[Publius]

THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK

HARRY WARREN

GO INTO YOUR DANCE

Al Jolson was still under contract to Warner Brothers, so the studio turned to him in 1935 for this film, which was nowhere near as good a flick as those that came before. He was teamed with Ruby Keeler, who was his wife at the time.

”ABOUT A QUARTER TO NINE“

Al came up in the days before electric recording, when a singer had to fill an entire hall with his unassisted voice. They were known as “belters” in those days before microphones. Even though it’s the electric era, you can hear Al moving between belting and crooning. Notice also the sudden turn to blackface, which was how Al got his start in the years before World War I. If you’re wondering why this film is not generally available today, just take a look.

Al Jolson: “About a Quarter to Nine”

[Publius]

THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK

HARRY WARREN

GO INTO YOUR DANCE: ”ABOUT A QUARTER TO NINE“

There is a tendency to forget that Ozzie was a bandleader before going into radio and then television with his family. His wife Harriet was a decent singer in her own right, although this is Ozzie at the microphone.

Once a Warner Brothers musical produced a Harry Warren and Al Dubin hit, people lined up to record it. Unlike Jerome Kern, who had issues with people taking a song outside the context of a show, Harry and his boss, Jack Warner, had no such scruples. This was business, and both men enjoyed ringing the cash register.

Ozzie Nelson: “About a Quarter to Nine”