ABSTRACT
The solution was found on the American stage, where the Jewish actor Al Jolson had achieved a considerable reputation as a black-faced coon singer of sentimental songs. Warner Brothers were now faced with considerable competition, but in addition to their feature films they were turning out four Vitaphone short pictures every week. Music now flooded the cinemas, accompanying every mood, and misinterpreting many a situation. In London The Bioscope reported ‘the settings, which are on a colossal scale, are in most instances of extreme beauty and in every case of dazzling brilliance. The colouring is rich and tasteful, and the photography of consistent excellence.’ That Hollywood could sometimes laugh at itself was made apparent in Show People, directed by King Vidor, with Marion Davies and William Haines.
