The Singing Kid: Al Jolson and a whole lot of noise

Wait, did that actually happen?

If you have any patience for 1930s musicals, you might find The Singing Kid oddly charming in its total lack of chill. If you want a movie that makes sense or respects the concept of a quiet moment, steer clear. It is loud, it is frantic, and it has Al Jolson doing that thing where he looks like he’s trying to swallow the entire microphone.

The plot is basically just a thin string holding together a bunch of musical numbers. Our guy loses his voice—which is the only way to get him out of the city—and suddenly he's eating country air. The transition is so fast you’ll get whiplash. One minute he’s a star, the next he’s basically a houseguest who won’t leave.

Cab Calloway shows up, and honestly, the movie wakes up for about ten minutes. Whenever he is on screen, the energy shifts from 'stiff studio production' to 'this is actually happening.' It makes the rest of the film feel like a nap in comparison.

The daughter character is there to provide the heart, I guess? She is cute enough, but the movie keeps pushing her into scenes that feel a bit too manufactured. You can almost feel the director shouting, "Look at how sweet they are!"

Some quick notes from the couch:

• The pacing is just... weird. It goes from zero to high-octane musical number without warning.
• I kept thinking about Diplomaniacs while watching this. Both have that same frantic, 'keep the audience awake' vibe.
• The dialogue is so fast you miss half of it, but that's fine. Nobody is here for the script.
• The costumes are wild. Everyone is dressed for a party that isn't happening.

There is a sequence where Jolson is just wandering around, and it lingers way longer than it needs to. It’s like the editor just went to get coffee and forgot to hit 'cut.' ☕

It is not a good movie by any real metric, but it has this bizarre sincerity to it. It’s trying so hard to be the biggest thing in the room. Sometimes that works, and sometimes you just wish they’d turn the volume down a notch.

Honestly, it reminds me of the chaotic energy in Le plombier amoureux. Just people running around, singing, and hoping it sticks. It is perfectly fine if you want something that doesn't ask you to think too hard. Just don't expect it to change your life.