Song of Love

On April 15, I had the pleasure (?) of viewing this disaster at the Film Forum in New York City. I had only known of the singer-comedienne Belle Baker from an article in Joe Franklin's "Encyclodedia of Comedy". By the way, Joe Franklin was sitting in front of me in the theater. "Song of Love" was an early talkie featuring a comedy player of renown from the stage. However, like early films with Fanny Brice, Joe E. Brown and Al Jolson, the plots of these films were overripe melodramas with the comedy performers showing their stuff during "performance" segments. Erle Kenton's direction reeks of the silent film style he had used effectively in the past. There was an attempt to make Baker look as matronly and unattractive as possible. Some of her costumes and shots are absolutely bizarre. Baker's set pieces are entertaining, but it is obvious that Kenton was unsuccessful in getting her to tone down her stage style. There are some interesting aspects of the film. This is the screen debut of Eve Arden, and she plays the vamp who attempts to steal leading man (?) Ralph Graves from Baker. This is definitely not the typical Arden role. Also in the film is young Dave Durrand, who grew up to appear first in Jules White's Glove Slingers series and then became a "background boy" in the East Side Kids series. Baker only appeared in two other films, but this is the only one in which she is starred. Although this film may sound intriguing, it should be avoided at all costs. It makes the worst of the Wheeler and Woolsey movies look like "Citizen Kane".