The great Oscar Levant

[phil noir]

A few weeks ago, I watched the 1946 version of Humoresque, in which Oscar Levant co-stars with Joan Crawford and John Garfield. He plays the piano-playing friend and mentor of struggling and then triumphant violinist Garfield. I love Oscar Levant. I can't believe he wasn't adlibbing some of his dialogue (screenplay co-written by Clifford Odets, I believe). At one point, he said to an angsty Garfield, 'Don't get sore at me. I didn't make the world. I barely live in it.' Ha ha. Brilliant. A lot of the time he seemed almost to be in a different film from the other actors, especially from Crawford, who simply ignored him - especially when she had some tragic emoting to do.

I've seen him in - off the top of my head - The Cobweb, The Band Wagon, Rhapsody in Blue, and An American in Paris, and paradoxically, his grouchiness, miserable demeanour, and lugubrious face always cheer me up. Any other fans?

[jdb1]

Some of us have discussed the multi-talented but undervalued and underutilized Oscar before, maybe it was at TCM Land.

Considering that Levant's real talent (aside from his prodigious musical talent, that is) was in the spontaneous quip on live talk shows, his film work is pretty darn good. I, too, have often wondered how much of what he said on film was scripted, and what was of his own invention. He made everything sound spontaneous and "Oscar." He was such an interesting man, and so very well-versed in so many things.

I can envision Levant as a big hit today as a TV commentator and Internet blogger. There aren't too many of those around now who can hit quite the erudite and sardonic note that Levant did (maybe the comedian/actor Lewis Black has something of Levant in him, but Levant was never so strident).

Levant was an excellent pianist, who had an extensive career in concert during the 1940s and 50s, although he professed a dislike of the concert stage. His recorded performances are not often heard on the radio any more. IMO, his version of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra is the best ever.

[rudyfan]

Levant was an excellent pianist, who had an extensive career in concert during the 1940s and 50s, although he professed a dislike of the concert stage. His recorded performances are not often heard on the radio any more. IMO, his version of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra is the best ever.

I adore Oscar on film and on the piano.
His recordings of Gershwin's Second Rhapsody and Concerto in F are unbeatable to me.

He also composed some terrific music and notably the music in Charlie Chan at the Opera, one of the better "quasi-cinema" operas Carnival a Faustian travesty that always brings me great joy. Boris Karloff as a mad opera singer, but I digress.

On film, Oscar is always the epitome of snark and snappy comebacks. I wonder if Nanette Fabray has any good yarns about filming during The Bandwagon?

[TikiSoo]

Another big Oscar fan here....I once drove 90 miles (each way) to see An American in Paris screened at the Eastman House. There were quite a few kids in the audience since it was a weekend-good that patrents wanted to expose their kids to "classic" film. Well, anytime Oscar was on the screen the kids went nuts. The scene where he dreams he conducts and plays every seat of the orchestra was a crowd favorite....and every one line zinger of his got an eruption of laughter.

I was amazed to learn Lavant was long time roommate with Harpo Marx until they married, both around age 40 I believe. The crazy boozing, gambling and womanizing antics from that apartment are legendary.