How Long Is “Say It with Songs”?

Al Jolson had one of his biggest successes with this maudlin musical melodrama that rode on the coattails of his innovative previous productions The Jazz Singer and The Singing Fool. Here Jolson plays Joe Lane, a high-energy radio singer whose wife Katherine (Marian Nixon) and son Little Pal (Davey Lee) love him with all their hearts and souls. When Joe's boss Arthur Phillips (Kenneth Thomson) makes a pass at Katherine, Joe sees red and punches him -- not only knocking him out but killing him. Convicted of murder, Joe goes to prison where he sings zippy songs to the convicts in his cell-block. While in prison, Joe renounces his wife so that she can continue on with her life without being saddled with an ex-con husband. Upon Joe's release from prison, he goes to visit Little Pal, who wants to run away with Joe. Joe prefers to stick it out and try to make a go of it. However, being an ex-con, he is unable to make much money. Little Pal determines to help out, and he gets a job selling newspapers. But tragedy strikes when Little Pal is hit by a truck. As a result, Little Pal becomes paralyzed and mute. Joe goes to see famed specialist Dr. Robert Merrill (Holmes Herbert), who is now married to Katherine. Joe begs the doctor to help his beloved Little Pal. Merrill agrees on the stipulation that Joe return Little Pal to Katherine. Joe agrees and Merrill's operation restores Little Pal's legs. Then when Little Pal hears one of Joe's recordings, he regains the ability to speak. Now Joe has to decide whether to fight for Little Pal or fade away into the night.