The Eddie Cantor Story

Not to be out done by his late rival Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor got a biographical film of his own. It's no more true to life than The Jolson Story in fact it may be less true. Cantor had his faults, but on the whole was a nicer person than Jolson. But in fact these films are only an excuse to hear the many songs identified with Cantor over the course of his almost 50 years as an active performer beginning with him as a child working in one of Gus Edwards productions for talented kids.

Keefe Brasselle is superficially suggestive of Cantor and the lipsynching of Cantor standards is performed well. I don't think he came close to capturing the inner Cantor. Best in the film is Aline McMahon as Eddie's fabled Grandma Esther who raised him after he was orphaned.

At least the Jolson Story got it right that Al Jolson was not the man's birth name, he's presented to us as Asa Yoelson the cantor's son (no pun intended) from the beginning. Eddie Cantor's real name was Izzy Ishkowitz, but that was never brought up at all. It's the biggest error of the film.

The film stops in the early 30s and Cantor had at least 20 more years of active performing. It's adequate, but catch some of his films if you want to know what a marvelous performer Eddie Cantor was.

I love Eddie Cantor and was looking forward to finally seeing this biopic. I really enjoyed the musical numbers, but I have to say the dramatic scenes were painful. I'm sure Eddie Cantor didn't carry his stage personna into his personal life. I'm sure he didn't mug and roll his eyes when conversing with his friends and his wife. But that's what Keefe Braselle did. It got pretty annoying. On the other hand, the musical numbers were tremendous and Mr. Braselle nailed the moves and the facial expressions. Of course, hearing the voice of Eddie Cantor was wonderful. I'm wondering if the songs were recorded for the movie, (as in The Jolson Story) or whether older recordings were used.

Having loved the Cantor sound from my childhood, listening to 'Maxi the Taxi', I've been hunting for a copy of "The Eddie Cantor Story" and have at last made it before I die. After reading numerous negative reviews and distaste for Keefe Brasselle's interpretation of Cantor, I have to say I love everything about him. The brilliantly staged musical numbers could not have been better performed and I could watch repeatedly the highlights ; 'Row, Row, Row', 'How you gonna keep them down on the farm?', 'If you knew Susie', 'Ma, He's making eyes at Me' etc. No problem with Keefe's off-stage acting either and my only reason for 9 and not 10 is the film could have done with some pruning with the domestic scenes e.g the Sunday breakfast scene invaded by reporters. Ninety minutes duration would have made it all perfect.

Best thing: the music Worst: Keefe Brasselle pouring on his Cantor expression at every moment.

He's still over the top when Eddie is on stage, but in the scenes of his private life?

It's not acting. It's an impression. It's way over the top. Too bad Cantor deserved a better film. Blame the director I suppose.

Cantor had one dynamic career. He was on radio, tv, films, and records. He was a hit on all of them. In the early 1950s he felt that his career was mostly over. He retired. That takes discipline. The guy is a forgotten legend.

Now, he and Jolson did blackface. Yes, it's a minstrel show holdover. It's horrible. I didn't like it was a kid seeing the Jolson story this film and the WILL ROGERS bio pic in the early 1960s. Today, it's a crime You have to try to look past this if that's possible.

Was this film a hit? Hey, Martin and Lewis were the top act. Their films pulled in early 1950s money 2.5 million on average. This film grossed that too. It was a huge hit.

Watch it if you can. It's not was good as the first Jolson film, which suffers similar problems.

It is not a good movie. But it is leaps and bounds more entertaining than "The Jolson Story." I found Brasselle to be grotesque most of the time during the dramatic scenes. The poor guy was directed to do the bulging eyes even when he was not doing a song. That isn't true to what Eddie Cantor was. Just look at him in an interview and he never looks freakish unless he is clowning. Keefe is great in the musical numbers and actually quite believable in the dramatics. Marilyn Erskine is very fine and underrated. "She doesn't look Jewish"??? is a rather insulting comment to make. Aline McMahon is great in a role that is now completely clichéd. She approached every line with complete seriousness. It has that sort of el cheapo Warner Brothers musical look and should have been a lot shorter, but this was a sincere attempt and it really is never boring. Had the approach been original instead of trying to do a scene for scene match of other biographies of the great vaudevillians, this could have been something.