| Title: | The Jazz Singer |
| Year: | 1927 |
| Producer: | Warner Brothers |
| Director: | Alan Crosland |
| Runtime: | 88 Minutes |
| Awards: | Nominated for Best Effects, Engineering Effects (Nugent Slaughter)
Nominated Best Writing, Adaptation
(Alfred A. Cohn)
Won Honorary Award for producing The Jazz Singer, the pioneer outstanding talking picture, which has revolutionized the industry. |
Actors / Actresses:
| Jack Robin | Al Jolson |
| The Cantor | Warner Oland |
| Jakie Rabinowitz (age 13) | Bobby Grodon |
| Sara Rabinowitz | Eugenie Besserer |
| Mary Dale | May McAvoy |
Summary
The Jazz singer is about Jakie Rabinowitz who is the Jazz singer. At an early age he ran away form home to escape his father who wanted him to be a Cantor for his synagogue rather than sing the songs he wanted to sing. However, he still maintained a close relationship with his mother, writing letters to her updating her on his life. In a café, he meets Mary Dale who, impressed with his singing, gets him a job at April Follies. Here, calling himself Jack Robin, he gathers a large crowed and is the most successful bill in the whole show. It becomes obvious that he has feelings for her, but she got a better job on Broadway and they are forced to part. Soon he gets notice from New York that he has a shot on a Broadway show, which he finds later was set up by Mary. On his way, he stops by his old home, where his mother is pleased to see him, but his father does not allow Jakie to see him because he disowned Jackie when he ran away. The climax of the movie takes place on opening night, also the Day of Atonement in the Jewish religion. Jakie's father is very sick and on his deathbed, and willing to forgive Jakie if he would sing as Cantor. Jakie is torn between his future and his heritage, a struggle in which he chooses family and forgiveness.
Importance
The most remarkable thing to the twenties audience, however, was the new sound that came along with the Jazz Singer. The most significant part this movie played was because it was the first full-length motion pitcher to show that had synchronized dialogue included on the film. Jolson's first spoken line in the movie was "You ain't heard nothing yet," and indeed they had not. The audiences in the twenties were awed, especially with songs that had an excellent score and sung well by Jolson. This, by far, made the Jazz singer from a good movie into one that would be known to history.
|
|
|
