When George Gershwin's parents bought a piano for their eldest son, Ira, it was little George who sat down and began playing tunes on it. That was the beginning of Gershwin's remarkable musical career, which included the Tin Pan Alley hit "Swanee" and the Broadway musicals Funny Face and Of Thee I Sing. While Gershwin's compositions Rhapsody in Blue and An American in Paris marked him as a serious composer, he continued to create popular music for stage and screen, winning the first Pulitzer Prize for a musical. In 1935, Gershwin premiered the seminal work of the American opera, Porgy and Bess. Two years later, at age 39, he died of a brain tumor. Using family photo albums, home movies, and rehearsal and performance footage, this film sheds light and historical perspective on Gershwin's eclectic musical career.

Monday, 5/26/08 from 2:30-4 a.m. ET