Redwarmin This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

GamerTab That was an excellent one.

GarnettTeenage The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

drjgardner Al Jolson was described by his peers as "the greatest entertainer of the times" but this rarely translated onto film, and this film is probably one of two films in which you get to see him at his best. The film itself comes from a 19th century folk song that was popular during the depression. Jolson himself recorded it in 1928 after his spectacular 1927 "The Jazz Singer". This film was the 7th Jolson film and he continued sporadically until 1945, but with the exception of his first film, the rest are pretty poor.The film has a great pedigree. It's a musical of sorts, with a script from Ben Hecht, music from Alfred Newman, a score by Rogers and Hart, and directed by Lewis Milestone. But Milestone wasn't known for his comedies, much less musical comedies, and perhaps the film is weakest in this regard.It also suffers from the time period. Minstrel shows seem to be the basis for much of the film's structure, and it appears dated, as does the political philosophy. Nonetheless, Jolson is given plenty of opportunity to do what he did, and Frank Morgan (the "Wizard of Oz") is similarly a joy to watch. Disappointing are silent film legends Harry Langdon and Chester Conklin.

utgard14 This fun Pre-Coder is a fascinating look into Depression-era America. At a time when many people across the country were forced into homelessness, Al Jolson plays a man who is perfectly happy being a bum! He's a pretty popular bum, too. He's practically the king of the bums. After he stops pretty Madge Evans from committing suicide, he falls in love and vows to reform his bum ways. As curious as they come, this one features some nice touches from director Lewis Milestone such as a flashback sequence playing out within the borders of a picture frame. It also has lots of stuff for people interested in political and social issues from the time. If the bizarre plot and political overtones doesn't reel you in, perhaps this will: this is also a musical with songs by Rodgers and Hart. The songs, which cover such topics as communism and the virtues of being broke and homeless, are all done in this weird style of rhyming dialogue mixed with a little singing. The cast includes Frank Morgan, silent movie actors Harry Langdon and Chester Conklin, and vaudevillian Edgar Connor as Jolson's black sidekick. One of the best bits of trivia about this one is that Frank Morgan, playing the mayor of New York, says "There's no place like home." You might remember that line from a more famous movie of Morgan's -- The Wizard of Oz. This one's an oddity, for sure, but very interesting if you're a fan of movies from this period.

zetes Delightful, offbeat musical starring Al Jolson. He plays the King of Central Park (basically king of the bums). He likes his carefree life, and is actually good friends with the real mayor of New York (Frank Morgan). One day, Morgan suspects his girlfriend (Madge Evans) of theft and basically kicks her to the curb. After a suicide attempt, Evans develops amnesia and becomes Jolson's girlfriend. Silent film star Harry Langdon appears as Jolson's communist friend. The Depression era politics are odd and interesting. I wonder if the film's weirdness is the reason it kind of flopped in 1933, and why it's so little known today. I can't say it's a great film - the story's not strong and it definitely fizzles in the end. And the Rodgers and Hart score isn't especially memorable (and the sound is so tinny the lyrics are pretty difficult to understand). But it's a must-see.

Local Hero Contains spoilers.What I find most interesting in the U.S. Depression-era films is finding out what the filmmakers braved or didn't brave saying in political terms.Like most (but not all) Hollywood films of the time, Hallelujah I'm a Bum takes such clear pains to defang its political impact that-- whether Hecht et al. intended it or not-- it's not difficult to argue that the ultimate effect of the movie is rather reactionary. In other words, it could almost have been a script concocted by the wealthy and powerful to convince the newly impoverished masses that they should simply enjoy their newfound freedom and-- for God's sake!-- NOT challenge the fairness of the system in any way.This is done most prominently early in the film when the 'happy bums' of Central Park (about whom the city mayor cares so much) angrily reject the 'radical,' 'red' grumblings of 'Egghead,' who suggests there are freeloading parasites atop the economic system as well as at the very bottom. There are numerous other lines and plot moments that drill in this message: 'Homelessness can be fun if you look at it the right way, so don't get any ideas about clambering for social justice.' That said, there are least two mild exceptions to this message that are allowed to slip through: 1. Many Depression-era films have an 'Egghead' character to distance the impoverished main characters from the dangerous Marxist types. Usually these characters are buffoonish cartoons, and usually they turn out to be nefarious and hypocritical in the end. In this film, Egghead does have his expected moment of 'inconsistency,' and he is certainly rather cartoonish in his dopey demeanor, but he is ultimately allowed to remain a positive character to the end.2. One surprising line from Frank Morgan's Mayor character is left in the movie: When Bumper insists on distributing his thousand dollars to all the homeless of Central Park, the city mayor says something like, "OK, go ahead with your socialism if you insist," and then the ensuing distribution of money to all the poor is clearly shown in a positive light, even if some of the tramps don't spend the money in the most prudent of manners.However, it is no surprise that this films ends with the narrator making a supreme sacrifice for the sake of the happiness of the wealthy, and resigning himself to his permanently impoverished state.