What happened to Oscar Levant?

What happened to Oscar Levant?

A lifelong heavy smoker and longtime pharmaceutical drug user, Levant died in his house in Beverly Hills, California, of a heart attack in 1972 at age 65.

Were George Gershwin and Oscar Levant friends?

SEABROOK: Levant first heard the music of George Gershwin at the age of 12 and fell in love with it. Eventually, he and Gershwin became good friends, and Levant gained renown as an interpreter of Gershwin’s music. It also made him one of the highest-paid artists in America.

How old is Oscar Levant?

65 years (1906–1972)
Oscar Levant/Age at death

What was Oscar Levant famous for?

Oscar Levant (1906-1972) was an American pianist, composer, author, comedian, and actor. He was famous for his mordant character and witticisms, on the radio and in movies and television, as for his music. Levant traveled to Hollywood, where his career took a turn for the better.

Did Oscar Levant really play piano?

While Levant is remembered for his roles in Hollywood musicals such as “An American in Paris” and “The Band Wagon,” his life as a piano virtuoso has been all but forgotten, and most of his classic studio recordings for Columbia have long been out of print.

Where is Oscar Levant buried?

Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary, Los Angeles, California, United States
Oscar Levant/Place of burial
On August 14, 1972, Levant, a man who spoke openly about the devils that plagued him, died peacefully. He was buried in Westwood Memorial Park, West Los Angeles, California.

Who was the pianist in American in Paris movie?

Oscar Levant
His friend and neighbor, Adam Cook (Oscar Levant), is a struggling concert pianist and longtime associate of a French singer, Henri Baurel (Georges Guétary).

Why did the Gershwins stop working together?

Gershwin, normally a superb pianist in his own compositions, suffered coordination problems and blackouts during the performance. He was at the time working on other Hollywood film projects while living with Ira and his wife Leonore in their rented house in Beverly Hills.

How does An American in Paris end?

As Henri and Lise drive away, Jerry daydreams about being with Lise all over Paris to the tune of the George Gershwin composition An American in Paris. His reverie is broken by a car horn, the sound of Henri bringing Lise back to him. They embrace and walk off together as the Gershwin composition (and the film) ends.

Who wrote An American in Paris?

George Gershwin
An American in Paris/Composers

During their three months abroad, George Gershwin hoped to complete an orchestral work he had pondered since returning from a 1926 visit to Paris, when he had composed a fragment of music labeled “Very Parisienne” and entitled AN AMERICAN IN PARIS.

How did George Gershwin learn to play the piano?

Gershwin was the son of Russian Jewish immigrants. He began his musical education at age 11, when his family bought a second-hand upright piano, ostensibly so that George’s older sibling, Ira, could learn the instrument.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfyPV02qr2Y