By Frank Miller
The Singing Fool
Brief Synopsis
A singing star tries to recover from heartbreak when his wife deserts him and takes away his beloved son.
Cast & Crew
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Lloyd Bacon
Director
Al Jolson
Al Stone
Betty Bronson
Grace
Josephine Dunn
Molly Winton
Arthur Housman
Blackie Joe
Edward Martindel
Louis Marcus
Film Details
Genre
Musical
Adaptation
Drama
Release Date
Sep
29,
1928
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Warner Brothers Pictures
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on the short story "The Singing Fool" by Leslie Burrows (publication undetermined).
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 50m
Sound
Vitaphone
Color
Black and White
Film Length
7,444 (Si)ft
(11 reels)
Synopsis
Al Stone, a singing waiter at Blackie Joe's cafe, writes a hit song and becomes a Broadway star, marrying Molly Winton, an ambitious, underhanded soubrette. Molly eventually leaves Al and goes off with John Perry, a racketeer, taking their young son with her. Al becomes a derelict and sometime later returns to Blackie Joe's, where Grace, the loyal cigarette girl, inspires him to make a comeback. Al's son dies in a hospital, and Al, going on stage like a trouper, sings the boy's favorite song. The pain caused by his son's death is dulled with the passage of time, and he goes to California with Grace.
Director
Lloyd Bacon
Director
Cast
Al Jolson
Al Stone
Betty Bronson
Grace
Josephine Dunn
Molly Winton
Arthur Housman
Blackie Joe
Edward Martindel
Louis Marcus
Reed Howes
John Perry
Robert E. O'connor
Cafe owner
Davey Lee
Sonny Boy
Crew
C. Graham Baker
Scen
Lew Brown
Composer
Ralph Dawson
Film Editor
B. G. Desylva
Composer
Dave Dreyer
Composer
Lewis Geib
Tech
Lewis Gensler
Composer
George R. Groves
Recording Engineer
Esdras Hartley
Tech
Byron Haskin
Director of Photography
Ray Henderson
Composer
Joseph Jackson
Dial
Joseph Jackson
Titles
Al Jolson
Composer
Sam Lewis
Composer
Harold Mccord
Film Editor
Joseph Meyer
Composer
F. N. Murphy
Tech
Billy Rose
Composer
Frank Shaw
Assistant Director
Louis Silvers
Music Conductor
Victor Vance
Tech
Joe Young
Composer
Film Details
Genre
Musical
Adaptation
Drama
Release Date
Sep
29,
1928
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Warner Brothers Pictures
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on the short story "The Singing Fool" by Leslie Burrows (publication undetermined).
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 50m
Sound
Vitaphone
Color
Black and White
Film Length
7,444 (Si)ft
(11 reels)
Articles
The Singing Fool (1928) -
As a follow-up to The Jazz Singer (1927), the brothers Warner weren't hedging their bets. They gave Al Jolson another sentimental plot, this time about a Broadway star who falls apart when his fickle wife leaves him for another man and takes his beloved son with her. Since the plot gave no reason for the star's trademarked blackface, he suddenly dons it for the final number, a reprise of the picture's biggest hit, "Sonny Boy," by Buddy DeSylva, Lew Brown and Ray Henderson. Most of the score consists of Jolson classics like "I'm Sitting on Top of the World" and "It All Depends on You." The two songs written for the film -- "Sonny Boy" and Dave Dryer, Billy Rose and Jolson's "There's a Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder" -- would go on to join the list of Jolson standards. The former became the first song to top one million in sheet music sales, eventually reaching three million, which came as something of a shock to Jolson and the songwriters. To them, it was just a silly, maudlin song written as a plot point. Its success and Jolson's outsized personality helped make this Warner's biggest hit to date, with a gross of $5.9 million, and made Jolson a superstar.
By Frank Miller
By Frank Miller
The Singing Fool (1928) -
As a follow-up to The Jazz Singer (1927), the brothers Warner weren't hedging their bets. They gave Al Jolson another sentimental plot, this time about a Broadway star who falls apart when his fickle wife leaves him for another man and takes his beloved son with her. Since the plot gave no reason for the star's trademarked blackface, he suddenly dons it for the final number, a reprise of the picture's biggest hit, "Sonny Boy," by Buddy DeSylva, Lew Brown and Ray Henderson. Most of the score consists of Jolson classics like "I'm Sitting on Top of the World" and "It All Depends on You." The two songs written for the film -- "Sonny Boy" and Dave Dryer, Billy Rose and Jolson's "There's a Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder" -- would go on to join the list of Jolson standards. The former became the first song to top one million in sheet music sales, eventually reaching three million, which came as something of a shock to Jolson and the songwriters. To them, it was just a silly, maudlin song written as a plot point. Its success and Jolson's outsized personality helped make this Warner's biggest hit to date, with a gross of $5.9 million, and made Jolson a superstar.
By Frank Miller
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
A silent version of the film was released in January 1929.
