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

AL JOLSON in “SAY IT WITH SONGS’’—Warner Bros. Latest All-Talking, All-Singing Vitaphone Picture If FEATURES FOR NEWSPAPERS HOW VITAPHONE CREATED Jolson Fight In “Say It With Songs” Hard To Record The difficulties of recording an outof-doors fist fight for the Vitaphone on the new Jolson all-talking picture “Say It With Songs” now at the Theatre—kept technicians working overtime while th, company was on location. Outside sight-recording has been successfully accomplished long ago but a pitched battle between two men is “something else again” when it comes to catching the sound as well as the sight. The thumping of fists, the heavy breathing, the hot words—all of these had to be kept within the range of the microphone while the visible fight had to be kept within the camera angle. This is not easy to do. This boxing match between Jolson and the heavy of the story, played by Kenneth Thomson, went on for round after round while the cameras ground and the waxes rotated. If fights were strenuous for players before the advent of talking pictures, they are doubly trying and prolonged. Jolson’s support in melodious “Say It With Songs” includes Davey Lee, Marian Nixon, Kenneth Thomson and Holmes Herbert in the east. Darryl Francis Zanuck and Harvey Gates did the story which was adapted by Joseph Jackson. Lloyd Bacon directed. ‘a CUDDDDUDURUDDUDUGODEDROSONOUUREORLUDOULERGDERGODED GREE RGU ODEEOREEOOE HEAR JOLSON SING “SEVENTH HEAVEN” Feel the way My heart is thumping— Notice how My two eyes shine— See the way my Feet keep jumping— Jumping with joy! I’m some lucky boy! I'm in the — Seventh Heaven! It’s easy to guess— My baby said “yes!” I know I’ve just Thrown a great Big seven! And she was The prize— W hat lips And what eyes! ~ I'll say that _ She's got, ‘All the stuff, Got all The things— She says that I'm an angel, Enough with The wings! And that’s why— I’m in the Seventh Heaven— { PPT Heaven— Having a heck Of a time! AONOGUOUUSUOSUOSUSOGUCUEEELGUCUUEUOGUEOEUSUESUSOUECOUOUEOURESUEOREUUEOOECUCSEEERESUCSUHSOESCUGESCQCSUCGSESEEG © COUASUASUCGCUCEEEANOUEAAUAANEUCUUEEENOGECUUCSUUSEOGUCUACOOCQECSEQGUUSUCOOSORUGECOHCEOUERUORUCOCCOECGOOCEEGHOROCEECCOUORUERUECUSELERECEECOSEREEES TU a a = A NEW SCREEN ART By AL JOLSON the introduction of the talking picture the art of the screen Since Its technique is quite different from that of the silent picture. has taken a new tack. It is temporarily at least closer to the technique of the stage than when only silent pictures were made. The silent picture was drifting farther stage technique where dialogue is and farther away from the most important factor in investing the story with actuality and in emotion on The advent of the talking picture halted this swing away from the stage for the time being and talking motion picture art approximated that of the speaking arousing sympathetic the part of the audience. stage. Screen plays had been handicapped by their lack of the spoken word, the power of the human voice to evoke emotion, arouse enthusiasm and bring tears and laughter through the contagion of sympathy. Talking Scenarios | When the perfecting of recording the screen a voice, screen technique was in a chaotic state for a time, with writers, directors and players model and projecting sound gave ing their combined efforts on the stage. But as the makers of pictures gained more experience and skill in the use of sound and the human voice, they began to veer Dialogue written for the audible screen is more terse and direct than that written for the stage; more of the away from stage technique. story is told in action and pantomime, as was the case with the silent picture. The variety and scope of the talking picture is greater than was thought practicable when science had brought the voice to the screen. When Warner Bros. made their first presentation of a Vitaphone program at the Warner Theatre in New York on August 6, 1926, emphasis laid on The feature picture, John Barrymore in “Don Juan’ made no use of the film’s acquisition of a voice other than to present a musical accompaniment played by the New York PhilharOrchestra. All of the accompanying short Vitaphone presentations were of a musical character aside from a brief address on Vitaphone by Will H. Hays. Martinelli, Anna Case and Marion Talley were heard to sing operatic selections; Mischa Elman, Efrem Zimbalist and Harold Bauer in instrumental selections and Roy Smeck in solos on the Hawaiian guitar and ukelele. | “The Jazz Singer” | When my first picture, “The Jazz Singer,” was produced, the voice was made use of in the picture itin the singing of songs of the kind that I had made popular. was music. monie self, but almost entirely With “The Lion and‘ the and other productions made at that Mouse” time dialogue was incorporated in various sequences. Warner’ Bros. had soon progressed far enough in the new art of the talking picture to resort to dialogue throughout length. The first 100% all talking picture was “Lights of New York” which Bryan Foy directed. | “The Singing Fool” | In “The Singing Fool,” my second Vitaphone picture I was heard both to sing and to talk throughout the production. In the early stages of talking picture production it was natural that but secant attention was paid to the quality of dialogue incorporated in the production (unless it were taken from an acted play). Any kind of talk went for a time just as any kind of action was. accepted by the public upon the first. appearance of the silent motion picture. It was the novelty that captivated the publie. its That stage was soon passed, and it was found that the art of writing screen dialogue is a very complicated and difficult one. Natural talk that advanced the dramatic action of the picture was striven for. A new art of screen writing was born as well as a new art of screen production. In the case of “The Desert Song,” the first screen operetta, new problems of ensemble singing and danecing had to be met. With these conquered and made an _ integral part of the picture, there came many more new problems with the mak‘ng of the first 100% natural color picture, “On With the Show,” but these had mainly to do with colors and their harmonies and not with sound and dialogue. | Vitaphone Magic | Vitaphone has been responsible for many changes in the studios and their physical equipment as well as in. production methods. Sound-proof stages were built to keep the microphones from catching foreign sounds. The microphones themselves were borrowed from radio and made the instrument for catching the human voice and all other wanted sounds and recording them so they could be reproduced upon the sereen. The photo-electrie cell which makes it possible to translate sound into vibration and back again into sound is the basic marvel upon which talking pictures are founded. Sputtering Klieg lights had to be abandoned in place of silent incandescent lights. The creaking of cameras had to be silenced in soundproof booths. With so many new problems confronting the studios and the directors, the advance of the talking motion picture has been marvellous. In three years’ time it has made strides as gigantic as those of silent films in a quarter of a century. | Public Approval | The public by its attendance at theatres showing talking pictures and by its vote has indicated its preference for them. The _ public, having shown that preference, must be eatered to, and all other producing companies have followed the lead of Warner Bros. who have steadily maintained their advanced position Scene from” Say it with Songs*Starring Al Jolson A Warner Bras Production LITTLE PAL GOES THROUGH THE DARK VALLEY while his estranged parents suffer for his sake. Production No. 17——Cut or Mat in the new style of talking motion pictures. : One of the director’s first problems was to eliminate all sound upon the stage, including his own voice in directing his players. This led to an intensive and thorough rehearsal of the picture in its entirety so that once the players were on the stage and the microphones ready to pick up their voices they could go through the scene without coaching—a vastly different thing from the silent picture fashion in which the director could tell the player what to do while his scene was in progress and the camera was recording it. The actors no longer depend upon the director to tell them what to do and what the action is about; they must study their parts, learn their “lines,” giving them the proper inflection and emphasis. Learning their parts and intensive rehearsals have speeded up the making of pictures so that a talking film can be made in much less time than was required to make a_ silent feature. | “Say It With Songs” | The art of making talking pictures is still in flux. Producers are finding new angles, new obstacles and meeting with new successes with practically every new production. My new picture, “Say It With Songs” is radically different from my first “talkie,” “The Jazz Singer.” It is as much in advance of the “Singing Fool” as that production was in advanee of “The Jazz Singer.” The production department considers “Say It With Songs” to be the greatest box office picture we have yet made, so they tell me. The acquisition of a tongue has given to motion pictures a new life, color, reality and drama. As more is learned about it and as the technique of making and projecting talking pictures, is perfected their scope and power will be still further increased. 7 Al Jolson ‘Does A ~ Lindbergh,’ From Coast To New York Al Jolson slipped out of Hollywood without announcing his destination a few days after the completion of “Say It With Songs,” Warner Bros. latest all-talking, singing, Vitaphone picture, now at the Theatre, and even his close friends denied knowledge of his whereabouts, They would not be surprised so they said, to learn that he had gone directly to New York by plane-and-rail for a brief visit to his wife, the former Ruby Keeler, playing there in a musical show. Before leaving, Mr. Jolson saw a rough cut of “Say It With Songs” and was much pleased with the production. In New York, for it was the little old town he journeyed to, Jolson made arrangements for the publishing of the half-dozen stunning new songs included in his new picture. The famous comedian returned to Hollywood within a fortnight when preliminary conferences on ‘“Mammy,” his next picture for Warner Brothers were held. Al Jolson’s “Say It With Songs” is now drawing record crowds to the Theatre. FECEUPOREOURREEEDEEGEREERORUEU REED ECR ORSORER ODE RCRERROR SO RO RONSON OED Das HEAR JOLSON SING “I’m ‘Ka-razy’ For Youll’ Al Jolson in _ all-talking, singing “Say It With Songs” at the Theatre. PUTT WTITITI TIE