"Rhapsody in Blue" by George Gershwin

Disney's Fantasia 2000 borrowed the visual look for its gorgeous Depression-era segment from Al Hirschfeld, the respected cartoonist of Broadway; in order to make itself quintessentially Manhattan, though, it appropriated the music of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.



This isn't the first time Gershwin's jazz-inflected melody has been used to similar end on the silver screen; in 1979, Woody Allen's masterpiece Manhattan used the tune to both open and close the film, as well as incidentally throughout.

It's a little quiet, so it may be best viewed with headphones; visually, though, it's nonpareil. In fact, it may be the most sumptuous thing I've seen in weeks. Look for cameos from the composer himself and Eloise, the little girl who famously lived at the Plaza Hotel.

Originally posted September 26th, 2007, on George Gershwin's birthdate, I couldn't resist reposting it here, because I love it so much. ~ MSM