Honky Tonk (1929 film)

Honky Tonk
theatrical film poster
Directed byLloyd Bacon
Written byC. Graham Baker
Jack Yellen
StarringSophie Tucker
CinematographyBen F. Reynolds
Music byAlois Reiser
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
  • August 31, 1929 (1929-08-31)
(limited release)
Running time
71 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$251,000[1]
Box office$650,000[1]

Honky Tonk is a 1929 American Pre-Code musical film starring Sophie Tucker in her film debut. The film was a flop when released and is now lost, although the Vitaphone soundtrack for the film and for the trailer still exists. Tucker sings a number of songs in the movie, including her theme song "Some of These Days", and "I'm the Last of the Red Hot Mamas", from which she took her billing as "The Last of the Red Hot Mamas".[2][3]

Plot

Sophie Tucker plays Sophie Leonard, a singer in a nightclub who at great sacrifice sends her daughter Beth (Lila Lee) to Europe to be educated, keeping her work as an entertainer a secret from her. When the grown-up, expensively educated Beth returns to America, she is shocked to discover her mother's true profession and disowns her, breaking Sophie's heart.

Cast

Reception

According to Warner Bros the film earned $448,000 domestically and $202,000 foreign.[1]

Musical numbers

  • "I'm Doing What I'm Doing for Love" (Milton Ager, Jack Yellen)
  • "He's a Good Man To Have Around" (Ager, Yellen)
  • "I'm Feathering a Nest (For a Little Blue Bird)" (Ager, Yellen)
  • "I'm the Last of the Red Hot Mamas" (Ager, Yellen)
  • "I Don't Want To Get Thin" (Ager, Yellen)
  • "Some of These Days" (Shelton Brooks)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Warner Bros financial information in The William Schaefer Ledger. See Appendix 1, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, (1995) 15:sup1, 1-31 p 7 DOI: 10.1080/01439689508604551
  2. ^ Honky Tonk at silentera.com
  3. ^ The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1921-30 American Film Institute (1971)


Stub icon

This article about a musical film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.