In a recent article London Times asserts that Britain will soon "lead the film world." It is generally acknowledged that talking pictures brought about the downfall of Hollywood, and with the first sound-film (Al Jolson's picture "Mammy"), the writing was already on the wall.
MA-A-AMMY! Ma-a-ammy! The sun's gone east And he's left out west Where, in old days, the sun shone best. Ma-a-ammy! Ma-a-ammy! What have you done to poor ole Uncle Sammy? You would go talkin' In them dear ole silent days. You would go squawkin' Them silly ole jazz-time lays. Ma-a-ammy! Ma-a-ammy! Since you introdooced the din We have done the dollars in -- Ma-Ma-Ma-a-ammy!
Say, ole lady, you did start sump'in' when you began shootin' off oyur mouth in the fillums. Here we was, sittin' pretty, when Al had to go an' hand you that sob-stuff an' shoot up the whole woiks. Say, ain't you never heard Shakespeare's wisecracks about silence being golden? I'll say it was.
The fourth largest industry in good ole U.S.A. while it kept its mouth shut! But from the minute the first squawks came out of them ole amplifiers the Britishers put the skids under us, an' we ain't stopped slidin' yet.
Who was it said that it was not until Hollywood started to say sump'in' that she proved herself plumb dumb? say, isn't that the truth?
MA-A-AMMY! Ma-a-ammy! We was perched right up On the world's high top, But you spoke your piece an' we done a flop. Ma-a-mmy! Ma-a-ammy! Why didn't you stay in good ole Alabamy? Ma-a-am -
Aw! What's the use? Hand us a snort of rye someone. What's the sense of talkin' to try to prove talkin' ain't good business? We been horsewoggled!
"Den"
Herald, 25 January 1934, p6