"The Singing Fool" is a hybrid silent/mostly talkie showcase for the inimitable Al Jolson.
Jolie is a singing waiter who gets a big break and zooms to stardom. His parasitic floozy wife is two-timing him with his best friend and finally leaves Jolie, taking his beloved son with her.
Jolie goes into a downward spiral until his old employer sets him right and Jolie once again becomes a star. Just when everything is looking rosy for Jolie, his son becomes ill and dies as Jolie holds him in his arms and warbles "Sonny Boy".
If you like your early musicals with a hefty serving of shmaltz, you can't go wrong here.
Jolie is an idol of mine and this film is one of the best, if not the best, of his oeuvre.
Jolie is a singing waiter who gets a big break and zooms to stardom. His parasitic floozy wife is two-timing him with his best friend and finally leaves Jolie, taking his beloved son with her.
Jolie goes into a downward spiral until his old employer sets him right and Jolie once again becomes a star. Just when everything is looking rosy for Jolie, his son becomes ill and dies as Jolie holds him in his arms and warbles "Sonny Boy".
If you like your early musicals with a hefty serving of shmaltz, you can't go wrong here.
Jolie is an idol of mine and this film is one of the best, if not the best, of his oeuvre.