One of the types of odd films that I cherish for some reason are early sound films. To me it's fascinating to see the kind of near- frenzy shown by the performers and filmmakers to get it right before the other studio did and make the big score, like The Jazz Singer. How American. The King of Jazz was perhaps the most ambitious film of its time. For sure it throws in the kitchen sink. One of the first things I noticed about this highly unusual film is that it seems alot more ancient because it tries too hard, it's capabilities were too limited to do justice to make a timeless piece of entertainment. Technically the film has all the elements of a creaky classic--washed-out color, sound that pops and hisses, the exhaggerated film grain and jumps, and some pretty strange staging and dialogue. The results are wildly uneven. The high points are hugely entertaining. The snake hips dance, Ragamuffin Romeo and the spectacular original version of Rhapsody in Blue with an unbilled Gershwin sitting in on piano and the show-stopping finish, Happy Feet. It is shocking to see a young, almost unrecognizeable Bing Crosby warbling along with The Rhythm Boys. This being said, you must understand that this musical variety show was made in 1928, three or four years before the perfection of musicals by Busby Berkeley. There are some skits and numbers that are absolutely shrill and unbearable too.
The drunk comes to mind, played by an actor whose name escapes me. He also plays a high-voiced baby character that sent me scurrying for the fast forward button. The attempts at humor are very dated, and there doesn't seem to be one intentional laugh that has made it to 2002, although there are unintentional ones galore. Paul Whiteman is a highly over-rated figure in Jazz...there were so many others that were infinitely better to fill the role of King of Jazz...Fats Waller for one. But times such as they were, blacks were very limited. In all this is highly grotesque, let-it-all-hang-out entertainment. Be prepared to get mesmerized by this time tunnel of a film, but keep the fast forward handy.
The drunk comes to mind, played by an actor whose name escapes me. He also plays a high-voiced baby character that sent me scurrying for the fast forward button. The attempts at humor are very dated, and there doesn't seem to be one intentional laugh that has made it to 2002, although there are unintentional ones galore. Paul Whiteman is a highly over-rated figure in Jazz...there were so many others that were infinitely better to fill the role of King of Jazz...Fats Waller for one. But times such as they were, blacks were very limited. In all this is highly grotesque, let-it-all-hang-out entertainment. Be prepared to get mesmerized by this time tunnel of a film, but keep the fast forward handy.