I'm old enough that I remember Eddie Cantor when he appeared on television in the early 1950s. I always looked at him as one of the true greats of American entertainment history. I don't think anyone watching this film would gain any insight into why his death in 1964 resulted in news bulletins interrupting regular television programming.
There's so much wrong with this film. First, it suffers from comparisons with the two Jolson biopics that preceded it. Those biopics, especially the first one, had heart and did give you an idea of who Jolson was (despite the inaccuracies of the script). This film about Eddie Cantor does not have heart, and it gives you no sense of what a commanding figure he was, particularly back in the days of Ziegfeld. Want to see how loved he was? Watch the "What's My Line" appearance of him and one daughter from 1957. Want to hear his magic? RCA Victor put out a dozen of his hits recorded and released, also in 1957. The quality is superb, and it's still available (The Best Of Eddie Cantor: A Centennial Celebration") and a treasure. And then there's several t.v. collections available from Amazon.
Keefe Brasselle probably had an impossible task here...and he failed. Too much mugging, although he did lip-sync well...because in this film it is Cantor actually doing the singing. No one in the cast stands out...perhaps the best job is done by Arthur Franz, who plays Eddie's doctor.
I wish I could say something good about this film, but I can't. Just trust me -- look for the real Eddie Cantor elsewhere.
There's so much wrong with this film. First, it suffers from comparisons with the two Jolson biopics that preceded it. Those biopics, especially the first one, had heart and did give you an idea of who Jolson was (despite the inaccuracies of the script). This film about Eddie Cantor does not have heart, and it gives you no sense of what a commanding figure he was, particularly back in the days of Ziegfeld. Want to see how loved he was? Watch the "What's My Line" appearance of him and one daughter from 1957. Want to hear his magic? RCA Victor put out a dozen of his hits recorded and released, also in 1957. The quality is superb, and it's still available (The Best Of Eddie Cantor: A Centennial Celebration") and a treasure. And then there's several t.v. collections available from Amazon.
Keefe Brasselle probably had an impossible task here...and he failed. Too much mugging, although he did lip-sync well...because in this film it is Cantor actually doing the singing. No one in the cast stands out...perhaps the best job is done by Arthur Franz, who plays Eddie's doctor.
I wish I could say something good about this film, but I can't. Just trust me -- look for the real Eddie Cantor elsewhere.