Lucky Boy

George Jessel, the man who made The Jazz Singer a hit on Broadway, stars in this long-lost early talkie! Lucky Boy is the true story of the versatile entertainer's rise to fame. Growing up in the Bronx ghetto, George spends his days toiling in the family jewelry store, supporting his aged parents. Only his mother appreciates the young man's beautiful voice. After an argument with his father, George leaves the filthy New York streets behind for the sunny skies of California. His singing makes him the toast of the rich and famous, but guilt haunts him. When word arrives that his mother is ill, George hurries back. If he can become a hit on Broadway, he'll never have to leave home again... Singer, actor, and songwriter George Jessel (1898-1981) first appeared on the vaudeville stage at the age of 10. By the 1920s, he had racked up several hit singles and made his film debut (The Other Man's Wife, 1919). But true success arrived when he was chosen to star in The Jazz Singer, a Broadway play based on the life of singer Al Jolson. Warner Brothers wasted no time signing Jessel for a movie adaptation. During pre-production, the studio had a hit with Don Juan (1926), a film that incorporated their primitive Vitaphone synchronized sound process. Warner execs decided The Jazz Singer was a natural choice for their next Vitaphone picture (surprisingly, the stage version had not been a musical; songs were quickly added to the film's scenario.) When Jessel discovered this new development did not mean an increase in his salary, he dropped out, paving the way for Jolson to star in the movie based on his own life. Jessel turned his attention to The Ghetto, a silent film from independent studio Tiffany-Stahl in which he played himself. Behind the camera was 29-year-old Norman Taurog, a director of comedy shorts making his first feature. In the 1930s, he would make such acclaimed pictures as Skippy (1931) and Boys' Town (1938). Decades later, he would also be the director of choice for Martin & Lewis and Elvis Presley, making more movies with them than any other filmmaker. When word reached Tiffany of The Jazz Singer's success, it was decided to add synchronized sound scenes to the completed film, to be retitled Lucky Boy. With Taurog unavailable, these sequences were shot by actor Charles C. Wilson. Jessel was at the time again starring on Broadway, this time in The War Song, and he brought the show's cast with him. This included a young Glenda Farrell, who appears uncredited as a secretary. Tiffany's instincts were correct, as Lucky Boy became one of the biggest hits in the short-lived studio's history. Though Jessel never achieved the stardom of Jolson, he would become a successful producer of musicals for 20th Century Fox in the 40s and 50s, and a popular presence on television (he had his own series, The George Jessel Show, from 1953 to 1954.)