IMDb > Mammy (1930)

Overview

User Rating:
6.0/10   54 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 6% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Michael Curtiz
Writers:
Irving Berlin (play)
Joseph Jackson (writer)
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Mammy on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
26 March 1930 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Musical more
User Comments:
Let Me Sing and I'm Happy more (4 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Al Jolson ... Al Fuller
Lois Moran ... Nora Meadows
Lowell Sherman ... Billy West / Westy
Louise Dresser ... Mother Fuller
Hobart Bosworth ... Meadows
Tully Marshall ... Slats
Mitchell Lewis ... Hank Smith / Tambo
Jack Curtis ... Sheriff Tremble
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Mammy (Denmark) [da]
Nomadi del canto (Italy) [it]
more
Runtime:
84 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (2-strip Technicolor) (two sequences) | Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Vitaphone | Mono
Certification:
USA:Approved (certificate number not assigned at release)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
A preserved print of this film survives in the UCLA Film and Television archives. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Life of the Party (1930) more
Soundtrack:
To My Mammy more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
3 out of 5 people found the following comment useful.
Let Me Sing and I'm Happy, 4 July 2005
6/10
Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

If Mammy is remembered for anything it is for providing Al Jolson with one of his biggest song hits, definitely the biggest song hit he had written especially for the screen. Irving Berlin wrote this number for Jolson and he does it three times in his usual bravura style and on two of those occasions without black-face.

Al Jolson got his start in minstrel shows which were still popular at the turn of the 20th century. He's Al Fuller in this show, lead singer in this troupe and a man with a case of unrequited love for the owner of the show. From there springs the plot.

It's unfortunate for Jolson's current reputation that he did not abandon the black-face which was a carryover from his minstrel days. It's considered offensive now and rightly so. But listen to him sing Let Me Sing and I'm Happy and the rest of the score and you're hearing one of the great song stylists ever.

Irving Berlin wrote some original material for this film which was interpolated with some other standards. It is also good to hear Jolson do two of his comedy numbers, Who Paid the Rent for Mrs. Rip Van Winkle and Why Do They All Take the Night Boat to Albany. It's his ballads that he's remembered for today, but these numbers give you an idea of more of the kind of material he did on stage.

A lot of people will be rightly offended in seeing Mammy now, but like Bing Crosby's Dixie, it's an interesting piece of cinema history.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (4 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Mammy (1930)

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Much Ado About Nothing Dimples Whoopee! Spring Is Here On the Avenue
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits IMDb Comedy section
IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.