- Published on
Star-vehicle for popular vaudeville actor Belle Baker.
The Film Daily (Aug 12, 1929)
Date of Release: Nov 13, 1929
Studio: Edward Small Productions (released by Columbia)
Director: Erle C. Kenton
Screenplay: Howard Green, Henry McCarthy, Dorothy Howell, Norman Houston
Music: Maurice Abrahams, Mack Gordon, Bernie Grossman, Mickey Kippel, Max Rich,
Arthur Sizemore, George Weist
Leading Actors: Belle Baker (Anna Gibson), Ralph Graves (Tom Gibson), David Durand (Buddy Gibson), Eunice Quedens (Mazie), Arthur Housman (Acrobat), Charles Wilson (Traveling salesman)
Released by Columbia, The Song of Love was produced by Edward Small Productions. Edward Small was a prolific producer who over the course of his forty years in Hollywood helmed a variety of independent production companies that worked closely with larger studios such as Columbia, RKO, and United Artists. Small produced nearly 80 films and television movies, including The Count of Monte Cristo (1934) and The Man in the Iron Mask (1939).
The film was designed as a star vehicle for Belle Barker, a prominent and highly popular vaudeville singer and actor who was described as the “female Al Jolson.” Starting out as a teenager, Baker became well-known for singing torch songs and performed on Broadway and on radio. She introduced many songs that went on to become well-known standards, including “Blue Skies, “All of Me, and “Alexander’s Ragtime Band.”
Belle Baker’s name was used heavily in promotions. Columbia’s nationally coordinated publicity included newspaper ads, window displays, tie-ups with clothing stores, and broadcasts of the music on radio and via loudspeakers at the theatre.
On July 12, and again on August 21, The Film Daily announced The Song of Love would be “Road-showed”. This meant the film would initially open only in large cities, and be screened with a short intermission, akin to seeing a play. Initially roadshows were used to test out films the studios weren’t sure about, or, conversely, to give a release a special status. Later on, roadshow films would be associated with musicals based on well-known stage plays such as The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, and West Side Story, and long films such as Gone with the Wind. The idea of a “roadshow” was to conjure a touring live stage show, and came complete with special promotional booklets and much fanfare.
Studio: Edward Small Productions (released by Columbia)
Director: Erle C. Kenton
Screenplay: Howard Green, Henry McCarthy, Dorothy Howell, Norman Houston
Music: Maurice Abrahams, Mack Gordon, Bernie Grossman, Mickey Kippel, Max Rich,
Arthur Sizemore, George Weist
Leading Actors: Belle Baker (Anna Gibson), Ralph Graves (Tom Gibson), David Durand (Buddy Gibson), Eunice Quedens (Mazie), Arthur Housman (Acrobat), Charles Wilson (Traveling salesman)
Released by Columbia, The Song of Love was produced by Edward Small Productions. Edward Small was a prolific producer who over the course of his forty years in Hollywood helmed a variety of independent production companies that worked closely with larger studios such as Columbia, RKO, and United Artists. Small produced nearly 80 films and television movies, including The Count of Monte Cristo (1934) and The Man in the Iron Mask (1939).
The film was designed as a star vehicle for Belle Barker, a prominent and highly popular vaudeville singer and actor who was described as the “female Al Jolson.” Starting out as a teenager, Baker became well-known for singing torch songs and performed on Broadway and on radio. She introduced many songs that went on to become well-known standards, including “Blue Skies, “All of Me, and “Alexander’s Ragtime Band.”
Belle Baker’s name was used heavily in promotions. Columbia’s nationally coordinated publicity included newspaper ads, window displays, tie-ups with clothing stores, and broadcasts of the music on radio and via loudspeakers at the theatre.
On July 12, and again on August 21, The Film Daily announced The Song of Love would be “Road-showed”. This meant the film would initially open only in large cities, and be screened with a short intermission, akin to seeing a play. Initially roadshows were used to test out films the studios weren’t sure about, or, conversely, to give a release a special status. Later on, roadshow films would be associated with musicals based on well-known stage plays such as The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, and West Side Story, and long films such as Gone with the Wind. The idea of a “roadshow” was to conjure a touring live stage show, and came complete with special promotional booklets and much fanfare.
Variety (Nov 6, 1929)
The Song of Love premiered at the George M. Cohan Theatre in New York on November 13, 1929 and featured an in-person appearance from Belle Baker. The film played to solid houses for a few weeks, however after it transferred to The Capitol, ticket sales declined rapidly. Although it played to strong houses around the country, the film wasn’t a smash hit and suffered from the pre-Christmas holiday slump.
Belle Baker was well-received critically, particularly for her singing, but the reviewers panned the predictable plot. Martin Dickstein, writing for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on November 17, 1929 stated that now the studios and theatres had figured out how to use sound, they now needed “to turn their attention to other departments…, stories, for example.”
The plot concerned Anna Gibson (Belle Baker), a vaudeville singer who decides she must quit the business to give her son Buddy (David Durand) a better chance at life. Her husband Tom (Ralph Graves) finds a new act partner, Mazie (Eunice Quedens), and falls in love with her. Buddy is distraught by his parents’ separation and devises a plan to bring them back together. All ends happily, with the family reunited.
Belle Baker was well-received critically, particularly for her singing, but the reviewers panned the predictable plot. Martin Dickstein, writing for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on November 17, 1929 stated that now the studios and theatres had figured out how to use sound, they now needed “to turn their attention to other departments…, stories, for example.”
The plot concerned Anna Gibson (Belle Baker), a vaudeville singer who decides she must quit the business to give her son Buddy (David Durand) a better chance at life. Her husband Tom (Ralph Graves) finds a new act partner, Mazie (Eunice Quedens), and falls in love with her. Buddy is distraught by his parents’ separation and devises a plan to bring them back together. All ends happily, with the family reunited.
Ralph Graves, Eunice Quedens, Belle Baker, and Arthur Housman, Screenland (Feb 1930)
Apart from Baker, the reviewers failed to mention the other cast members. Ralph Graves was a writer, actor, and occasional director who appeared in over ninety films in a career spanning four decades.
David Durand was an immensely popular child actor who had appeared in Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1926), and the popular shorts Glove Swingers, and East Side Kids shorts. He also appeared in Innocents of Paris.
A Song of Love was the first screen role for Eunice Quedens, later better known as Eve Arden. Arden was an acclaimed stage and screen actor who had worked as a Follies girl. She appeared in nearly 100 films and television shows, including Grease and Grease 2 as Principal McGee (!).
Arthur Housman appeared in over 300 films over three decades, appearing in his first film in 1912 and often playing comedic drunk characters.
David Durand was an immensely popular child actor who had appeared in Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1926), and the popular shorts Glove Swingers, and East Side Kids shorts. He also appeared in Innocents of Paris.
A Song of Love was the first screen role for Eunice Quedens, later better known as Eve Arden. Arden was an acclaimed stage and screen actor who had worked as a Follies girl. She appeared in nearly 100 films and television shows, including Grease and Grease 2 as Principal McGee (!).
Arthur Housman appeared in over 300 films over three decades, appearing in his first film in 1912 and often playing comedic drunk characters.
The Film Daily (Nov 14, 1929)
The highlight of The Song of Love was clearly Baker’s singing, and the film featured six or seven songs (sources vary), including “Take Everything But You,” “White Way Blues,” “Wanting You,” “Atlas is Itless Now,” and “Italian Chiropractor”. The music was written by a team of prominent Broadway and Hollywood composers including Maurice Abrahams, Mack Gordon, and Bernie Grossman.
Maurice Abrahams was a prominent early Broadway composer, who also happened to be Baker’s husband. His song “Ragtime Cowboy Joe” has been featured in several films.
Polish-born Mack Gordon was an incredibly prolific and highly accomplished lyricist and composer. He was nominated nine times for an Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song, winning for “You’ll Never Know” which was featured in Hello Frisco, Hello. Some of Gordon’s well-known songs include “At Last,” “Chattanooga Choo-Choo,” and “I’ve Got a Gal in Kalamazoo.” He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.
Bernie Grossman was a composer for stage and screen, though he worked predominantly in Hollywood. His songs include “Love Me,” “We’re Going Over,” “There’s Something About You Makes Me Love You,” and “All Quiet on the Western Front.”
Maurice Abrahams was a prominent early Broadway composer, who also happened to be Baker’s husband. His song “Ragtime Cowboy Joe” has been featured in several films.
Polish-born Mack Gordon was an incredibly prolific and highly accomplished lyricist and composer. He was nominated nine times for an Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song, winning for “You’ll Never Know” which was featured in Hello Frisco, Hello. Some of Gordon’s well-known songs include “At Last,” “Chattanooga Choo-Choo,” and “I’ve Got a Gal in Kalamazoo.” He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.
Bernie Grossman was a composer for stage and screen, though he worked predominantly in Hollywood. His songs include “Love Me,” “We’re Going Over,” “There’s Something About You Makes Me Love You,” and “All Quiet on the Western Front.”
The Film Daily (Nov 14, 1929)
The Song of Love was not successful enough to launch Baker into a Hollywood career, though she continued to perform intermittently on stage and radio throughout the United States and in London.
The film has not been re-released commercially, but appears to have been screened at various film festivals including Cinecon in 2001 and Film Forum in 2007.
The film has not been re-released commercially, but appears to have been screened at various film festivals including Cinecon in 2001 and Film Forum in 2007.
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