Rhapsody in Blue (1945)
Oscar Levant: Oscar Levant
Photos
Quotes
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Oscar Levant : Tell me something, George... if you had it to do all over again, would you still fall in love with yourself?
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Oscar Levant : I've got a date with my insomnia.
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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.
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Dreyfus receptionist : You're fresh!
Oscar Levant : Unfortunately you're not.
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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.
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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.
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Oscar Levant : If it wasn't for Gershwin, I could've been a pretty good mediocre composer.
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Oscar Levant : With a little more suffering, I could become a great singer.
Max Dreyfus : We've been doing the suffering, my boy.
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Dreyfus receptionist : Are you still here?
Oscar Levant : How would you like to sponsor me through college?
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George Gershwin : I see you've learned to play with both hands.
Oscar Levant : I took the liberty of recording our rhapsody.
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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.
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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.