Woodmere is presenting a rarely seen film March 24, “Torch Singer,” starring Claudette Colbert.
It’s the Great Depression in the film, released in 1933, and Sally Trent (Colbert) is unemployed. She has a baby to support and the baby’s father, Michael, played by David Manners, is off exploring China, unaware that the child even exists. With no money to support the child, Sally’s only choice is to put her daughter up for adoption.
Time passes, and Sally has changed her name to Mimi Benton and become known as a nightclub singer. The sponsor of a radio show catches her act and invites her to audition at his studio. They arrive just when “Aunt Jenny,” the host of a children’s radio show, is making her first broadcast. The woman hired for the job is too nervous to talk and flees the studio, so Sally goes on in her place. She gets the job, going on the air as “Aunt Jenny” every day. At first, she doesn’t take it seriously, but then realizes that she can use the power of radio to locate her lost child. She tells all the children listening to send their names and addresses to the radio station, hoping to somehow find her little girl.
At an unexpected moment, Michael returns from China. He’s apologetic and wants Sally to take him back. She rejects him, telling him, “While you went through China, I went through hell!”
Will Sally ever reunite with her daughter? Will she and Michael be able to reconcile and raise the child together? Come see the movie to find out.
“Torch Singer” is a great example of “pre-Code” filmmaking, a film made before strict enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code began in mid-1934. Pre-Code movies tended to be more sophisticated and realistic in their subject matter compared to the more wholesome, watered-down movies made afterward. It was a great time period for women’s roles in particular. Many of the actresses in pre-Code films were tough, independent and intelligent. A film like “Torch Singer” shows us a Depression-era woman dealing with adult hardships, doing her best to survive.
Colbert’s multifaceted performance is remarkable, truly running the gamut of emotions. She is by turns vulnerable and sad, tough and cynical, whimsical and wisecracking, sweet and endearing. And, as one would expect from the title, she also sings, something she rarely did elsewhere. It’s unfortunate she was not awarded an Oscar nod for this film — that wouldn’t happen until the massive success of “It Happened One Night” in 1934.
It’s also worth noting how novel the medium of radio was at the time. By 1933, radio was a powerful and popular form of entertainment but, though we may take it for granted today, it was still relatively new. Many movies of the 1930s tended to cash in on popular fads of the time, and there was a cycle of radio-themed movies in 1932 and ’33.
One other aspect of “Torch Singer” worth pointing out is its economical filmmaking. At a quick 71 minutes, the film sets up its premise early and lets each scene play for maximum effectiveness. A perfect example is the scene showing the beginning of Sally’s singing career. The first shot shows her in a small cafe with a piano player, wearing an ordinary dress, sounding rather insecure, and performing to an indifferent audience more interested in their spaghetti dinner than in Sally’s work. It cross-dissolves to Sally singing the same song in a larger venue, with a bigger piano, a fancier dress, and her vocal delivery much improved. It cross-dissolves again to show her still singing the same song in a nightclub filled with people, accompanied by a grand piano and a quartet of musicians, wearing an elaborate dress, her voice now full of confidence. Time has passed and she has learned a lot, shown in only three shots and less than a minute of film. Early 1930s movies tended to be short and punchy and didn’t waste any time.
“Torch Singer” is an example of the dozens of wonderful 1930s films which have been forgotten over time and are very rarely seen in public venues. The Woodmere screening is giving you an opportunity to see this film the way it was meant to be seen, on the big screen with a large audience.
“Torch Singer” screens at 7 p.m., March 24, at Woodmere as part of the Tuesday Nights at the Movies series in partnership with the Chestnut Hill Film Group. Light refreshments will be provided prior to the screening. Tuesday Nights at the Movies screenings are free to the public, but donations are gratefully accepted. Woodmere is located at 9201 Germantown Ave. in Chestnut Hill. For more information, contact 215-247-0476 or visit woodmereartmuseum.org or Chestnut Hill Film Group on social media.
