A Talent for Genius: The Life and Times of Oscar Levant [Paperback]

Sam Kashner (Author), Nancy Schoenberger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1998

Oscar Levant was the Amadeus of Hollywood, the Oscar Wilde of Broadway and the most wildly self-destructive personality ever to become a household name. An astonishingly gifted concert pianist (and the premier interpreter of Gershwin's concert works), composer, film and stage presence, radio and television raconteur wit and bestselling author, Levant steered a maniacally masochistic course through seven decades spent in the company of some of America's most noted literary, musical and entertainment personages. He penned three popular volumes of autobiography, made more than 100 recordings and appeared in thirteen films, including An American in Paris, The Band Wagon and Rhapsody in Blue, in which he literally played himself, best friend to George Gershwin. His death in 1972, at the age of sixty-five, left the entertainment community shocked -- largely with amazement that a four-pack-a-day smoker with a long history of drug abuse and mental illness had lasted as long as Levant did. Oscar Levant on himself: "There is a fine line between genius and insanity. I have crossed that line." "I'm a study of a man in chaos in search of frenzy." "My favorite exercises are groveling, brooding and rolling.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A composer, concert pianist, film actor and radio and TV personality, Levant (1906-1972) was best known for his musical virtuosity and caustic wit. His idiosyncratic character is brought to life in this objective and entertaining biography by Schoenberger and Kashner, who are married and teach creative writing at William and Mary College in Virginia. Levant was a close friend to composer George Gershwin, and neglected his own compositions in favor of performing Gershwin's music. (After Gershwin's death in 1937, Levant appeared in Rhapsody in Blue , the Hollywood version of Gershwin's life.) His other film apearances included parts in Humoresque (1947) and An American in Paris (1951), in both of which he honed a persona as a neurotic and cynical musician. Drawing on interviews and letters, Kashner and Schoenberger carefully document Levant's emotional problems, which eventually led to a drug addiction that prevented him from performing and nearly ended his marriage to actress June Gale. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

A composer and a popular concert pianist, the multitalented Levant also acted (in films such as An American in Paris, 1951) and made memorable appearances on television talk and panel shows, where his cynical, eminently quotable wit spared no one, including himself. Publicly, Levant made light of his lifelong history of mental illness and was regarded as an amusing eccentric. Yet as this well-researched, intelligent biography shows, Levant's manic-depressive condition and crippling chemical dependencies took a toll on his private life and, eventually, his career. Readers who pick this up in search of celebrity gossip won't be disappointed, but what they'll remember is a man for whom the dividing line between brilliance and madness was painfully thin. Highly recommended for most public libraries.
David C. Tucker, DeKalb Cty. P.L., Decatur, Ga.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Silman-James Press (February 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1879505398
• ISBN-13: 978-1879505391
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,020,336 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars extremely entertaining read on a fascinating man, September 4, 1998

By 

ChefBum "chefbum" (Fremont,, CA United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Talent for Genius: The Life and Times of Oscar Levant (Paperback)

'A Talent For Genius' is the exhaustive biography of one of the most colorful characters of American culture of the 30's and 40's: Oscar Levant.

In some ways, Levant's life proves to be even more interesting biography material than that of his good friend, the legendary George Gershwin. Perhaps this is because he lived for so much longer. Probably it is because of Levant's numerous talents other than music.

Because Levant was so social and knew so many of the luminaries of the arts of his time, this book pulls in a nice glimpse of the New York arts scene, MGM's Hollywood in the 40's & 50's, the U.S. classical music scene, and growing up Jewish in New York in the 20's.

Last but not least, Levant was a notorious wit; he was so funny that he could afford to be obnoxious and insulting and still count on being a welcome guest in the homes of his many friends. This biography captures such wit, and is entertainingly written (with tongue firmly in cheek) in its own right.

I am among those who prefer to not focus on Levant's later addiction to prescription drugs; such a living hell would seem to be too much a sad and undeserving fate for one of America's great entertainers and quirky geniuses. Here too, the subject matter is handled sensitively but unflinchingly.

The authors of this book have done a womderful job in fully depicting a very deserving and overdue subject: the life of Oscar Levant.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Thorough and Touching Biography, July 14, 2000

By 

The Reluctant Critic (Orlando, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Talent for Genius: The Life and Times of Oscar Levant (Paperback)

I first developed an interest in Oscar Levant after reading about him in "Harpo Speaks". Since that time, I've read all of his three books, have listened to two of his albums, followed by the reading of this book.

This book is one of the best biographies I have ever read. It reveals the good, bad, and the ugly of Levant's character. The authors spend a little too much ink playing the role of psychoanalyst, but most of what they offer seems to make sense regarding Levant's wild behaviors.

Overall, this is a fascinating book. Levant was a true original, and this book does an excellent job of filling in the empty spaces of Levant's autobiographies.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remembering an Amnesiac, March 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Talent for Genius: The Life and Times of Oscar Levant (Paperback)

These two biographers have done a superb job reconstructing a life that Oscar himself was content (for an audience) to remember with zingers and one-liners. Anyone who has read Levant's hugely popular, now out of print, memoirs, knows that Oscar Levant was a sad, strange man with a razor wit and many compulsions and addictions. Perhaps this book's greatest gift is to show that he was also a decent, even sweet and thoughtful, man of great musical talent who deserves remembering.