THE JAZZ SINGER (1927) Al Jolson, May McAvoy & Warner Oland | Drama | Musical | B&W

The Jazz Singer is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music score as well as lip-synchronous singing and speech (in several isolated sequences). Its release heralded the commercial ascendance of sound films and effectively marked the end of the silent film era. It was produced by Warner Bros. with the Vitaphone sound-on-disc system and features six songs performed by Al Jolson. Based on the 1925 play of the same title by Samson Raphaelson, the plot was adapted from his short story "The Day of Atonement".

The film depicts the fictional story of Jakie Rabinowitz, a young man who defies the traditions of his devout Jewish family. After singing popular tunes in a beer garden, he is punished by his father, a hazzan (cantor), prompting Jakie to run away from home. Some years later, now calling himself Jack Robin, he has become a talented jazz singer, performing in blackface. He attempts to build a career as an entertainer, but his professional ambitions ultimately come into conflict with the demands of his home and heritage.

Darryl F. Zanuck won an Academy Honorary Award for producing the film; Alfred A. Cohn was nominated for Best Writing (Adaptation) at the 1st Academy Awards. In 1996, The Jazz Singer was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". In 1998, the film was chosen in voting conducted by the American Film Institute as one of the best American films of all time, ranking at number ninety. On January 1, 2023, The Jazz Singer's U.S. copyright expired, when all works published in 1927 entered the public domain.

SYNOPSIS
The son of a Jewish Cantor must defy the traditions of his religious father in order to pursue his dream of becoming a jazz singer.

CAST & CREW
Al Jolson as Jakie Rabinowitz
Warner Oland as Cantor Rabinowitz
Eugenie Besserer as Sara Rabinowitz
May McAvoy as Mary Dale
Otto Lederer as Moisha Yudelson
Richard Tucker as Harry Lee
Yossele Rosenblatt as himself
Bobby Gordon as Jakie Rabinowitz (age 13)

Directed by Alan Crosland
Screenplay by Alfred A. Cohn
Based on The Jazz Singer by Samson Raphaelson
Produced by Darryl F. Zanuck
Cinematography Hal Mohr
Edited by Harold McCord
Music by Louis Silvers
Production companies Warner Bros. Pictures, The Vitaphone Corporation
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date October 6, 1927
Running time 89 minutes, 96 minutes (with overture and exit music)
Country United States
Language English
Budget $422,000
Box office $2.6 million (gross rental)