It Might Be Worse

George Jessel was the king of what's known as the "Borscht-Belt" comedians--Jewish comedians who made a name for themselves at Jewish resorts in the Catskills (as they were not allowed in Gentile resorts at that time) as well as on Broadway. His jokes and nasal delivery were very popular at the time among people who frequented these places, but he never caught in in the rest of the country. And, after seeing this film, I can see why he didn't catch on. While a young Georgie was reasonably handsome (compared to what he looked like in my lifetime when he was a lot older) but not all that funny. And, I found his personality more pleasant than his routine. If he had come to Hollywood as a bit player or supporting actor, this film would have been okay. But, he was a comedian and this short just didn't provide any laughs. Sorry,...I really wanted to like it more than I did.

George Jessel was an extremely annoying performer whose work has dated badly. In vaudeville, his speciality was a monologue in which he supposedly had a telephone conversation with his mother: this unfunny gimmick required him to ask questions into a prop 'phone and then repeat (for the audience's benefit) all the ostensible answers that his mother was saying down the line. The single most impressive credit on Jessel's CV was that he starred on Broadway in 'The Jazz Singer', in the role later played by Al Jolson in the film version. Jessel bitterly claimed that Jolson had stolen the role from him, but this seems unlikely: clearly, Jolson was a much better choice for the role.

In his later career, Jessel revealed some ability as a toastmaster at testimonial dinners, and became so popular in this capacity that President Truman informally appointed him 'Toastmaster-General of the United States'. Long after his performance style had fallen out of fashion, Jessel remained in demand as a moderator at celebrity functions.

'It Might Be Worse', a thoroughly unfunny comedy short, is at least useful as a record of Jessel's performing style. IMDb's synopsis is incorrect: Jessel does *not* talk a friend out of suicide; instead, Jessel encourages the friend to make a false confession -- taking responsibility for Jessel's own crimes -- and *then* commit suicide, so that Jessel will be off the hook.

The film begins in the rooms of John Stephens (Allen Connor), a rather effeminate-looking playboy, as he mixes a cocktail of whisky and carbolic acid -- we see a close-up of his manicure -- and then he languidly telephones the police to inform them that he's about to top himself. Then Jessel shows up, hoping to cadge. Stephens moans that he's lost all his money and his girlfriend (no comment), so his only option is to commit suicide.

Like several other showbiz personalities (step forward, Mel Brooks), George Jessel seemed to feel constantly compelled to remind his audience that he was Jewish ... as if his Yiddisher speech patterns were likely to make us forget this. The funniest line in this movie occurs when Jessel informs his buddy: 'In the language of Benjamin Franklin, you're a schlemiehl.' To which I reply: Oy, vey! Eventually Jessel's wife (played by Mary Breen) arrives, and at this point the movie degenerates into a shouting match ... becoming even more unpleasant than previously. I'm tempted to rate this movie absolutely zero, but -- as it does provide a record of a performer who hobnobbed with the biggest showbiz names of his era -- I'll rate it one point in 10.