Evening star., 1930-04-06
The Moving Picture cAIbum
BY Robert e. Sherwood.

THREE years ago (not so very
long, as time flies) Al Jolson
signed a contract with Warner
Il Bros. to make an all-sound pic
ture of Samson RaphaelSons
play, "The Jazz Singer" Every one
conceded that this was an interesting
publicity stunt for the MesSrs. Warner,
but 1t was agreed that the boys would
never get their money back, as there
were no more than handful OF thea
ters in the United States (and none in
other countries) where a sound picture
could be exhibited
After the opening of "The Jazz
Singer" however, Mr.. Jolson's contract
was renewed, and it has only just come
to an end, with the presentation last
week of Nanny in New York.
At the same time, word comes of the
opening of a new talkie palace, called
the Roxy, in Cairo, Egypt, and the last
silent-film theater in Spokane, Wash,
has abandoned the struggle and closed
its doors, and the Warmers corporation
has climbed from the red ink of deficit
to an annual profit of some $4,000, 900.
The contract signed by Mr. Jolson in
1927 has produced bewildering results.
What its ultimate effect will be no one
can guess. Those who have tried to
guess have been appalled, at contempla-
ton of the possibilities.
"The Jazz Singer" and its successor,
"The Singing Fool" have converted the
cinematic world from silence to sound.
They were the first talkies to be car
ried beyond the borders of the United
States into countries where the Eng
lish language Is a meaningless gable.
Even though foreign audiences were un-
able to understand a word that Mr..
Jolson uttered, there could be no mis-
taking the significance of his sobs, and
his pictures were triumphant successes
in every city from here to Shanghai.
THE Jazz Singer" ran for 48 con-
secutive weeks at the Auber Palace in
Paris, for 80 weeks at the Lyceum The
ater in Sydney, Australia, and for IL
weeks at the Rialto in Stockholm,
Sweden.
In Marseille THE Jazz Singer" was
shown first in silent form. Six months
later the first talkie theater was opened
in Marseille, and THE Jazz Singer"
came back, with sound to play to re-
ceipts 10 times greater than its previ-
ous earnings.
THE Singing Foop' substantially out
did THE Jazz Singer" as a record
breaker In most foreign cities it was
the first talker to be seen. Its opening
when it was shown in Salt Lake City
special trains had to be run from out
lying districts to accommodate the
crowds who could not wait to see and
hear it.
It's theme song, Sonny Boy" is still
the best selling hit in China.
Warner Bros and AL Jolson were
first in the field in the United States
and everywhere else on earth. They
reaped the golden profits that are not
usually given to pioneers.
Now they are parting company and
Mr.. Jolson will henceforth sing and
gag under the dignifled auspices of
United Artists. But there can be no
one to say that this was not remark
able association while it lasted.
GONE weeks ago, in this column, in
~ advertently confessed that I had
not been in Hollywood in eight years
and that don't expect ever to go there
again.
Which ill-timed remark brought forth
letter frcm Harold E. Swisher, editor
of the Hollywood Daily Citizen, as
follows:
"As one who lives in Hollywood be-
cause he loves to live here, but who still
is capable of enjoying joke on Holly
wood, I cannot but wonder what Holly
| wood did to you, in that distant past
eight years ago, which caused you to
! VOW never to return. So perhaps
an enlargement upon this statement in
! your column would be generally appre-
| ciated. That is. of course, unless the
subject is too personally painful"
think Mr.. Swisher is wrong about
| this. The more personally painful to
| me) that the "reminiscences might be,