A Few Moments with Eddie Cantor (1923)

[TheMaxx111]

Sorry to say his jokes are REALLY bad. Humor has come a long way.

[Raughwe]

This is very, very good stuff. Holds up flawlessly after nearly 90 years.

[JukeJointHop]

A Film splice at 0:54 seconds spoils a punchline. What we hear is "acordeated." I figured out what was said. Cantor speaking of his homely girlfriend says, You heard about peoples faces being wrinkled? Hers was "ACCORDIAN PLEATED" !!  I hope this helps you enjoy Canors timeless comedy! 5-9-2010

[Zeanu]

I'd say De Forest's Phonofilm motion pictures are the true first ones with synched sound and music...

[samjhatfield]

Cantor was better, nicer and more funny than Jolson.

[murielsartre]

He's hilarious.

[WayneFederman]

Wow. A sound film from 1923. And 85 years later I see it on my computer through a wireless connection.

Thanks for the post.

[fromthesidelines]

Why? Because Lee DeForest had perfected his "sound-on-film" process by 1923, and was trying to sell it to the movie industry. Hence, these experimental films of prime vaudeville talent shot in New York, to elicit interest. But the movie studios weren't interested at the time..."Mr. Olsen" is obviously bandleader George Olsen.

[luckyshow]

Can someone explain a talkie in 1923 when they begane 1927 or 28?

[buzzbaybear]

Deforest patented his Phonofilm process in 1919. It borrowed and improved upon 2 earlier German systems. 2 things prevented DeForest from interesting Hollywood with his invention-First was his well known involvement in patent lawsuits(his battle with Armstrong over the regenerative circuit for radio was being waged at the time) and Second, the movie studios owned or controlled all the theatres back then and they saw no need to fix what wasn't broken- the movies were already making millions-

[ToddCMorgan]

Another reason these films didn't take off like the Vitaphone films that Warner Brothers made later in the decade, was that before 1925, there were no electric recordings, so not only was the sound quality less full and crisp, but they didn't have large amplifiers in the theaters, so many complained that they were hard to hear! When Warner Brothers came out with there sound shorts in 1926, and then of course "The Jazz Singer" in 1927, the sound was louder and had plenty of bass and treble!

[Freyr35]

Amazing quality, both of the film and the sound! This short was made four years before the Jazz Singer, for those keeping track.

[bigsexyshaq]

Why is everyone obsessing over why Eddie Cantor wasn't "the" greatest? Isn't being great enough anymore?

[amazinrick]

Thanks for this clip!

I love Eddie Cantor, too, but as far as commercial success and popularity during his career (since that seems to be what you're discussing), no one will ever be able to touch Bing Crosby with a ten foot pole. :) It's true.

But hey, I'm not going to try comparing a crooner and a belter right now... ;)

[solarvegan]

Actually, he was born Isidore Iskowitz, not Edward. He later changed his name to "Eddie" because the girl he loved, Ida Tobias, who would later become his wife, liked the name.

[ALSmithey]

Thank you for your comment, solarvegan! I have updated my description thanks to your eagle eye. I enjoyed your favourites by the way, also, have you checked out Griffith's "Intolerance" set to "A Day In The Life" by the Beatles?

[solarvegan]

And thank you for your suggestion. Saw the vid ... loved it! Also, thanks for posting Eddie Cantor, whom I consider to be the greatest entertainer of the 20th Century.

[chas63]

The greatest? I don't agree. But he was great.

[voglesque]

Yeah, the greatest is saying a lot. I don't know who you'd call the greatest, it's such an arguable term. And you can't compare a lot of the big stars to each other anyway, know what I mean?

In any case, it's GROUCHO who's the greatest. lol :P

[solarvegan]

Points well-taken, chas63 and voglesque. I should have said that Eddie Cantor is my favorite entrtainer of the 20th Century. That would have been the more proper wording for a subjective observation.

[LazlosPlane]

Um... nobody got reviews and audience reaction of Al Jolson. Nobody. Not even close. His peers (including Cantor) all acknowledge Jolson was king.

[LazlosPlane]

However, Cantor was a great man and a great entertainer no doubt. Please read Herb Goldman's extraordinary bio, "Banjo Eyes." A first rate bio.

Before I get cut off by the Janet Gari (Cantor's daughter) let me say that Mr. Goldman's book is the definitive bio of Cantor, by far. They (the family) are pissed of at him for telling the truth of his affair with Joan Davis. Ugh! Little minds.

Cantor deserves better. He was a true superstar and great humanitarian.

[dillydee]

Al Jolson was an egomaniac, a terrible man whose surviving films and recordings don't wear well at all. Cantor is much more appealing, and was a good man as well.

[LazlosPlane]

Your comments are simplistic, knee-jerk, ill-informed and rather silly.

What is your evidence for Jolson's being an egomaniac? The fact is, he was, by many accounts insecure and very cooperative as a performer. Sure he had bouts of anger, but do you know what was said about Danny Kaye? "Monster."

Gleason? "An animal." What do we want from our stars, perfection? You would probably be one of those idiots who threw garbage at Van Gogh.

Furthermore...

[dillydee]

Ruby Keeler had plenty to say about her ex-husband Jolson, so did most people who worked with him. He could be a saint but doesn't change the fact that he doesn't hold up as well as Cantor does. He was undoubtedly one of those "you had to see him in person" performers, but what's left on film and recordings isn't so great. And no, I wouldn't be one of "those idiots who threw garbage at Van Gogh." Making insults about me doesn't make your case for Jolson any stronger.

[LazlosPlane]

Oh, wow! An ex-wife has something negative to say about her husband! Alert the media!  Brilliant.

"Jolson doesn't hold up..." I don't know upon what you base this. No one knows who Eddie Cantor was (unfortunately). Jolson is known. There was an off-Broadway show recently about Jolie, and an award winning documentary made in Germany on Jolson.

Go back to sleep.