Say It with Songs

Director: Lloyd Bacon

Overview

Al Jolson had one of his biggest successes with this maudlin musical melodrama that rode on the coattails of his innovative previous productions The Jazz Singer and The Singing Fool. Here Jolson plays Joe Lane, a high-energy radio singer whose wife Katherine (Marian Nixon) and son Little Pal (Davey Lee) love him with all their hearts and souls. When Joe's boss Arthur Phillips (Kenneth Thomson) makes a pass at Katherine, Joe sees red and punches him -- not only knocking him out but killing him. Convicted of murder, Joe goes to prison where he sings zippy songs to the convicts in his cell-block. While in prison, Joe renounces his wife so that she can continue on with her life without being saddled with an ex-con husband. Upon Joe's release from prison, he goes to visit Little Pal, who wants to run away with Joe. Joe prefers to stick it out and try to make a go of it. However, being an ex-con, he is unable to make much money. Little Pal determines to help out, and he gets a job selling newspapers. But tragedy strikes when Little Pal is hit by a truck. As a result, Little Pal becomes paralyzed and mute. Joe goes to see famed specialist Dr. Robert Merrill (Holmes Herbert), who is now married to Katherine. Joe begs the doctor to help his beloved Little Pal. Merrill agrees on the stipulation that Joe return Little Pal to Katherine. Joe agrees and Merrill's operation restores Little Pal's legs. Then when Little Pal hears one of Joe's recordings, he regains the ability to speak. Now Joe has to decide whether to fight for Little Pal or fade away into the night.

Product Details

Release Date:	07/21/2009
UPC:	0883316173954
Original Release:	1929
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[Full Frame]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:35:00
Sales rank:	48,187

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Al Jolson	Joe Lane
Marian Nixon	Katherine Lane
Davey Lee	Little Pal
Holmes Herbert	Dr. Robert Merrill
Fred Kohler	Joe's Cellmate
John Bowers	Surgeon
Frank Campeau	Actor
Ken Thomson	Actor

Technical Credits

Joe Jackson

Joe Jackson

Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

The advent of sound threw the motion picture industry into a turmoil, as each studio (and its directors, writers, etc.) tried to figure out how this new component should fit into the movies. The most common method was to imitate what had already been done, meaning copy The Jazz Singer and The Singing Fool. Say it With Songs does just that, almost slavishly so. But the bloom is very much off the peach, and even the presence of powerhouse Al Jolson can't rescue this offering from its arch sentimentality, unconvincing storyline, weak jokes and sometimes painful dialogue. (On the positive side, Jolson manages to get through the film without appearing in blackface, a definite plus for modern day audiences.) Part of what makes the film so bad is how incredible some of its plot points are. Unfortunate incident is piled upon unfortunate incident until they become laughable, and the image of Jolson cheering up hardened criminals with a drippy song is ludicrous. The score, with the exception of "I'm in Seventh Heaven," is undistinguished. All of this leaves Jolson, and how much a viewer enjoys the film will depend upon his appreciation of Jolson's personality and talents -- but even his most ardent admirers will find that this is not one of his better performances.