Say it with Songs (Warner Bros.) (1929)

io-) AL JOLSON in “SAY IT WITH SONGS'’’—Warner Bros. Latest All-Talking, All-Singing Vitaphone Picture FEATURES AND REVIEWS Selected by AL JOLSON Risky Business Barr—Why did you stop bootlegging?” Carr—My customers began to insist that I take a drink with them. —American Legion Weekly. She Did Her Best The pastor announced on Sunday —“‘When you come to the mid-week meeting Wednesday, bring your favorite hymn.” Miss Abigail Applesauce appeared late Wednesday evening, her hair ruffled and her face pink, exclaiming breathlessly, ‘I tried to, but he wouldn’t come.”—Pomona Sagehen. An Overall Bath “Well, well, Peter, of all things, to be taking a bath at half past four in the morning.” To which the honorable Pete replied, as he squinted up at his wife: “Well, m’dear, ’s nothing unusual in my taking a bath ’s there?” “No dear nothing unusual, but the next time you do, just take off your underwear.”’—Kablegram. Horses! Horses! May—“I caught Jack in a lie last | night.” June—“How was that?” May—“‘He said he telephoned me from the booth down at the livery stable.” June—“‘Well?” May—“It was only a stall.’”—— N. Y. C. Lines Magazine. Why They’re Popular Willie—“Pop, what’s a Fraternal Order ?” “Father (forgetting himself—“A handy excuse to stay out late one night a week!” — N. Y. C. Lines Magazine. Another One For Henry We have a goat named Lizzie, She eats naught but tin cans. Last night she had some little kids, And all were Ford sedans. —Quips & Jests. Scene from “Say it with Songs"-Starring A/ Jolson A Warner Bros. Production. Production No. 11—Cut or Mat Most Ardent Jolson Fan Is Davey Lee Thousands of dollars’ worth of songs were wasted daily on the Warner Bros. lot, during the filming of “Say It With Songs,” Warner Bros. latest all-talking, singing Vitaphone picture, starring Al JolSon, now ~atethexseseeeiees oo es Theatre. Not altogether wasted, however, for Davey Lee likes them and Al Jolson enjoys singing them to him. This famous pair, brought together by a strange twist of fate just before the famous comedian made his picture “The Singing Fool” are together again in a new Jolson picture. While the crew changed lights and moved microphones, Al sang sometimes to Davey, quietly, personally and sometimes Davey sang to Al. Most of these are songs the public is not destined ever to hear— lullabies, nursery rhymes and kindergarten tunes. Probably it’s just as well Davey doesn’t know how unusual it is to have the world’s favorite entertainer singing for his personal entertainment. The songs Jolson does sing in “Say It With Songs’’ are “Why Can’t You,” “Little Pal,” “Used to You,” “Back in Your Own Back Yard,” “Seventh Heaven,” “I’m Ka-razy for You’’ and “Just One Sweet Kiss.” Prison Life In “Say It With Songs”? Okayd By Ex-Convict There was one man of the staff of the technical crew that made “Say It With Songs,” Warner Bros. latest all-talking, singing Vitaphone picture, starring Al Jolson, who broke all existing records for camera shyness. That was a prison atmosphere expert, brought to the lot direct from his third exit from the penitentiary after serving thirty odd years for forgery. This man knows prison life and lingo, as few do. He was exceedingly useful to Jolson and Director Lloyd Bacon in making the prison sequences, but before a camera he was more timid than any withered wall flower ever was. He admitted he had been photographed before, on entering and leaving prison three or more times, but he never considered the results good nor the pictures desirable. So no publicity pictures of the making of the new Jolson opus show the face of . The authenticity of the prison scenes owe much to his ability but his face does not figure in any of the scenes. “Say It With Songs’’ is showing PLO Wesa Drebl Ccaeer eek ics tens cis. . 5 at cae Theatre. Hoover and Jolson Make Even Take-Off Al Jolson got off to a running start on his new picture, “Say It With Songs’—latest all-talking, singing Vitaphone picture—now at ERG ee eee ‘PRedtre weet eee kos at almost the same moment that Herbert Hoover took over the reins of government. This was an event as important on the Warner Brothers lot as the inauguration was in Washington. In all probability more millions of people will hear Jolson and Davey Lee in “Say It With Songs’’ than listened in on the ceremonies when Mr. Hoover took the oath of office. The take-off on a new Jolson picture has come to be an event in the entertainment world since each of his pictures has set a new record. His third and greatest is melodious “Say It With Songs.” : % & scene from.” Say 1¢ with Songs’Starring Al Jolson A Warner BP0S./f00w't 1. PRS > Production No. 12—Cut or Mat CROWDS GO WILD OVER JOLSON AND DAVEY LEE IN MELODIOUS FILM, “SAY IT WITH SONGS” erie. Brat THEATRE—Warner Bros. present Al Jolson in ‘Say It With Songs,” an all-talking, all-singing Vitaphone pic ture. vey Gates. Lloyd Bacon. Based on the story by Darryl Francis Zanuck and HarTalking scenario by Joseph Jackson. Directed by THE CAST Arthur Phillipe “ice. *5.. 20%, 3 Joe's CelmateOO ee ME ie nee gr i oe AL JOLSON reper at ers pe Marian Nixon 41a eased oe Davey Lee J Set ta epee oc Kenneth Thompson Rete aot ie Fred Kohler If Al Jolson in “The Jazz Singer” and “The Singing Fool” broke all records, in “Say It With Songs,” he outdistances even himself. To use an expression of his own “you ain’t Heard nothin’” till you have followed the changing fortunes of Joe Lane, one time prize-fighter, but at the beginning of the story a song writer and radio entertainer. Things are going well with Joe when we see him first. He is making a fortune, he has the love of his wife and their baby son whom he calls his “little pal.’ He firmly believes that Phillips, the man who is backing him in his theatrical adventures is also a “pal’—until his wife tells him that he is advancing the Lane interests only to gain her favor. In a fury of jealous rage, Joe goes in search of the man, and in the ensuing fight the latter falls, striking his head on the eurb. Phillips dies, and through the innocent testimony of “little pal” as to what he has overheard of his dad’s threats, Joe is sent to Sing Sing. Feeling that the fact that he will always be a “jailbird” will make the balance of his wife’s life unhappy, he tells her that he wants her to divorce him, as he no longer cares for her. This she finally does, and, putting the boy in a private school, goes back to nursing with a surgeon who had been a former suitor. Joe, at last freed, hurries to the school to see his “little pal.” As he leaves, the child follows and is run over by a truck, paralyzing him to a degree which prevents his walking or talking. Joe takes the child to the hospital and on the advice of doctors there, carries him to the surgeon for :.whom his former wife works. Dr. Merrill agrees to operate on the child if Joe will give him up to his mother. This the desperate father refuses to do. He takes the child with him to a furnished room. But the next day, reason returning, he takes the child to the surgeon who operates and restores the power to walk. His speech, however, is not restored. One day as Joe looks in the window, his former wife plays a record of “Little Pal,” the song Joe had often sung to him and the shock brings back the speech. All of which is like telling some one who has never seen a sunrise just what a sunrise is like. Jolson takes the ordinary story and makes it glow! He and wee Davey boy play to each other in a way which moves audiences to laughter and tears. Exquisite Marian Nixon is marvelously successful as the wife and mother. But it is after all Jolson—Jolson the magnetic —the dynamic — the unique—master of the unexpected— Jolson with his songs, his grimaces —his odd anties—his abandon—that dominates everything. The songs he sings are his best. Jolson Comes To Us In His Greatest Singing Film “SAY IT WITH SONGS” Warner Bros. present Al Jolson in “Say It With Songs,’’ latest all-talking, all-singing Vitaphone picture. Based on the story by Darryl Francis Zanuck and Har— vey Gates. Talking scenario by~ Joseph Jackson. Directed by Lloyd Bacon. The cast includes Davey lee, Marian Nixon, Holmes Herbert, Kenneth Thompson and Fred Kohler. Everybody who attended last night’s performance of “Say It With Songs” is talking Al Jolson! The star of “The Jazz Singer” and “The Singing Fool” is here again in a play in which he reaches even greater. heights—‘“Say. It. With Songs.” And Davey Lee is with him. In this tender, song-spangled drama Jolson plays the part of Joe Lane, former prize fighter, but now a writer of songs and radio. entertainer. The world looks rosy to him and he believes that Phillips, the man who is backing him, is doing so for friendship sake, but finds out that it is to win the love of Lane’s wife. Infuriated with jealousy Joe attacks the man, who falls, strikes his head on the curb and dies. Joe is sentenced to a long term in Sing Sing. Feeling that his wife will suffer from the disgrace, he urges her to divoree him, telling her that he no longer cares for her. This she does, putting their child in a boys’ school, and taking a position as nurse in the office of a surgeon who was a former lover. When Joe has “done his stretch” he returns and visits the school where his “little pal” is. The child follows him as he leaves, and is run over by a truck, after which he can neither walk nor talk. The surgeon consents to operate only if Joe promises to give the child up to his mother. He at first refuses but later thinks better of it, and goes to the surgeon who operates and restores the child’s power to walk. Speech comes through hearing a record of the song “Little Pal” which his daddy had often sung to him. This is a@ meagre outline of an ordinary enough story which Jolson glorifies into a thing of moving beauty. He sings as he has never sung: “Why Can’t You,” “Little Pal,” “Used to. You,” “Seventh Heaven,” ‘Back in Your Own Back Yard,” “I’m Ka-razy for You’’ and “Just One Sweet Kiss.” Davey Lee is his own delectable baby self, Marian Nixon is exquisite as the young wife and mother— but it is Jolson who makes of melodious “Say It With Songs,” a masterpiece, utterly unlike the masterpieces of other geniuses. You really “ain’t heard nothin’” till you have heard Jolson’s “Say It With Songs.” Jolson Triumphant In Spectacular ‘‘Say It With Songs” “Say It With Songs,” Al Jolson’s third Vitaphone talking, singing picture, received an enthusiastic welcome at the Theatre last night. Davey Lee is again in his support and the cast includes Marian Nixon, Holmes Herbert, Kenneth Thompson and Fred Kohler. Lloyd Bacon directed. Jolson is magnificently himself in “Say It With Songs.” in which he plays the part of a song writer and radio entertainer. who accidentally eauses the death of his backer, on account of advances towards the entertainer’s wife. For this he serves a term in Sing Sing, returning to visit his boy in school The child follows him and is hurt by a passing truck. Jolson sings seven marvelous songs as only he can sing!