| | |  | Musicals | Home » » » The Great American Songbook | | | | | | | Description: | | Seen on PBS's "Great Performances," this tune-filled program looks at the golden age of movie musicals and how popular American songs from stage, radio and vaudeville made their way to the screen. Classic film clips with Al Jolson, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and other stars performing the songs of Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and others are featured. Michael Feinstein hosts. 174 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; audio commentary; bonus short "We Must Have Music" (1942). | | | Features: | |
• 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
| | | Product Details: | | | Actors:
| Michael Feinstein | | Director:
| Andrew J. Kuehn | | Format:
| Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled | | Language:
| English | | Subtitle:
| English, Spanish, French | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Studio:
| Warner Home Video | | Run Time:
| 175 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| April 22, 2003 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 26 reviews |
| | | | Used and New: | | | |
| All | |
| $2.97 | Used
- VeryGood | | | $2.99 | Used
- VeryGood | | | $4.00 | Used
- Good | | | $4.95 | Used
- VeryGood | | | $7.43 | Used
- Good | | | $8.95 | Used
- Mint | | | $8.98 | Used
- Good | | | $9.72 | Used
- Mint | | | $9.99 | Used
- Mint | | | $9.99 | Used
- Mint | | | $11.87 | New | | | $11.98 | New | | | $12.79 | New | | | $12.79 | New | | | $12.95 | New | | | $12.99 | New | | | $14.99 | New | | | $15.95 | Used
- Mint | | | $17.00 | Used
- Mint | | | $17.64 | New | | | $17.65 | New | | | $18.00 | New | | | $18.70 | New | | | $18.73 | New | | | $19.15 | New | | | $19.31 | New | | | $19.33 | New | | | $19.40 | New | | | $19.50 This item is eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. | Used
- VeryGood | | | $19.65 | New | | | $20.04 | Used
- Mint | | | $20.05 This item is eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. | New | | | $20.28 | New | | | $20.32 | New | | | $21.10 | New | | | $21.10 | Used
- Mint | | | $22.16 | New | | | $22.46 | New | | | $22.49 | New | | | $22.95 | New | | | $23.19 | Used
- Mint | | | $23.19 | New | | | $25.17 | New | | | $26.16 This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. | Used
- Good | | | $29.24 | New | | | $113.15 This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. | New | |
| New | |
| $11.87 | New | | | $11.98 | New | | | $12.79 | New | | | $12.79 | New | | | $12.95 | New | | | $12.99 | New | | | $14.99 | New | | | $17.64 | New | | | $17.65 | New | | | $18.00 | New | | | $18.70 | New | | | $18.73 | New | | | $19.15 | New | | | $19.31 | New | | | $19.33 | New | | | $19.40 | New | | | $19.65 | New | | | $20.05 This item is eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. | New | | | $20.28 | New | | | $20.32 | New | | | $21.10 | New | | | $22.16 | New | | | $22.46 | New | | | $22.49 | New | | | $22.95 | New | | | $23.19 | New | | | $25.17 | New | | | $29.24 | New | | | $113.15 This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. | New | |
| Used | |
| $2.97 | Used
- VeryGood | | | $2.99 | Used
- VeryGood | | | $4.00 | Used
- Good | | | $4.95 | Used
- VeryGood | | | $7.43 | Used
- Good | | | $8.95 | Used
- Mint | | | $8.98 | Used
- Good | | | $9.72 | Used
- Mint | | | $9.99 | Used
- Mint | | | $9.99 | Used
- Mint | | | $15.95 | Used
- Mint | | | $17.00 | Used
- Mint | | | $19.50 This item is eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. | Used
- VeryGood | | | $20.04 | Used
- Mint | | | $21.10 | Used
- Mint | | | $23.19 | Used
- Mint | | | $26.16 This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. | Used
- Good | |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 26 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 28 found the following review helpful:
 It's Great!!!May 25, 2003
By Gwendolyn Aughtry
This wonderful DVD features songs written by the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Frank Loesser, Irving Berlin, Rodgers & Hart, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Jerome Kern & Dorothy Fields just to name a few composers and lyricists. A big plus is that the entire musical numbers are shown, but not just short clips. If you love great American songs, this DVD is for you. Highly recommended.
36 of 40 found the following review helpful:
One of the Best Doc's about the 40's MusicalsMay 02, 2003
By Kimberly S. Loeffler
The Great American Songbook is one of the best recent Documentaries about the songwriters and the music of America. Short Bio's of Porter, Berlin, Gershwin and a slew of others. The best parts of this program are the clips of stars Like Bing Crosby and Ethel Merman singing "Anything Goes", Ray Bolger, Fred Astaire, Sophie Tucker singing "Some Of These Days" from (Broadway Melody Of 1938) My favorite clips were of Judy Garland performing with Mickey Rooney "I Wish I Were In Love Again" from (Words And Music) "Easter Parade" with Fred Astaire and Singing "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" to little Margaret O'Brien in (Meet Me In St. Louis) special feature includes Judy's 1942 appearance in the MGM short film "We Must Have Music"
It was only disappointing that Deanna Durbin, Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe were not featured as they sang songs from these great songwriters. also featured was Mel Torme, Dinah Shore, Ann Sothern, And the list is endless. Michael Fienstein hosts this 176 minute program. It is truly the best re-telling account of American popular song and the music EVERYONE loves.
27 of 29 found the following review helpful:
The Greatest Era of Song is collected in a wonderful ProgramMar 15, 2003
By Kimberly S. Loeffler
I just saw this wonderful PBS special last night on the "Great Performances" special and I must say that this is one of the best and well documented accounts of the most incredable music from the song writers and the stars who made these songs Unforgettable. This show pays tributes to Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter and countless other composers.
The Musicals of Astaire and Rogers, Rooney and Garland, Bing and Bob, Ethel Merman and many others. I really learned alot and enjoyed this DVD greatly. This show is hosted by Michael Finestein and full of the best pre-war, post-war and Big band music that movie lovers are acustomed too! If you love this era of popular song, Love Judy Garland who is featured 4 times or just enjoy musicals. This is the program to have in your collection. I can't wait to get my copy.
18 of 20 found the following review helpful:
Great American SongbookMar 08, 2003
By Kurt Tostenson
This was a wonderful trip down memory land with some of the best known songs and the preformers who made it Great. From Lena Horn to Judy Garland, Fred Astar, Gene Kelly, Frank Sanatra, and more this show is packed with clips of your favoriate songs. Kate Smith and God Bless America, Judy Garland and On the Atchicison & Topka and Santa Fay, Fred Astar dancing to putting on the Ritz, Have your self a Merry Little Christmas, The Last Time I saw Paris and others. This is one show you will watch over and over again. It is well put together and well narited.
10 of 10 found the following review helpful:
A Great Musical HistoryAug 03, 2005
By C. W. Emblom
"Bill Emblom"
I suppose anyone can get picky and find fault with this or any other similar musical DVD. I enjoyed it immensely, and the choice of Michael Feinstein to do the narrating was excellent. I would have liked to have more of the lyrics sung to some of the songs, but in the interest of time this wasn't possible even though the program is nearly three hours long. On the other hand many of the songs I enjoyed hearing did have more of the lyrics than I expected. The great songwriters are all here. It's not necessary for me to mention all the names, but George M. Cohan, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Richard Rogers, Larry Hart, Oscar Hammerstein, and several others are all here. If you enjoy American music I can't imagine you not enjoying this historical program.
See all 26 customer reviews on Amazon.com
| | |
|
