The Jazz Singer - tie tähtiin

"The Jazz Singer" was a bomb dropped on the movie world at Christmas in 1980. It's a needless remake to an original movie that has already been remade and wasn't that great in the first place. Had it not been the first movie with sound I don't think many people would remember it.

The storyline has been updated so the cantor's son is now off to the music field, particularly rock. Now I ask you if you could get an actor to star in your big Christmas movie which is a remake of a famous film, would Neil Diamond head the list? Or perhaps every actor with a brain read the script and turned it down. Let's face it folks - Diamond is a terrible actor. Yes he has a great voice and the songs are the only worthy thing in it. You know things are going to go all wrong from the first scene when Diamond dons black face. Was this an ode to the Al Jolson scene from the original or a stupid, misplaced piece of humor? Either way the scene goes terribly wrong and you end up feeling uncomfortable watching it.

The great Laurence Olivier reached a career low as the role of Diamond's distressed father. As he did in "Marathon Man" and "Dracula" and "The Boys From Brazil" Olivier over emphasizes a bad accent and spends most of his time yelling. When he cries "I Hef No Son" the result is unintended laughter. It's a bad performance by a great actor. Surprisingly it is Lucie Arnaz (Desi and Lucy's daughter) who gives the one good performance as Diamond's tough but tortured love interest.

My suggestion to those Neil Diamond fans is to buy the soundtrack and forget the movie. It's silly and stupid and not worth a minute of your time. It was a bomb for a reason.