I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

Blistering performances.

Big Boy (1930) ** (out of 4) Al Jolson was only able to bring two of his Broadway shows to Hollywood and this here was the first of the duo. In the film Jolson plays Gus, a black servant who dreams of one day being able to ride horses. He finally gets his chance when his owner's horse appears to be good enough for the race but of course a few issues are going to break out. Controversy will always follow Jolson since he often appeared in blackface but I've seen so many Hollywood films from this period to where I'm at the point of looking at it as the norm. It was certainly the norm in 1930 so it's doubtful too many went to the theater and saw this film the same way we would today. With that said, appearing in blackface is one thing but having the entire role done in blackface, when viewed today, just seems wrong on so many levels. I'm sure a black actor could have done this part and made for an entertaining movie but due to the times this just wasn't going to happen. The truth of the matter is that Jolson might be hated or looked down by many but I always try to judge things as honest as possible and there's no denying that he's very good in the part. I thought Jolson was very believable in the part of Gus and I think he managed to really bring the character to life as he made us feel for the character and made us want to see him reach his dreams. The "performance" is just fine as are a majority of the music numbers, which he also performs. 'Dixie', 'What Will I Do Without You?' and 'Tomorrow is Another Day' are the highlights of the group as the actor does a terrific job singing them but there are some nice visuals put to them as well. No one in the supporting cast really jumps out at you but then again this movie was made to show off Jolson and Jolson only. I think the biggest problem is the actual screenplay that appears to be missing a lot of footage that might have been in the Broadway play. The "story" appears to be missing quite a bit as the film seems to just want to get to the next music number. Another problem is that the comedy is flatly done and the majority of the jokes just fall flat on their face. Many people will look at BIG BOY is disgust and I understand that but it's one of the few ways to see what type of role Jolson did on stage and for that reason alone this remains an important picture for film buffs.

As a black person viewing this film, it was extremely disturbing for someone of this generation, and I'm sure to black people of that time it was insulting, but what could they do. They had no power to complain. It was politically correct to be racist and insulting of other races back then, because whites were superior and what they said went. They didn't care to take black people's feelings into consideration. Gladly, things have changed. This film couldn't and wouldn't be done today. If you want a black person, get a real black person to play a role, don't black-up a white person and make them look ridiculous and un-naturally black. Blacks aren't just black-face, black people's skin tone range from black, dark brown, brown, light brown, caramel, honey, mocha, yellow, olive, even pale.Of course white people gave this movie positive reviews because its not their race being insulted or offended. These are the reasons why racism, discrimination, bigotry, and prejudice will always exist, because you will always have people who condone the behavior in this movie, by making up excuses like "its not that racist" or "oh, that how it was back then." I'm sure if the shoe was on the other foot, it wouldn't be as amusing.Al Jolson passing as black, portraying a black man, was extremely stereotypical, of course, he would act in that way. He wouldn't act educated or with class or sense, whites wouldn't want to see that, naturally Jolson would roll the eyes and act a fool, sing of the lord, and carry watermelons, white people wouldn't have had it any other way. Jolson doesn't represent positive blackness to me, but of course whites think he did a great job portraying a black, because that's how they view us.I read how some people say Jolson didn't act like an "uncle tom" so that should give some relief, well like I said he was still very stereotypical, and of course he could talk sassy and tough to some whites, because it was known he was white, so he could get away with it. If he was really black, he wouldn't have been able to talk up to whites on screen that way. When Jolson looks at the white woman that walks pass him when he's singing at the club, you know if he really was black, that part would have been cut from the film. If Jolson really wanted to make blacks look good and if he didn't mean no harm, he could have portrayed the new era of black people, not stereotypical, Southern, shuffling, yes-sir black, but the northern, Harlem black, bold, head up, educated, glamorous, ambitious, listen to Ethel Waters, "Underneath a Harlem Moon." The only true portrayal in this movie is the racist Southern man who says all kind of racial insults.I hate to see how blacks, native Americans, asians have been treated in the movies back then. Its making it harder for me to watch these old classic movies, especially since the racism is so obvious and blatant. Whites were always superior and well-behaved, while people of color were made fun of, inferior, and not as well-behaved as whites, now we know the "white lies" and that whites weren't so perfect, but whites always put themselves in the best light back then.From what I know about Jolson, he seemed to have been influenced by blacks, which you can see in his singing and dancing. Possibly, his dressing up in black-face was a way to become a black man to him. I've seen minstrel shows from back then and seen many black-face comedians, and found them insulting and offensive and they knew they were, but like I said it was okay to make fun of blacks back then, but with Al Jolson it seems he really wanted to be black, even though his portrayal was negative. Maybe with this film he was trying to show the ignorance of white racism by becoming a black man, of course the audience knew he was really white, but by becoming black, maybe he's trying to show whites it could have been you who could have been black, so how would you like to have been mistreated? Perhaps he was also showing how blacks always had to come to save the day for white people.Anyways, this movie was ridiculous. Jolson was supposedly the greatest entertainer in the world in his time, well, maybe he would be more remembered mainstream and appreciated by everyone if it wasn't for the black-face. I hear talk of Judy Garland, Sinatra, and others, but not much talk of Jolson, I suppose its because of the black-face. If white audiences enjoyed the play or the movie Big Boy, its because Jolson reassured them with his stereotypical black person, that blacks were everything whites thought or wanted them to be.I try to put myself back in the 1930's, and still was offended, as I'm sure many blacks were back then, but like I said they had no say. I read black newspapers of that time, and they were disgusted by the film. A lot of whites get offended when black comedians like Chris Rock make fun of them, well maybe now you know how blacks felt seeing Cantor and Jolson. Some may say, Eddie Cantor and Jolson were appealing to the tastes back then, so you mean they were appealing to whites love of seeing people of color made fun of? None of them had the balls to stand up and say I'm not doing that? Doing blackface don't make you a greater entertainer.hotoil, said blacks didn't have leading roles back then. This movie was made in 1930, in 1929, Nina Mae McKinney, a black actress, starred in one of the first black films, and then there was Hearts of Dixie, another black film made in 1928. So there were blacks in starring roles.

...largely because of the fact that by the autumn of 1930, when this film was released, musical films were a sure fire miss at the box office. However, Jolson still owed Warner Brothers one more film to fulfill his contract. Thus they came up with the idea that Jolson should reenact his role as Gus in one of his Broadway hits, "Big Boy". This would allow Jolson to sing but be more likely to attract audiences. This required Jolson to do the entire film in black-face as a black man who is a servant on a plantation. If this had been done seriously I'm sure it would leave modern audiences aghast. However, let me assure you that through the entire film Jolson, as Gus, is kidding the audience. Let me also assure you that Gus is smarter than the family that employs him. I doubt most of them could reason their way out of a paper bag without his assistance. Gus' family has been serving the Bedford family for generations. Specifically, Gus is trainer and jockey for the Bedford family prize horse, Big Boy. However, one member of the family has written a bad check to a girl in the city, and a gambler is using that as a threat to the young man so that he can fix the results of the Kentucky Derby. Under fear of being sent to jail if the bad check is reported to the police, the young man gets Gus fired so that a jockey that will throw the Kentucky Derby can be hired to ride Big Boy. It sounds like serious stuff, but believe me the whole thing is performed tongue-in-cheek, at least Jolson's part is.Just because 1930 audiences had their fill of musicals did not mean they had their fill of Jolson, so at the conclusion of the film Jolson is introduced as himself without makeup to sing one song. I'd recommend this one, but you have to like Jolson and you have to remember that this film was made eighty years ago and that no harm was intended by any of the characterizations.

This movie is most notable as the film where Al Jolson plays the lead role in black face, which - in case you don't know - was the way any black lead role was because black people weren't allowed to have starring roles in Hollywood. Of course, if you can beyond the disgusting display of a white actor playing an over-the-top black stereotype...well, it's a pretty bad movie anyway.