SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW: HAROLD ARLEN (Don McGlynn, U.S.). 70 minutes. April 23, 2:15 pm. Al Green. Rating: NNNN
Beginning with 15 minutes of music that prove his genius, this exemplary look at the man who composed not only the tunes for The Wizard Of Oz but also dozens of popular songs is a treat.
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It draws on film and TV material from the 40s through the 70s, with Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Barbra Streisand, Cab Calloway and Mel Tormé performing full renditions of his classic songs.
The son of a cantor, Arlen himself performs a number of the tunes, and in interviews he explains not only how some of the material originated but also the hows and whys of collaboration with lyricists like Johnny Mercer and E.Y. Harburg.
The bio’s there, but it’s subsidiary to showing off the talent. Some of his hits? Come Rain Or Come Shine, Stormy Weather, It’s Only A Paper Moon, That Old Black Magic, Let’s Fall In Love. As André Previn says, listing his songs is like counting the gold bars at Fort Knox.
