Mammy

Just watched this on Warner Archive DVD. It also had the trailer for it in which star Al Jolson is "interviewed" by a reporter about his latest picture. I put "interviewed" in quotes because I'm sure that "reporter" was another actor helping plug the picture. Anyway, I enjoyed the story and performances though it's really Jolson's songs-mostly written by Irving Berlin-that help sell the movie on its merits. This version has the restored 2-strip Technicolor sequences that looked pretty good for its age. Some of those scenes had to be accompanied by sepia-toned black and white ones to show them complete which didn't distract me too much. In summary, Mammy-despite some now-politically incorrect stereotypes concerning the blackface sequences-was pretty entertaining.

In general, second rate material all around, though one of the minstrel numbers (the Yes We Have No Bananas Operatic Finale) is quite good. The plot is mainly an excuse to let Al Jolson do his stuff, but he can't carry it alone

The first part of the movie does give some idea what a white minstrel show might look like, including a parade in the rain.

I saw the UCLA restoration, which does include what is known to survive of the 2 color (red/green) Technicolor sequences. Unfortunately, sections of those sequences were lost when Dutch titles were inserted, and some of the cuts from color to sepia tinted black and white are not smooth.

... that being Al Jolson. This film adapts the play "Mr. Bones" along with its Irving Berlin songs to the screen, with Al Jolson doing much of the singing as lead Al Fuller in "Meadows Musical Minstrels". Jolson's last film, "Say it with Songs", from 1929 had a real dive in revenue compared to his first two films. Maybe that was because of the changing times and the novelty of sound had worn off, maybe it was because, with that novelty wearing off, Jolson had looked somewhat ridiculous in his scenes with little Davey Lee in Say It With Songs.

So this time around, no melodramatic scenes with an ailing child. Jolson is largely shown doing what he did best - perform musically on the stage, except in a film. Director Michael Curtiz adds some visual flair to this one with some parade scenes, including one in "the rain" in which nobody seems to get that wet. Also there is a train scene with a babbling brook nearby as the locomotive lumbers past, and clouds going by overhead. Not the usual Warner stock footage that they did in their early years after escaping their poverty row roots.

A very basic story is added to the minstrel musical scenes. Al has a mother that he seems to visit just to say goodbye to. He is secretly in love with Norma, the daughter of the owner of the show, who is engaged to a man (Lowell Sherman) who never saw a skirt he didn't want to chase. And to top it all off, Al is framed for an attempted murder.

It was interesting to see Lowell Sherman here as the skirt chasing interlocutor. He has a much more restrained presence than he usually has in his films where he is best known as being flamboyant, plus he was a director himself. It would be interesting to know how he and Curtiz got along on the set.

I'd recommend this mainly for Jolson fans and for fans of the early talkies. Technically this IS a precode, but the only thing close to a precode moment is when Al goes into Norma's dressing room after her performance, and while they are casually talking, just starts helping her undress. They both have a moment of mild embarrassment when they realize she is standing there, talking to this casual friend, clad only in her underwear!

Funny story about Al's double.

Production mistook my grandfather as Al, they thought Al was joking around and said he was wanted on set. My grandfather Michael was actually a carpenter building the WB sets. Since he was such a good lookalike, they used him as a standin.

I saw today the restored version of "Mammy," restored in that the two colour sequences have been put back in. (Some areas had to use sepia-tinted bridging sequences.) I'm no fan of Jolson, but the movie did keep my interest, the presentation was good, and Al here is somewhat restrained, all of which added up to a surprisingly good time. Presentation (including a very good soundtrack) is everything