Hallelujah I'm a Bum dvd movie.|
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List Price: $14.98 Our Price: $12.99 You Save: $1.99 Features • Black & White • Closed-captioned • Dolby • Dubbed • DVD-Video • Full Screen • Subtitled • NTSC In Theaters : 03 February, 1933 DVD Release : 05 February, 2002 |
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Hallelujah I'm a Bum description Al Jolson says, "You ain't seen nothin' yet," but this isn't The Jazz Singer. Jolson found one of his better movie roles in Hallelujah, I'm a Bum!, a curious 1933 artifact of the early-sound, pre-Code era, a movie replete with music, political comment, and occasionally risqué humor. Jolie plays "the mayor of Central Park," a happy hobo who cleans up after he meets an amnesiac beauty. Alas, the workaday world isn't what it's cracked up to be, as his leisure-minded pals knew all along. Although never quite clicking into classic status, the movie is borne aloft on the Rodgers and Hart score (which includes "You Are Too Beautiful" and much rhyming dialogue) and director Lewis Milestone's fluid tracking shots of hoboes marching and singing through Central Park. That's Harry Langdon, former silent clown, as the Communist tramp warning about the impending revolution as he picks up garbage--a measure of this film's true oddness. --Robert Horton |
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| ♥♥♥♥♥ | fine Jolson vehicle |
| Hallelujah I'm A Bum let Al Jolson really flex his muscle in one of the earliest musicals after "talkies" were invented. Al Jolson sings numerous songs marvelously throughout the entire picture; and the plot moves along at a fine pace. The action and musical numbers held my attention. Some people may call this film an oddity but it's really a much better film than that. They released it on DVD when other great films still remain only on VHS; and that's proof enough for me that this is one film you definitely want to watch.
The action begins in Florida where the Mayor of New York John Hastings (Frank Morgan) is vacationing--at the same time that his homeless buddy Bumper (Al Jolson) is there with his sidekick Acorn (Edgar Connor). We see how they are friends and how both Mayor Hastings and Bumper passionately believe in their own lifestyles: Bumper wants nothing more than to be free--of money, that is; and he lives off the land in Central Park with pride (and a little financial help from none other than Mayor Hastings). Mayor John Hastings seems to be the ultimate capitalist ham who is remarkably wealthy as he poses for press "photo ops" even on vacation with a goose that he shot while hunting. Soon, however, they all return to New York--the mayor by train, Bumper and Acorn by hitchhiking. Back in New York, Mayor Hastings has a huge misunderstanding with his lover June Marcher (Madge Evans); and the couple split up. June can't recover from the pain. When June tries to kill herself by jumping into the water in Central Park, Bumper just happens to notice and he saves her life. June lives; but she can't remember anything about her life. When she quickly falls for Bumper, he gets a job through the Mayor and pays for her to be able to rent a small room. Of course, all throughout the movie there are great musical numbers; and Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart have a great cameo in the film as photographers when Mayor Hastings must lay a cornerstone for a new public school. Perhaps you can figure how the plot winds toward the ending of the picture; but I won't give away any spoilers here! The cinematography shows careful forethought in crowd scenes with all the homeless people in Central Park gathering around to celebrate the return of Bumper and Acorn to their "neighborhood" after their Florida vacation; and the choreography works wonders in the musical numbers that showcase Jolson and his sidekick Acorn (Edgar Connor) with the park people following them as together they all march and sing their way through the park. The DVD comes with few extras: you get the theatrical trailer and optional subtitles in French and Spanish. However, the movie is so enjoyable that I will overlook this. I highly recommend Hallelujah I'm A Bum for Al Jolson fans and fans of early Hollywood musicals. The razor thin plot just barely works; but the real reason you watch this movie is for the song and dance numbers. In addition, people who like silent films will delight to see Harry Langdon as Egghead the Communist litter man; and Frank Morgan gives a great performance as Mayor John Hastings. Enjoy! |
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