A Song in the Dark - Richard Barrios

It was the most chaotic era in the history of American entertainment, possibly its most dynamic, and in some ways its least understood. In a stunningly brief time, as the Jazz Age roared to a close, and the art of the silent film became extinct pictures began to talk, and the movies learned to sing and dance. Chronicling the early musical film years from 1927 to 1934, A Song in the Dark offers a fascinating look at the early results of the new sound medium: movies such as The Jazz Singer, On With the Show!, and the Warner Brothers' 'backstage' musicals that started with 42nd Street and the Gold Diggers films. Throughout, Barrios highlights the careers of the original great musical stars like Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Busby Berkeley, Maurice Chevalier, Fred Astaire, and Ginger Rogers.