- The people and events that put the music in our lives are celebrated in this lively anthology, hosted (and featuring vocals) by Michael Feinstein, that traces popular music from its roots in ballads and minstrel shows through the jazz age, big bands, Broadway and Hollywood. Delight as Fats Waller boogies, George Gershwin invents a musical rhapsody, Arthur Freed becomes the wizard of oohs and aahs
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Genre: Documentary
Rating: NR
Release Date: 22-APR-2003
Media Type: DVDThe Great American Songbook is an ambitious documentary that chronicles 100 years of American popular song through film clips and photographs. It stretches from minstrel shows to Elvis, but features most prominently the “Golden Age” songwriters of the 1930s through the 1950s–Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, the Gershwins, Richard Rodgers with both Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein, and others. That means you can enjoy some of the most exquisite music of the 20th century including Paul Robeson singing “Old Man River,” Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing “Cheek to Cheek,” and Judy Garland’s “The Man That Got Away,” plus performances of historical importance such as Al Jolson’s “Swanee.”
Over the course of its three hours (it was cut for PBS broadcast), the program has some drawbacks–performers are identified but films aren’t, the performances tend to be almost complete rather than complete, and scenes from fictional films illustrate the earliest historical moments, which doesn’t feel true–but they’re minor, and Michael Feinstein proves a perfect host, narrating and occasionally singing at the piano. Fans of Feinstein’s cabaret shows will also enjoy his commentary track, which provides a lot of interesting and funny background on the songs and songwriters. His commentary isn’t constant, but a useful icon allows the viewer to find the next section of commentary with the click of a button. Another slight inconvenience is that chapters are named by subject matter rather than by song title so if you’re skimming for highlights you have to know what you’re looking for. –David Horiuchi
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March 22, 2010
#1
I don’t know why is happens, but whenever these documentaries are made, you get TONS of Judy Garland and hardly any Doris Day. Miss Day, almost single-handedly, saved the movie musical in the 1950s. She also saved Warner Brothers from becoming non-existant. When she became a star with her first film, “Romance on the High Seas,” she rose to become the #1 musical star in films.
Perhaps the people who produce these films are from the “I must hate Doris Day” era. There was a time when the mere mention of Day’s name drew ire from many uninformed people, some were even critics. What they don’t want to admit is that Doris Day is one of the most popular and talented singer/actresses in the history of motion pictures. That’s a crime, in my opinion. Forget the fact that she remains, to this day, the top female boxoffice star of all time.
Certainly, she deserves more screen time in these documentaries, since there is so much material from which to choose. She made 17 films in 7 years while at Warner Brothers alone, most of them musicals.
Most of the people who get the star treatment in these documentaries were never as big as Day, and like Garland, didn’t have the crossover appeal to the Top 40 charts, as Doris did.
Until Doris gets her due, I won’t buy these documentaries.
March 22, 2010
#2
Mi primer contacto con los musicales fue con las peliculas Thats Entertainment 1 y 2 de 1974 y 1976. Desde entonces surge mi fascinación por los musicales americanos. Tengo ambas en VHS (no estan disponibles en DVD.) En 1998 agregué a mi colección Thats entertainment 3. Compré The great American SongBook y a lo largo de sus casi 3 horas vi muy pocas escenas repetidas de los resumenes aparecidos en la serie Thats entertainment. O sea que se complementa muy bien. La verdad quede muy satisfecho aunque es cierto que el señor Feinstein aparece demasiado y ese tiempo debio utilizarse para mostrarnos mas de los numeros musicales. Para una persona que va a entrar en contacto por primera vez con este tipo de presentaciones no creo que sea conveniente esta introducción. Se dejan por fuera muchas escenas memorables y muchos cantantes. Pero son pocas las opciones para escoger y el esfuerzo me parece excelente aunque pudo haber estado mejor.
March 22, 2010
#3
Wonderful, I wish there would be more DVDs like this!
Mr Feinstein’s commentary is a delight, you just wish for more! I hope this is just the beginning of a series for Mr Feinstein since there aren’t many people who know this much about music background…..Mr Feinstein, I’m waiting!
March 22, 2010
#4
This otherwise superb survey of American popular music is marred by far too much narration and singing from Michael Feinstein. The cabaret entertainer’s talent does not stand comparison with the giants highlighted here, yet as the documentary proceeds Feinstein talks and croons more and more, his bounced notes anachronistic and his smile pleasant but seemingly frozen by botox. What a shame, because the filmed material is priceless.
March 22, 2010
#5
I came of age in the rock music scene and also have had a long time interest in folk, blues and country. In contrast, the classic songs of stage and film have never been of much interest to me. But this excellent documentary really brought that music to life and allowed me to learn about an entirely different aspect of American culture.
Pianist Michael Feinstein serves as the narraror and provides fascinating commentary on great lyricists and composers such as Ira and George Gershwin, Lorez Hart and Oscar Hammerstein. The doc begins with America’s first popular song, “Yankee Doodle Dandy”, and continues through the 19th century, the Jazz Age, big band era and up until the emergence of rock and roll in the 1950′s. Much of the music is drawn from Broadway and Hollywood musicals, with some great film clips and other footage from the historical archives. Other featured performers include Al Jolson, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rodgers, Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra. For me this was a tremendously educational and entertaining journey into a musical world that I knew little about. Highly recommended!