The Singing Fool (1928)

Director:

Lloyd Bacon

Writers:

C. Graham Baker (adaptation), C. Graham Baker (story),

Stars:

Al Jolson, Betty Bronson, Josephine Dunn

Cast

Cast overview:
Al Jolson	...	Al Stone
Betty Bronson	...	Grace
Josephine Dunn	...	Molly Winton
Arthur Housman	...	Blackie Joe
Reed Howes	...	John Perry
Davey Lee	...	Sonny Boy (as David Lee)
Edward Martindel	...	Louis Marcus
Robert Emmett O'Connor	...	Cafe Owner, Bill (as Robert O'Connor)
Helen Lynch	...	Maid
Agnes Franey	...	'Balloon' Girl
The Yacht Club Boys	...	Singing Quartette

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

dance number | down and out | california | dead child | early sound film | 

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Taglines:

SEE and HEAR AL JOLSON IN "THE SINGING FOOL" Singing "Sonny Boy" and six other sensational song hits!

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Genres:

Musical | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 August 1929 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Az éneklö bolond

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Vitaphone)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A smash hit grossing over $4 million, it was the most successful film in Warner Brothers history calculated at the completion of its initial release.

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Connections

Featured in American Masters: You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story (2008)

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Soundtracks

"It All Depends on You"
(uncredited)
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Buddy G. DeSylva and Lew Brown
Sung by Al Jolson
Played often in the score

User Reviews

He sings! he yodels! he jumps about to music!

So said Cosmo Brown about effervescent Don Lockwood in talkie satire SINGIN IN THE RAIN....and so can be attributed with equal exuberance to Al Jolson in this prehistoric box office blockbuster gramophone talkie from 1928. It is famous for a dozen reasons... all of which you can read on the other posts which explain them in detail. I waded through THE SINGING FOOL for several reason of my own: I wanted to see such a successful film from 1928; the fantastic deco atmosphere of genuine flapper 20s in the nightclub scenes, the idea this film is part talkie and part silent is quite fascinating; and is a terrific example of emerging technology of the time. The clothes furnishings and art direction are easily enough to keep you watching. The music score does not quite fit in some parts but is a valiant attempt to fully orchestrate the entire film and lay a voice track on top. Jolson looks remarkably like Steve Martin in some scenes and perhaps this notion could work in a Jolson bio today. At times I thought I was watching an alternate version of DEAD MEN DON'T WEAR PLAID. The look and style of the deco 20s as modern film making and with talking acting scenes makes it a fascinating mix. The child who plays Sonny Boy (Davy Lee) is remarkable for a 4 year old kid, very natural and quite emotional. Jolson's often-scary possessed acting style is mostly pantomime maudlin or simpleton over-expressive, but I attribute that to the silent era acting zapped with electrical wiring. A TITANIC level grosser of its day, THE SINGING FOOL was the most successful film of all time up until 1939 so make sure read the other comments. All quite fascinating.