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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 1517

Big Boy

193068 minUnited States

Video edition: Wikimedia Commons
Original language: English
This copy runs: 68:12
Subtitles: No subtitle track in this language

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Alan Crosland · Public domain

Synopsis

A family's jockey is framed after criminals pressure its indebted heir to help fix a race. Dismissed from the stable, he uncovers the scheme while working elsewhere and tries to return in time to protect the horse's chance.

Cast

Al Jolson

Claudia Dell

Louise Closser Hale

Noah Beery Sr.

DirectorsAlan Crosland

Historical context

Al Jolson repeats a Broadway role using blackface, a central part of the film's racial stereotyping. The surviving American release was shaped before its premiere by the declining market for musicals.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film reference Wikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 16, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

Al Jolson — Film studio · Public domain
Claudia Dell — Roman Freulich · Public domain
Louise Closser Hale — George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress); This image is available from the United States Library of Congress 's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID ggbain.38203 . This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing . · Public domain
Noah Beery Sr. — Unknown photographer · Public domain

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