The Singing Kid

Even though I admit to being an Al Jolson fan, I never expected to see an Al Jolson film that's not rubbish. This however wasn't - what a revelation! It's actually good! It's not too dissimilar in feel to those old Busby Berkeley movies.

Honestly, as hard as it is to believe, it's an Al Jolson movie that's actually good - well quite good. Some people are offended by the old 'blacking up' practice and there is some of that in this so some of you might not feel comfortable watching this. Apart from that, if you enjoy 1930s movies, particularly from the pre-code era, this is almost as much fun as a lot of those pre 1934 pictures were.

I'd also say that it's much better than a lot of the bland, cloned musicals the studios were churning out in the mid thirties. Being directed by the same guy who did FOOTLIGHT PARADE, you can feel that same sense of fun here. It's not brilliant - the first part, set in New York is a lot livelier than the second half which really slows down as it evolves into a rather mushy (but still amusing) sentimental drama set in the countryside with a 'cute' child and annoying mother.

The 'cute' child, Sybil Jason is surprisingly tolerable but that annoying mother is not. She is Beverly Roberts, not a name you'll be familiar with and that's because she's awful. She's got a terribly affected accent and zero stage presence - utterly lacking in any believability. Al Jolson however along with his two mates: Allen Jenkins and E E Horton have more than enough personality to keep you engaged.

The songs are ok but a bit forgettable however Al Jolson gave his friend, the immensely popular black jazz performer, Cab Calloway quite a lot of exposure in this which adds something different. I don't know whether it was just because I didn't expect it not to be terrible but I really enjoyed non pre-code, pre-code cheerful chunk of happiness.

I was surprised to discovered that I had not seen this movie before. After all, it was was an Al Jolson starring vehicle in which he is supported by an immense number of supporting comedians and singers -- Edward Everett Horton, Alan Jenkins, Cab Calloway, the Yacht Club Boys acting like the Ritz Brothers -- and an Arlen-Harburg score. Clearly this was a bet-the-house movie. It was Jolson's last under his contract with Warner Brothers.

Al Jolson plays himself, an immensely popular performer who is beloved by all who know him... well, I suppose he had script control. When his fiancee and his financial advisor run off with all the unpaid taxes for the last five years, Al has to break the kitty to pay off the IRS, his voice fails and he has to take a vacation in Maine, where he meets charming would-be playwright Beverly Roberts, and her niece, Sybil Jason. Everyone falls in love with Al and Al phonies up an acceptance of her play with a $500 check. When she finds out he did it, she's mad.

The songwriters were clearly tasked with coming up with "Al Jolson numbers" and they had a limited success. The only one familiar to me was "I Love to Sing-a," which is repeated several times with added verses. I don't think anyone covered this one except Looney Tunes, which is where I know it from.

If this movie were all we knew of Jolson, it would be a bloated and egotistical project. What we know of Jolson justifies the egotism, but not the bloat.

THE SINGING KID (Warner Brothers, 1936), directed by William Keighley, with choreography by Bobby Connelly, became Al Jolson's final lead in a musical film, and the movie debut of Beverly Roberts. Although cast as Al Jackson, Al Jackson is definitely Al Jolson. As Jackson, or Jolson, or whatever, Al Jackson is America's favorite stage and radio star living in a New York City penthouse. While good-natured with a heart of gold, he is irresponsible with women, forgetful, selfish and forever breaking promises, this time to his fiancée, Dana Lawrence (Claire Dodd). In turn, Dana is a gold digger who not only takes advantage of Al's trusting nature, but is carrying on with his business manager, Bob Carey (Lyle Talbot). Eventually she calls off her engagement and goes away with Bob, leaving Al with a half-a-million dollar debt with the Internal Revenue for five years of back taxes, compliments of Mr. Carey. After he clears himself with the government, Al has further troubles when, after taking a few drinks, goes on stage and is unable to finish his song, "Here's Looking at You," due to he slowly losing his voice. Deciding to quit show business, Al and his cronies, Davenport Rogers (Edward Everett Horton) and Joe Eddy (Allen Jenkins), head for Indian Lakes, Maine, and rent a cottage in the country for a rest cure. While there, Al encounters his landlady, Ruth Haines (Beverly Roberts), and her precious little orphaned niece, Sybil (Sybil Jason), who add some happiness to his empty life.

The title, THE SINGING KID is something of a misnomer, making the viewer wonder whether the "Kid" in question is either Jolson, who sings plenty but being too old to be playing a kid, or Sybil Jason, a talented seven-year-old actress who sings only one song. The movie itself, is a showcase for Jolson, but the highlight is Sybil Jason, who appears rather late (45 minutes) into the story. While on screen, she manages to delight, especially when reading a bedtime story to "Uncle Al" instead of the other way around, or a little musical number by the lake in which little Sybil plays doctor to patient Al. This plays cute rather than corny. Jolson usually plays well on screen with children, and the chemistry between him and Jason are most rewarding. Unlike Jolson's previous efforts, this film focuses more on comedy, but when dramatic moments set in, the sentiment doesn't come off as thick. The movie itself hints several times on trying to bring Jolson's entertainment style up to date, having the Mammy singer surrounded by the swing band of Cab Calloway along with swing music. On and all, times are changing but many prefer to remember the Jolson of old. It's almost like trying to place 1940s crooner Bing Crosby in a coming of age 1960s rock-and-roll musical surrounded by long-haired, jive talk hippies.

For THE SINGING KID, age has caught up with Al Jolson, who physically looks a bit heavier with his hair thinning. Beverly Roberts, who was possibly in her 20s, not only looks a bit older than her true age, but talks a little like actress Frances Farmer. Roberts even gets to have a couple of kissing scenes with Jolson.

The musical program includes: Montage Opening: "Mammy," "Swanee," "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody," "California, Here I Come," "April Showers," "About a Quarter to Nine," and "Sonny Boy." Following the montage of old songs, the story begins with new tunes by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg: "I Love to Sing-A" (sung by Jolson and Cab Calloway); "My How This Country's Changed" (sung by the wild and wacky The Yacht Club Boys); "Keep That Hi-De-Ho in Your Soul" (written and sung by Calloway); "Who's the Swingin'est Man in Town?" "Save Me, Sister" (sung by minstrels, with Jolson and Winifred Shaw in black-face); "Here's Looking at You" (incomplete); "You're the Cure for What Ails Me" (sung by Jolson and Sybil Jason); "I Love to Sing-A vs. Mammy Songs" (with Jolson and in which The Yacht Club Boys try to show Al that it's 1936 and that Mammy songs are passé); "You're the Cure for What Ails Me" (reprise by Calloway); and "I Love to Sing-A."

Also in the cast are Frank Mitchell and Jack Durant, a comedy team who rely mostly on violent gags, but are no threat to The Three Stooges; Hattie McDaniel in an unbilled bit; and Jonathan Hale, the future Mr. Dithers in the "Blondie" movie series, playing Doctor Fulton.

THE SINGING KID has its share of songs, but there is hardly any dancing involved. While this may not be the very best of the Jolson musicals, it does come across as entertaining. It can be seen from time to time on cable's Turner Classic Movies. For the record, Al Jolson would return to films playing supporting roles in two 20th Century-Fox musicals in 1939, along with a third, a cameo appearance. But the Jolson legend doesn't end there. (***)

This was the last of eight films that Jolson did for Warner Brothers between 1927 and 1936. Not many people have seen this one, but it is rather addictive with a great parody of Jolson as Jolson.

Jolson plays likable if irresponsible stage and radio star Al Jackson. He's given to trusting the people in his life to handle things for him just a little to much as he runs on overdrive from performance to performance. This gets him in trouble later in the film. Jackson lives at the top of a tall penthouse where he gives his most jubilant performance of "I Wanna Singa" along with Cab Calloway who happens to be practicing on an adjacent rooftop. Just in case you didn't know, that famous song comes from this movie, not the cute little cartoon with the singing Owl in it as most people think. Cab Calloway appears in several numbers with Jolson in this film.

One of the best scenes/numbers in the movie has Jolson rehearsing his radio show, starting out with "I Wanna Singa" and then segueing into "Mammy". At this point The Yacht Club Boys, playing representatives of the sponsor, tunefully interrupt and tell Jolson why he's out of date and can't sing his traditional Mammy songs on their show.

Being Jolson's leading lady didn't really help the film careers of the actresses involved (I'm excluding Mrs. Jolson here, AKA Ruby Keeler). Beverly Roberts - who plays the love interest here - is no exception. She worked for Warner Bros. in 1936 and 1937 and then went back to stage work. Lending strong support here is the ever-confused Edward Everett Hornton as the befuddled gentleman's gentleman to Jolson's character.

Definitely worth it for all Jolson fans. If you don't like Jolson I don't recommend it, as Jolson's films are usually all Jolson all the time, although this one has Jolson interacting with the rest of the cast a little more than his other films usually did.

Busby Berkeley actually directed at least one section of this film even though he wasn't credited. I have seen a photograph of Berkeley directing Al Jolson and Sybil Jason as they sing "You're the Cure for What Ails Me" on a lakeside dock, as well as home movies shot by composer Harold Arlen showing Berkeley clowning around at that location with Jolson, lyricist EY Harburg and others. According to Harold Arlen biographer Ed Jablonski, Berkeley choreographed the "I Love to Sing-a" reprise in which Jolson and ensemble begin in a radio station, continue through the outer offices, down an elevator, through a lobby and out into a busy street conversing in rhyme all the way. This number seems to me a foreshadowing of the "Munchkinland" sequence in THE WIZARD OF OZ three years later, wherein Judy Garland strolls through the village to the music and lyrics of the same songwriting team (Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg) with choreography by SINGING KID's credited choreographer, Bobby Connolly; maybe Connolly was inspired by Berkeley's work here. It is to Jolson's credit that he even agreed to perform in the "I Love to Sing-a" reprise because it's all about how dated and irrelevant his "Mammy" singing was. So at least he had a sense of humor.