The Jazz Singer (1927)

Director:

Alan Crosland

Writers:

Samson Raphaelson (play)
Alfred A. Cohn (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

6 October 1927 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

WARNER BROS. Supreme Triumph ! ! !

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Cantor | Jazz | Jazz Singer | Singer | Jewish

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins

Cast

Al Jolson	...	Jakie Rabinowitz
May McAvoy	...	Mary Dale
Warner Oland	...	The Cantor
Eugenie Besserer	...	Sara Rabinowitz
Otto Lederer	...	Moisha Yudelson
Robert Gordon	...	Jakie Rabinowitz - Age 13 (as Bobby Gordon)
Richard Tucker	...	Harry Lee
Cantor Joseff Rosenblatt	...	Cantor Rosenblatt - Concert Recital
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jane Arden	...	Small Part (uncredited)
Ernest Belcher	...	Choreographer - 'April Follies' (uncredited)
Violet Bird	...	Small Part (uncredited)
Nat Carr	...	Levi (uncredited)
Claire Delmar	...	Small Part (uncredited)
William Demarest	...	Buster Billings (uncredited)
Neely Edwards	...	Dance Director (uncredited)
Audrey Ferris	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Joseph Green	...	Walk-on (uncredited)
Ena Gregory	...	Small Part (uncredited)
Roscoe Karns	...	Agent (uncredited)
Mary Grace Larsen	...	Small part (uncredited)
Myrna Loy	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
John Miljan	...	Host (uncredited)
Margaret Oliver	...	Small Part (uncredited)
Anders Randolf	...	Dillings (uncredited)
Josele Rosenblatt	...	Cantor (uncredited)
Carolynne Snowden	...	Backstage Maid (uncredited)
Marie Stapleton	...	Small Part (uncredited)
Will Walling	...	Doctor (uncredited)

Directed by
Alan Crosland

Writing credits
Samson Raphaelson		(short story "The Day of Atonement") uncredited
Samson Raphaelson		(play)
Alfred A. Cohn		(adaptation)
Jack Jarmuth		(titles)

Original Music by
Louis Silvers		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Hal Mohr		(photography)

Film Editing by
Harold McCord		(edited by)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gordon Hollingshead	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Gerald W. Alexander	....	sound (uncredited)
Harvey Cunningham	....	sound engineer (uncredited)
George Groves	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Nathan Levinson	....	sound supervisor (uncredited)
William A. Mueller	....	sound technician (uncredited)
William Schwartz	....	sound (uncredited)
James V. Swartz	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Nugent Slaughter	....	special effects (uncredited)

Music Department
Rosa Rio	....	orchestrator
Louis Silvers	....	musical director: Vitaphone Orchestra
Louis Silvers	....	musical score directed by
Edmund Ross	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Alpharetta	....	technician
Lewis Geib	....	technician
Esdras Hartley	....	technician
Fred Jackman	....	technician
F.N. Murphy	....	technician
Victor Vance	....	technician
Ernest Belcher	....	choreographer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros (as A Warner Brothers Production)

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1927) (USA) (theatrical) (as The Vitaphone Corporation) (presents)
• Dominant Pictures Corporation (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• La Sept-Arte  sound restoration (1998 version)
• Lobster Films  sound restoration (1998 version)
• Vitaphone Orchestra  orchestra

Also Known As:

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Vitaphone)

Certification:

Sweden:Btl | Australia:G | UK:U | USA:Unrated | Argentina:Atp | South Korea:All

Filming Locations:

Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

Warner Brothers quietly threw in the towel on the Vitaphone disk process in 1932. Not wanting to risk losing the disks, Warner Bros. had all of the Vitaphone sound for the film transferred to optical tracks on the side of the film itself in the 1930s.

Goofs:

Continuity: Mary recieves a telegram dated August 8, 1927. Later in the film, Jack is seen writing a letter to Mary, dating it August 7, 1927.

Quotes:

[title/caption appearing after Yudelson and Jakie's mother first sees him in blackface]
Moisha Yudelson:He sounds like Jakie, but he looks like his shadow!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Pucker Up (2005)

Soundtrack:

If a Girl Like You Loved a Boy Like Me

a film boosted by its legendary historical status

Whatever might be the shortcomings of this famous film, it is an uncanny experience to visit it from time to time. As we know, although it's the first 'talki' it's mostly a silent movie with all that entails. Nevertheless, those moments when sound and image are synchronised, often just for one side of the disc used for the soundtrack, are electrifying. The heat is turned up by the fact that Al Jolson improvised some of his lines, much to the horror of his stage mother. And besides, the tale of the errant son making good in the big lights is affecting. The music is superb, and we are rewarded by some haunintg evocations of the Jewish cantor tradition. I love the film.