| The Jazz Singer | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Alan Crosland |
| Screenplay by | Alfred A. Cohn |
| Based on | The Jazz Singer by Samson Raphaelson |
| Starring | Al Jolson May McAvoy Warner Oland Eugenie Besserer |
| Music by | Louis Silvers |
| Cinematography | Hal Mohr |
| Edited by | Harold McCord |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Jazz Singer is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland and starring Al Jolson, May McAvoy, Warner Oland, and Eugenie Besserer. Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures and the Vitaphone Corporation, the film was released on October 6, 1927.[1]
Plot[edit | edit source]
Jakie Rabinowitz is the thirteen-year-old son of Cantor Rabinowitz, who expects his son to continue the family's religious tradition and become a cantor. Jakie, however, is attracted to jazz and popular entertainment. After his father discovers him performing in a saloon, he punishes him and orders him to stop singing secular music. Jakie subsequently leaves home and pursues a career as a professional singer. Years later, he is performing in San Francisco under the stage name Jack Robin. He eventually travels to New York and receives an opportunity to perform on Broadway. The success of his career creates a conflict when he is expected to perform in an important stage production at the same time that his father is seriously ill. Jakie must decide between his professional obligations and returning to his family and religious heritage.
Cast[edit | edit source]
- Al Jolson as Jakie Rabinowitz / Jack Robin
- Bobby Gordon as young Jakie Rabinowitz
- Warner Oland as Cantor Rabinowitz
- Eugenie Besserer as Sara Rabinowitz
- May McAvoy as Mary Dale
- Otto Lederer as Moishe Yudelson
Production[edit | edit source]
The film was based on Samson Raphaelson's story A Day of Atonement and his stage play The Jazz Singer. Raphaelson's story was published in 1922, and the stage adaptation premiered on Broadway in 1925. Alan Crosland directed the film, with Alfred A. Cohn credited for the screenplay. Hal Mohr served as cinematographer and Harold McCord as editor. Louis Silvers provided the musical score.[2]
Sound[edit | edit source]
The Jazz Singer was produced as a part-talkie, combining conventional silent-film presentation with synchronized recorded music, singing, and several sequences of spoken dialogue. The sound was recorded using Warner Bros.' Vitaphone sound-on-disc system. The film's use of synchronized speech and singing became an important event in the commercial development of sound cinema. Most of the film remains presented in the style of a silent film, while several musical and dialogue sequences use synchronized sound.[3]
Release and legacy[edit | edit source]
The Jazz Singer was released by Warner Bros. on October 6, 1927. The film was a commercial success and became closely associated with the transition from silent films to sound films. The film received a special Academy Award at the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929. Warner Bros. production executive Darryl F. Zanuck accepted the award on behalf of the studio for its production of the film. The film was later remade by Warner Bros. in 1953 and again in 1980, with the latter version starring Neil Diamond.[4]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ The Jazz Singer. University of Wisconsin Press. 1979. ISBN 0299076601 – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ The Broadway: A London Magazine. George Routledge and Sons. 1869 – via Internet Archive.
- ↑ Park, Soojin (2025-10-07). "The Talkie: A Film Where You Can Hear the Actors' Voices". DongA Science. Retrieved 2026-09-22.
- ↑ Eyman, Scott (1997). The Speed of Sound: Hollywood and the Talkie Revolution, 1926–1930. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0684811626 – via Internet Archive.