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The Jazz Singer Overview:

The Jazz Singer (1927) was a Drama - Musical Film directed by Alan Crosland and produced by Jack L. Warner.

The film was based on the short story The Day of Atonement written by Samson Raphaelson published in Everybody's Magazine and as a Stage Play "The Jazz Singer" (Jan 1922 (magazine) and Sep 14, 1925 - Jun 1926 (play performed at Fulton Theatre, NY)).

SYNOPSIS

A cinema landmark, this is the film most identified with the coming of sound. Though sound schemes had been envisioned at the dawn of motion pictures (even sound-on-film techniques similar to modern methods), The Jazz Singer made the commercial potential of sound apparent. The major studios had resisted disrupting the profitable silent-film production engine that had only recently been standardized, and making the huge investment required retrofitting studios and theaters for sound. Sam Warner must be credited with taking a chance on a sound-on-disk system developed by their Vitaphone subsidiary; he died just before the thronged premiere that proved his prescience. The first Vitaphone feature film depicts the dilemma of a cantor's son who garners show business success over his father's objections. With the line, "You ain't heard nuthin' yet!," movie history changed forever. Note that The Jazz Singer is mostly silent, with just some Jolson ad-libbed asides in addition to the synch-sound (more or less) musical segments. The first all-talking feature was Lights of New York, a squalid little potboiler that featured dialogue in 22 scenes. Songs include "Mammy," "Toot, Toot, Tootsie," "Blue Skies," and more.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

The Jazz Singer was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1996.

Academy Awards 1952 --- Ceremony Number 25 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best WritingAlfred CohnNominated
Special AwardTo Warner Bros., for producing The Jazz Singer, the pioneer outstanding talking picture, which has revolutionized the industry.Won
Best Music - ScoringRay Heindorf, Max SteinerNominated
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The Jazz Singer BlogHub Articles:

Musical Monday: The Jazz Singer (1952)

on Sep 14, 2015 From Comet Over Hollywood

It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals. In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 500. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals. This week’s musical: Jazz Singer (1952) – M... Read full article

THE JAZZ SINGER ( 1927 )

By Crystal Kalyana on Apr 16, 2015 From In The Good Old Days Of Classic Hollywood

MUSICAL MONTH THE JAZZ SINGER ( 1927 ) My parents have always been avid fans of Neil Diamond, and growing up I became accustomed to his music, later becoming an ardent supporter of his work myself. When I was younger they purchased the 1980 remake of “The Jazz Singer” which stars Neil Di... Read full article

Classic Films in Focus: THE JAZZ SINGER (1927)

By Jennifer Garlen on Feb 26, 2013 From Virtual Virago

If people think of Al Jolson at all today, they think of him in blackface, belting out his plaintive "Mammy" song at the end of The Jazz Singer (1927) or in countless cartoon parodies of it. It may well discourage viewers from giving the original movie a chance, which is a shame because, as problema... Read full article

Classic Films in Focus: THE JAZZ SINGER (1927)

By Jennifer Garlen on Feb 26, 2013 From Virtual Virago

If people think of Al Jolson at all today, they think of him in blackface, belting out his plaintive "Mammy" song at the end of The Jazz Singer (1927) or in countless cartoon parodies of it. It may well discourage viewers from giving the original movie a chance, which is a shame because, as problema... Read full article

Classic Films in Focus: THE JAZZ SINGER (1927)

By Jennifer Garlen on Feb 26, 2013 From Virtual Virago

If people think of Al Jolson at all today, they think of him in blackface, belting out his plaintive "Mammy" song at the end of The Jazz Singer (1927) or in countless cartoon parodies of it. It may well discourage viewers from giving the original movie a chance, which is a shame because, as problema... Read full article

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The Jazz Singer Quotes:

Mary Dale: [Listening to Jakie cantoring at Yom Kippur services after the death of his father] A jazz singer...singing to his God!
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The Jazz Singer Facts
The Old Warner Brothers Studio, officially called today Sunset Bronson Studios and also known as KTLA Studios and Tribune Studios, is a motion picture, radio and television production facility located at 5800 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. The studio was the site where the first talking feature film, The Jazz Singer was filmed in 1927. Due to its role in the history of the motion picture business, the site was designated as a Historic Cultural Landmark in 1977 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
George Jessel, star of the stage version, was asked to play the role in the film, but refused over a pay dispute. Eddie Cantor was also asked, and also refused.
First feature-length movie with audible dialogue.
According to the insert shot of the Winter Garden Theatre program, the date of the performance that Al Jolson's character passes up to sing "Kol Nidre" (and the date of the Cantor's death), which was on Wednesday, September 14, 1927.
The theatrical date of release, was on Saturday, February 4th, 1928. But it was first shown to and shown seen by the Warner Brothers' cast and crew, of directors, producers, actors and actresses, on Thursday, October 6th, 1927. 121 days, (17 weeks & 2 days), differ between the movie's date of release & the date, it was first shown to and seen by the Warner Brothers' cast and crew, of directors, producers actors and actresses.
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