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Ramon Nova r r o ' s voice will be heard for the first time by the fans in "The Pagan," while D o r o t hy J a n i s listens to his song.
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Hollywood, where melody, hardeveloping a new type of film sical comedy to the smallest towns.
Schallert
First a little glimpse at the past.
When talking pictures were first introduced to the public about three years ago, every one was pretty well convinced that music could be used to advantage in the new medium. Indeed, Warner Brothers, who sponsored the premiere of Vitaphone, practically adopted a policy of music, and music alone, for their larger productions, on the strength of this first showing. They decided, also, to make some short pictures of vaudeville stars doing their tricks, both good and bad.
The first sensational event was "The Jazz Singer." Here Al Jolson actually talked in a feature picture. It was only a few minutes of talk, but it scored an . instantaneous hit. There was no question but that pictures could be made with dialogue. And so, very shortly, actors, right and left, front and center, and anywhere else, commenced rolling out words.
But — the mechanical reproduction is cold. It needs relief and variety to counterbalance the certain dullness that
results from hollow, and sometimes sepulchral, voices alone. Tragedy, at this stage of development, might become so solemn that it would be
grotesque, were it not relieved by something in the form of a sugary coating of sound.
If you saw "The Singing Fool," you will remember that Al Jolson did not talk his way into the hearts of the public ; he used his more lyrical talents with overwhelming effect. His rendition of "Sonny Boy," while holding little Davey Lee in his arms, is what caused the theaters throughout the country literally to be drenched with tears. It also brought on an epidemic of "Sonny Boy" vocalizing over every radio in the land.
Along with Al Jolson's picture have come others in which songs played a part. There was, for example, "Mother Knows Best," with "Sally of My Dreams"; "Lilac Time," with "Jeannine, I Love You" ; and "Warming Up," with "Out of the Dawn" ; not to speak of such earlier features as "Ramona," and "Laugh, Clown, Laugh," which had theme songs that were immense successes. In the two latter cases, however, the numbers were not sung from the screen, but were published about the time that the picture was released.
It is the song rendered with the film, and particularly by somebody appearing in the film, that wins the greatest and the quickest vogue. Such
numbers as "You
Irene Bordoni will sing her famous songs in a First National film.
Photo by Stein
Were Meant for Me," and "The Wedding of the Painted Doll," in
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