Hallelujah I'm a Bum

Rating:
Summary: A dream picture.
Review: I loved this MOVIE! THe plots ok-the acting great(I loved the part where jolzy seemed like he was about to say the B word)- you have to love harry langton (he's in this to)-the songs- jolson's sidekick- the rhyming dialog- the girl- jolson himself- EVERYTHING!

Rating:
Summary: MGM asleep at the switch...
Review: I sought this movie out primarily to see silent-comedy star Harry Langdon in a talking role, but I got a kick out of Jolson and the whole ensemble as well. Unfortunately, I must second another reviewer in regards to the so-called "Dolby Digital" DVD soundtrack: This is, without a doubt, the worst remastering job I've ever heard. It sounds as if they calibrated the noise-reduction to the loud opening title music, and left it that way for the remainder of the film.

As a result, the dialog and singing is either muted, choppy, or completely unintelligible. This is the kind of snafu I might expect from a cheap DVD house that churns out public-domain titles, not MGM with a Rodgers and Hart musical!

I'd give the movie itself at least three stars, but this particular DVD edition gets only one, as it's been rendered nearly worthless by the sloppy sound processing. Perhaps next time, MGM will pay a little attention to quality control.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, Experimental Musical
Review: This film is from a wonderful but short-lived era in Hollywood during 1932-33 when the studios encouraged experimentation with the musical genre. The first musical films of the early talkie era, circa 1928-31, tended to be stage-bound, static and boring. For a time, theaters even advertised that certain films having musical-sounding titles were in fact not musicals because people were avoiding them!

In 1932, director Rouben Mamoulian at Paramount made LOVE ME TONIGHT - and why hasn't THAT film ever come out on video? - and Lewis Milestone at United Artists made BUM. Ironically, both films had scores written by Rogers and Hart. Filming of the Mamoulian project, starring Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald, seems to have gone smoothly enough. But BUM seemed to be a jinxed film from the start. Roland Young originally played the mayor but became sick or otherwise unavailable so his many scenes had to be refilmed with Frank Morgan in the role.

Evidently, BUM was completed in 1932, but preview audience reactions were so bad, major refilming was needed. It sounds like a nightmare. When the second version was finally released in 1933, it was a commercial failure and UA and Al Jolson agreed to drop plans for two more films.

None of these problems are apparent watching the film today. The film is fresh and inventive and for once Jolson has plenty of elbow room to sing his heart out. Even his acting, a weak point in all Jolson films, is quite good here. Jolson complained that Milestone made him repeat scenes endlessly but the director seems to have been getting the self-consciousness out of Jolson's acting style. It worked! BUM is the only film Jolson made where he does not appear in blackface, making it the only "politically correct" film of his career and the only one shown these days in public places (I notice that BUM is also the only Jolson film on dvd so far).

That said, this film is probably not for all tastes. As much as I admire this film, I don't understand why they couldn't have picked a better plot. Americans were too alarmed by the Depression in 1933 to find much amusement in a fanciful tale of life as a bum in NYC's Central Park. Despite its excellence, no wonder it flopped.

Highly recommended for anybody who wants to see how inventive filmmaking can be. Good picture and sound quality but we obviously aren't dealing with the original 35 mm camera negative!

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, Experimental Musical
Review: This film is from a wonderful but short-lived era in Hollywood during 1932-33 when the studios encouraged experimentation with the musical genre. The first musical films of the early talkie era, circa 1928-31, tended to be stage-bound, static and boring. For a time, theaters even advertised that certain films having musical-sounding titles were in fact not musicals because people were avoiding them!

In 1932, director Rouben Mamoulian at Paramount made LOVE ME TONIGHT - and why hasn't THAT film ever come out on video? - and Lewis Milestone at United Artists made BUM. Ironically, both films had scores written by Rogers and Hart. Filming of the Mamoulian project, starring Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald, seems to have gone smoothly enough. But BUM seemed to be a jinxed film from the start. Roland Young originally played the mayor but became sick or otherwise unavailable so his many scenes had to be refilmed with Frank Morgan in the role.

Evidently, BUM was completed in 1932, but preview audience reactions were so bad, major refilming was needed. It sounds like a nightmare. When the second version was finally released in 1933, it was a commercial failure and UA and Al Jolson agreed to drop plans for two more films.

None of these problems are apparent watching the film today. The film is fresh and inventive and for once Jolson has plenty of elbow room to sing his heart out. Even his acting, a weak point in all Jolson films, is quite good here. Jolson complained that Milestone made him repeat scenes endlessly but the director seems to have been getting the self-consciousness out of Jolson's acting style. It worked! BUM is the only film Jolson made where he does not appear in blackface, making it the only "politically correct" film of his career and the only one shown these days in public places (I notice that BUM is also the only Jolson film on dvd so far).

That said, this film is probably not for all tastes. As much as I admire this film, I don't understand why they couldn't have picked a better plot. Americans were too alarmed by the Depression in 1933 to find much amusement in a fanciful tale of life as a bum in NYC's Central Park. Despite its excellence, no wonder it flopped.

Highly recommended for anybody who wants to see how inventive filmmaking can be. Good picture and sound quality but we obviously aren't dealing with the original 35 mm camera negative!

Rating:
Summary: Terrific Depression Era Song And Dance!
Review: This film is great fun to watch. A musical bbased on the lives of tramps in a park? Yes it works, and it works well. Jolson's charisma would carry the film, but even without its star, there are some pretty good songs from Rogers and Hart, despite this not being one of their well-known musicals. The story is a little far-fetched, with the majority of the hobos who inhabit Central Park seeming to do so by choice, and living the life of Riley whilst doing so. Jolson's character Bumper even has a valet! But this is a piece of whimsy so it is not fair to criticise it for being whimsical. Jolson is at the height of his powers, being the star of hit after hit on Broadway and in the Cinema.

There are some amusing supporting performances, notably from later Wizard Of Oz Frank Morgan as the Mayor, and silent star Harry Langdon nearly stealing the show as Egghead, an intellectual, left wing tramp, who has some pretty progressive dialogue for 1933. This film is dated in some ways, but stands up well to the ravages of time, with Jolson in particular seeming fresh and enjoyable throughout.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, wonderful!
Review: This is one of those undiscovered gems which more people should know about. It perfectly showcases the genius of the music and words of Rodgers and Hart. It also proves that Al Jolson could act as well as sing his heart out. I enthusiastically recommend this video to anyone young or old who wants to see something totally refreshing and original.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, wonderful!
Review: This is one of those undiscovered gems which more people should know about. It perfectly showcases the genius of the music and words of Rodgers and Hart. It also proves that Al Jolson could act as well as sing his heart out. I enthusiastically recommend this video to anyone young or old who wants to see something totally refreshing and original.

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie, Bad Audio Transfer
Review: This musical gem demonstrates why Al Jolson was called the greatest entertainer of all time. He's brilliant as singer, comic, and dramatic actor.

Director Lewis Milestone (All Quiet on the Western Front) also makes this one of the most purely cinematic musicals of the 30s. From the rapid-fire cuts to the virtuoso camera angles and tracking shots, Hallelujah I'm a Bum is a feast for the eyes. The DVD transfer does full justice to the film's visual qualities with an excellent picture quality.

But given that 3/4 of the movie consists of Rodgers and Hart's wonderful score, it's a pity that MGA/UA has over-processed the sound on the DVD. Apparently in an effort to reduce any hint of tape hiss, the soundtrack has gone through a noise reduction process that removes the high frequencies and results in a deadened, distorted sound compared to the earlier VHS and laserdisc releases. Hart's great rhyming couplets just don't sound the same!

If you have the excellent laserdisc edition of Hallelujah I'm A Bum, you can skip the DVD release. If you have the VHS edition and are looking for better picture AND sound quality, you'll get only one of those ingredients here.

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie, Bad Audio Transfer
Review: This musical gem demonstrates why Al Jolson was called the greatest entertainer of the 20th Century. He's brilliant as singer, comic, and dramatic actor.

Director Lewis Milestone (All Quiet on the Western Front) also makes this one of the most purely cinematic musicals of the 30s. From the rapid-fire cuts to the virtuoso camera angles and tracking shots, Hallelujah I'm a Bum is a feast for the eyes. The DVD transfer does full justice to the film's visual qualities with an excellent picture quality.

But given that 3/4 of the movie consists of Rodgers and Hart's wonderful score, it's a pity that MGA/UA has over-processed the sound on the DVD. Apparently in an effort to reduce any hint of tape hiss, the soundtrack has gone through a noise reduction process that removes the high frequencies and results in a deadened, distorted sound compared to the earlier VHS and laserdisc releases. Hart's great rhyming couplets just don't sound the same!

If you have the excellent laserdisc edition of Hallelujah I'm A Bum, you can skip the DVD release. If you have the VHS edition and are looking for better picture AND sound quality, you'll get only one of those ingredients here.

Rating:
Summary: Of interest for a number of reasons
Review: This unusual film is a must for several groups of fans: Musical lovers will need to own this because it is a "lost" musical written by Rodgers and Hart (Thats Dick and Lorenz in a cameo as the photographers in the cornerstone scene), Harry Langdon fans (I am one) will love this because it is his best sound role (those who thought that he was a spent force by the '30's will be very pleased and very surprised by his relaxed and absolute command of his role and spoken/sung lines. He was very good here. Why didn't Hollywood use him more?), Jolson fans will need this because he was at his best here. It is not a great movie but it IS an unusual find and well worth a viewing. Includes the theatrical trailer.