OTR is a day late with this post, but it won't stop him from honoring one of Hollywood's most brilliant and talented personalities, Oscar Levant (1906-1972). We're approaching fifty years since he was active as a concert pianist, composer, author, actor, and comedy genius, and he's likely unknown by many young people who would appreciate him. Here are some memorable moments from his career:
Levant was a close friend of George Gershwin and considered the best interpreter of Gershwin's piano music after the composer's death. In this clip, Levant plays the piano and sings in the 1951 film, American in Paris:
And here is Levant in The Band Wagon (1953), a production often considered with Singing in the Rain as the best of the MGM musicals:
Levant was a psychiatric wreck for a good part of his life. He turned his illness into laughter through a notable series of appearances on late night television's The Jack Paar Show:
Finally, there is Levant, the writer. He wrote three memoirs, two of them best-sellers. His Memoirs of An Amnesiac (1965) is a recollection of his often weird and tattered life as well as a tour de force of wit and wisdom aimed at Hollywood's famous and infamous personalities beginning in the 1930s. Though a bit dated, readers with some knowledge of the golden age of Hollywood would certainly find it an entertaining read.
Recently, there was some talk in Hollywood of making a feature length film biography of Levant. OTR thinks it is about time this often overlooked entertainment genius got some notice. For certain, there is enough material out there to fill a series of films.
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