Biography

Frances Gershwin Godowsky was born on December 26, 1906 in New York City, New York, USA. She died on January 18, 1999 in New York City, New York, USA.

Sister of composers George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin.

She was fiercely protective about her brother George's work, so much so that she had the 1959 Samuel Goldwyn film version of "Porgy and Bess" and its soundtrack album completely withdrawn from circulation after 1974, because she disliked the film so much. She refused to give consent for the 1985 Metropolitan Opera production to be telecast on "Live from the Met", and would not agree to a television version of "Porgy and Bess" until she saw Trevor Nunn's first production of the opera in 1986. This production, with greatly expanded scenery, was eventually taped for television in a studio and telecast on PBS in 1993.