical piece. And it became an immediate success."
Although Gershwin’s rise to fame as a songwriter for stage and
screen took place more than half a century ago, Hopkins believes
the composer’s pieces are inventive enough to transcend the period
they were composed in. Thus people of all ages can either
experience or relive the emotion evoked by an old-fashioned
musical.
"I would hope that some of them are already admirers of George
Gershwin," Hopkins remarks. "And if they’re not, I hope they will
at least give his music a chance and see if it has something to say
to them."
Although Whitcomb also agrees that Gershwin’s films, simply
based on reputation, appeal to all generations, the musicologist
credits rock-and-roll for the breakdown of slap-happy pop
songs.
"Popular song was something that people hummed and whistled.
That era has gone, sadly," Whitcomb comments. "So, we live in an
age where most people play CDs, watch videos. We are a much more
passive generation than they were in the olden days."
Even if students do not rush in herds to the screenings, the
entire process of selecting and borrowing reels from the archive
and studios such as Warner Bros. is still a worthwhile experience
for Hopkins.
"Selecting films and pulling them together didn’t take very
long," Hopkins says. "What was good about it was that I will have a
chance to see a lot of films that I would like to see all over
again. I’ve seen most of them, but there are a couple I haven’t
seen before."
While following up his streak of Hollywood musicals in 1937 with
"The Goldwyn Follies," Gershwin’s career was cut short by spasms of
violent headaches, which made him unable to concentrate at the
piano. Knowing the symptoms meant more than work fatigue, Gershwin
visited a doctor and discovered the source.
"Gershwin didn’t realize he had a brain tumor until it was too
late. He was operated on, but died without ever regaining
consciousness," Hopkins says. "There were at least two films of
Gershwin’s that he had been working on but he never saw."
Aside from strenuously finishing musical compositions for films
prior to his death, Gershwin also collaborated with his frequent
partner, lyricist brother Ira, on adapting the tune "Strike Up the
Band" as a fight song for a certain university in the hills of
Westwood, leaving a legacy for Ira as well.
"Ira Gershwin did write special lyrics for UCLA. And as a
result, got two free season passes to UCLA football games for the
rest of his life," Hopkins reveals.
FILM: "Strike Up the Band!" opens today at the James Bridges
Theater and runs through May 30. Ticket prices are $6.00, $4.00
with UCLA I.D. and are available one hour prior to show time. For
more information, call (310) 206-3456.