Gershwin in Hollywood

Available for 28 days

Donald Macleod tells the story of George Gershwin’s first experience of working in Hollywood. In the spring of 1930, it was announced that Fox Studios had signed George Gershwin for a large sum of money for to provide the music for a film called Delicious. Sound in films was still relatively new and Gershwin was sceptical. At first he enjoyed the Californian sunshine, but he quickly tired of the endless “picture talk” and all the distraction while trying to work in his bungalow at Fox’s Movietone City. He gave it up and worked from his home in Beverly Hills, relaxing by swimming, hiking and playing tennis and golf. It was a lucrative exercise for Gershwin, but not a good time to experience Hollywood. But he did use his time fruitfully. As he told a friend: “nearly everybody comes back from California with a western tan and a pocketful of motion picture money. I decided to come back with both these things and a serious composition.” But Not For Me Benny Goodman Trio Blah Blah Blah Lukas Huisman, piano Embraceable You Andre Previn, piano David Finck, double bass Second Rhapsody Los Angeles Philharmonic Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor I Got Rhythm Ethel Merman Variations on I Got Rhythm St Louis Symphony Orchestra Leonard Slatkin, conductor Jeffrey Siegel, piano Rhapsody in Blue Glen Miller and his Orchestra