The Singing Kid (Warner Bros.) (1936)

Al Jolson revives his biggest hits of former years, both of the stage and screen, in the opening of his new picture ‘‘The Singing Kid’’ which comes to the ....c.cccccccccccsseseeees Theatre on Se hoa Se He sings, in character, excerpts from the songs with which he is chiefly identified. He is shown above in the characters he plays on the screen. In the center is his world famous pose in ‘‘Mammy.’’ His other roles are named in in the illustration. Mat No. 301—30ce Sybil Jason, Baby Star, Just A Nice, Normal Girl Child Now Playing In ‘‘The Singing Kid”’ Unspoiled By Success Up to the time she was three years old Sybil Jason, who has a leading role with Al Jolson in the First National picture, “‘The Singing Kid,’’ now showing at the .........0..cccccceccessseeeees Theatre, had never thought very seriously about her theatrical career. At two she began speaking pieces and memorizing songs her older sisters taught her. At two and a half she had learned several intricate dance routines and could imitate famous actresses she had seen on the and she urged him to bring the screen. At three she started out, a black haired, brown eyed baby, on the long hard road to theatrical fame. She was born November 23, 1929 at Capetown, South Africa, where her parents and one sister and a brother still live. The other sister, Anita, and an uncle, Harry Jacobson, are with her in Holly wood. Sybil’s first audience was made up of the immediate members of her family. Much younger than the other children, she was the center of attention in the family circle and her brothers and sisters, once they discovered her unusual ability to remember words and tunes, took turns teaching her nursery songs and mother goose rhymes. Before long her “public” included a number of neighborhood children and soon the fame of her songs, dances and “imitations” had spread throughout her home city. In fact it spread even farther, because Frances Day, British stage and screen star, heard of her in far-away London. She learned that the child’s uncle, Harry Jacobson, was a pianist with the Savoy hotel band, talented little girl to the British metropolis. Eventually this was arranged, and with Sybil’s sister Anita, acting as guardian, Capetown’s little favorite started the long series of journeys that was to bring her, two years later, to Hollywood. In London Sybil sang and danced and played the piano for Miss Day and a little later she made her first professional appearance at a charity concert in the Palace theatre. An English film scout in the audience was so impressed with her talents that he sought out her guardians and offered the child a chance to appear briefly in a motion picture with Archie Pitt, a British screen star. It was originally intended that Sybil should work only one day and in one scene but the engagement was extended, after that first day’s work and Sybil played through the entire picture. The picture was called “Barnacle Bill” and was subsequently previewed at a trade conference. In that audience was Irving Asher, head of the First National studios in England, who was about to make a hurried trip to Hollywood. Asher made a film test of Sybil and took it back to Hollywood with him to show to the executives there, while Sybil started work in her second British screen production “Dance Band,” starring Buddy Rogers. The First National executives were impressed by the work the little girl did in the test and cabled their London offices to offer the child a long term contract. This was accepted atid approved by the Los Angeles superior court, and Sybil, at five and a half, became a fullfledged screen star. So far she has played in three American made pictures. The first was “Little Big Shot,” in which she was the featured player; the second, “I Found Stella Parish,” in which she had an important role in support of Kay Francis; and the third, “The Singing Kid.” Sybil is a normal, healthy, happy child. She is precocious in her ability to memorize lines, and in imitating older people but she is otherwise an average child in every way. She loves dolls and dogs, likes to play hide-and-seek and a few days ago she asked little Dickie Moore, whom she had just met in the studio schoolroom to take her to lunch. He did. “The Singing Kid’ combines hilarious comedy with heart throbbing drama and _ gigantic spectacle. Besides Jolson and Sybil, the east includes Beverly Roberts, Edward Everett Horton, Lyle Talbot, Allen Jenkins, Claire Dodd and Wini Shaw. The Yacht Club Boys and Cab Calloway and his band also are featured. Numbers were staged by Bobby Connolly, with music and lyrics by E. Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen and orchestral arrangements by Ray Heindorf. William Keighley directed the picture from the screen play by Warren Duff and Patsy Flick, based on the story by Robert Lord. Beverly Roberts Wants To Be A Slinking Siren But Her First Film Role In ‘‘The Singing Kid” Is Just The Opposite When Beverly Roberts left high school in New York, her mind was made up to be a screen actress. It took seven years, during which she had a New York, London and Paris success. But she made it. The pretty, vivacious ash blonde recently joined First National and makes her film bow as the feminine lead opposite Al Jolson in “The Singing Kid,” now sAhowing at the: <2 cvs since Theatre. Her first stage experience came when she was sent by a dramatic coach to see Eva le Gallienne, with whom she served her apprenticeship as an actress. She appeared in “Passionate Pilgrim,” “Girls in Uniform” and _ other plays. Then she went to London, where she appeared in the role of Isabella in “Service.” In Paris, where she was practically stranded, she accepted a position as singer at the “Noctam Bules.” She explains that her “singing” is really “dramatic talking.” However, she made a hit and learned a number of French songs. When she returned to New York, she met Maurice Chalon, who was decorating the now famous “Boef sur le Toit.” He offered her a position as a chansonette. Later she sang at the “House of Lords” in New York, where a motion picture scout heard her. Miss Roberts has expressive brown eyes, a radiant personality and a dignified charm. She is five feet four and weighs one hundred and fifteen pounds. She is a great granddaughter of Dr. Edward Jenner, who discovered and first put into practice vaccination with small-pox virus. Another ancestor was Dr. William Jenner, whom Napoleon called, “the greatest benefactor of his time.” Her hobby is sculpture. Her favorite color is green. Her pet aversion is wrought iron statuary, and her suppressed desire is to be a slinking, smouldering and glamorous siren. She likes roast beef and spinach, but while dieting confines herself to carrots and oranges. She can cook and prides herself on a special recipe for Eggs Bernays. Her beauty secret is plain cold cream. Her exercises are tennis and swimming. Her favorite books are “Chansons de Bilitis,” “Poems of Francis Thompson” and Walter Pater’s “Renaissance.” Her only pet is a Manx eat, answering to the name of “Hussy.” Beverly Roberts has never been in pictures before, but since her first stage performance in “Cradle Song” she has been acclaimed by critics in New York and abroad as one of the most talented of the new school of American actresses. Miss Roberts has been particularly fortune in the start of her screen career. Most newcomers are assigned “bit” roles when they come to Hollywood. In fact, one of the most discouraging features to the film aspirant is that even when he has been placed under contract he may have to wait weeks, or months, for a role, no matter how small. When called for a test for a role opposit Al Jolson in what was known to be that star’s most ambitious picture, Miss Roberts couldn’t believe her own luck. She took the test, and was given the part for which many of the leading screen favorites were angling. “The Singing Kid” combines hilarious comedy with heart throbbing drama and gigantic spectacle. Besides Jolson and Miss Roberts the cast includes Sybil Jason, Edward Everett Horton, Lyle Talbot, Allen Jenkins, Claire Dodd and Wini Shaw. The Yacht Club Boys and Cab Calloway and his band also are featured. Numbers were staged by Bobby Connolly, with music and lyrics by E. Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen and orchestral arrangements by Ray Heindorf. William Keighley directed the picture. Cure For What Ails You Al Jolson and six year old Sybil Jason sing a new song entitled ‘‘You’re the Cure for What Ails Me’’ that is the cure for what ails all who see them in the new First National musical production ‘‘The Singing Kid,’’ now. playing at the .......0..cccccccecess Other musical numbers are sung by Jolson and Cab Calloway, Jolson and the Yacht Club Boys and Jolson and Wini Shaw. Mat No. 202—20c Page Thirty-fwe