I hope that Turner has a decent print of it this December; the last time I saw it on TV half the songs were missing. Anyway, it's a nice Christmas present.
They've been talking for some time about releasing it commercially but it never happens.
watching it now!
shareMe too!
shareme too, these early talking pictures really are interesting. The song they are singing now is "If I had a talking picture of you" ...
Those two children were adorable especially when the "boy" moved the girl's face back toward him. Clearly her mother was offscreen and she was looking towards her with a mixture of fear & boredom.
Poor Janet Gaynor's voice wasn't yet trained for talking pictures, though. She sounds like she's been inhaling helium compared to her later films.
I had to watch when I saw El Brendel in it, the only other movie I've seen him in is "Just Imagine".... he was extremely popular back then, but virtually unknown today.
I'm watching it right now too and what a Treat it is! Thank you Turner Classic! If I had to choose only one channel for the rest of my life it would be you! Boop Boop Be Do!
shareericsf; A charming film, rating it IMDB******Six (6). Though not having much in the way of singing voices Charles Farrell and Janet Gaynor make a attractive and endearing couple. The rest of supporting cast do their jobs in a credible manner. Some good songs also and acceptable musical numbers. A very good watch. The sound is very good using the Fox Movie-Tone system (sound on film) which was superior to the Vita-Phone process used by WARNER BROTHERS.
You are right on TCM and hope they get the rest of the FOX FILMS which are just languishing on the FMC. Most of UNIVERSAL pre-1945 who also owns 700 PARAMOUNT films need viewing also. After all they made more films then just Horror Movies and the Marx Brothers.
I saw this movie for the first time five years ago, and it became one of my favorites, I was so happy to see that it was airing on TCM, I recorded it, even though I had it already. This film is so innocent and sweet. I guess compared to the junk, filth, vulgarity in movies today, this movie was a breath of fresh air to me. It shows you don't have to be filthy and violent to entertain. I personally feel its a lack of talent, so today's performers rely on filth and violence. Janet Gaynor was adorable, but I must say who stole my heart in this movie was Marjorie White. She was so wonderful, little, funny, pretty, and just plain charming. You don't see people like her on screen today. She died tragically, but had she lived longer, she definitely would have been one of our great female comedians.
Since I've seen all the legendary movies. I, too, get a kick out of seeing these early sound movies, musicals, and pre-code movies. I was shocked that TCM was showing a FOX movie. I hope they show more early Fox, 20th Century, Paramout, and Columbia movies. It helps me to discover the talents of many who may have been big movie stars back then but virtually unknown today.
Marjorie White was awesome.
This movie is a treasure and I am kicking myself for not recording it.
I have to admit though, everytime they spoke I laughed my fanny off. Their voices were hysterical. Had to be the recording system they used, right?
Just be truthful and if you can fake that you've got it made. ;)
Loved this movie too! I love TCM more than any other channel and it's always good to come across one of these forgotten gems. I too agree that the main players voices sounded like they were sucking on helium though, lol. And I was wondering if it was the recording system or if they were told to speak that way, it was funny but didn't distract fromt the sweet story.
shareI loved the movie, but had a hard time getting past the helium voices. It made me wonder why it was such a big deal when John Gilbert had a higher pitched voice. It had to be the recording system.
BINGO! I wondered the exact same thing. Charles Farrell was indeed handsome, but that high pitched voice was really a nuisance. I'm sure that it must have been the sound equipment, because his voice sounded nothing like that when I used to watch My Little Margie.
shareI went over to youtube to see if Farrell's voice was as high in My Little Margie. I was sure that I didn't remember it being so high. But to my surprise he did have a high pitched voice, but certainly not as high pitched as in this movie.
shareI think this may have been Fox's first talking film and maybe they didn't have the "bugs" out of their system at that point. Certainly both Gaynor and Farrell have much more smooth and appealing voices in their films just a year or two later. I think it's the recording system used for the film.
shareI switched on the film already well in progress when it aired on TCM in August 2016. I thought the helium-falsetto voices was anintentional spoof on silent era actors missing the mark on the transition to talkies, and most of all the newest beast of musical comedy. I have a hard time believing that high-pitched baby squealing was the pop music of the day.
shareThe voices made me think of the movie Singing In The Rain when they went to talkies and Lina Lamonts voice quite resembled a chipmunk from Brooklyn.
shareOne of my favorite movies. When you watch a lot of the early sound movies, as I do, you get used to the voices and after a while you don't even notice. We lost so much with Marjorie White's tragic early death. She really was one of the great comediennes of her time, along with Thelma Todd, who also died well before her time.