The Jazz Singer
(1927) American
B&W : Nine reels / 8117 feet / 89 minutes
Directed by Alan Crosland (Sr.)

Cast: Al Jolson [Jakie Rabinowitz, AKA Jack Robin], May McAvoy [Mary Dale], Warner Oland [Cantor Rabinowitz, Jakie’s father], Eugenie Besserer [Sara Rabinowitz, Jakie’s mother], Bobby Gordon [Jakie Rabinowitz. age 13], Otto Lederer [Moisha Yudelson, the kibbitzer], Richard Tucker [Harry Lee], Cantor Josef Rosenblatt [himself, at concert recital], Nat Carr [Levi], William Demarest [Buster Billings], Anders Randolf [Dillings], Will Wallington (Will Walling) [the doctor], Roscoe Karns [the agent], Myrna Loy [chorus girl], Jane Arden, Violet Bird, Audrey Ferris, Edna Gregory, Margaret Oliver, Louis Silvers, Marie Stapleton

Warner Brothers Pictures, Incorporated, production; distributed by Warner Brothers Pictures, Incorporated. / Scenario by Alfred A. Cohn, from the play The Jazz Singer by Samson Raphaelson. Art direction by Ben Carré and Esdras Hartley. Cinematography by Hal Mohr. Intertitles by Jack Jarmuth. Edited by Harold McCord. / © 6 October 1927 by Warner Brothers Pictures, Incorporated. Premiered 6 October 1927. General release, 4 February 1928. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.37:1 format. Western Electric Vitaphone sound-on-disc sound system. / Academy Award nomination for Writing – Adaptation. Australian premiere, 29 December 1928 at the Union Theatres’ Lyceum Hall in Sydney, Australia. / Silent film, with talking (singing) sequences, synchronized music and sound effects.

Drama.

Survival Status: Print exists.

Keywords: Actors - Blackface - Jews - Musicians - Singers - Synchronized sound film

Listing updated: 23 April 2008.

References: Film viewing : Ball-Shakespeare pp. 299, 387; Bardèche-History pp. 290a, 307, 326, 384; Bohn-Light pp. xxv, 85, 179-180, 181, 207; Brownlow-Parade pp. 566, 570; Cary-Hollywood p. 123; Dardis-Keaton p. 152; Drew-Speaking pp. 4, 112, 131, 132, 133, 134, 279; Everson-American p. 56, 296, 333, 334, 337, 338, 339, 344; Geduld-Birth pp. xi, 103, 109, 136, 138, 139, 144, 146; Hirschhorn-Universal p. 15; Jacobs-Chaplin p. 91; Jewell-RKO p. 9; Kerr-Silent pp. 8, 39, 40; Keylin-NYTimes p. 119; Lahue-Collecting p. 27; Leish-Cinema pp. 65, 66; Limbacher-Feature p. 125; Maltin-Disney p. 3; Maltin-Guide p. 642; Null-Black pp. 21, 23; Parish-Gangster p. 2; Perry-British pp. 60-61; Pitts-Hollywood p. 160; Ryall-Blackmail pp. 12, 13, 16, 18, 61; Schelly-Langdon pp. 126, 129, 132; Shipman-Cinema pp. 94, 100; Shirley-Australian pp. 103, 106; Sinyard-Silent p. 174; Skretvedt-LaurelHardy p. 157; Smith-Colman p. 93; Sweeney-Coming p. 114; Taylor-Hitchcock pp. 88, 94; Vermilye-Twenties p. 99; Webb-Hollywood p. 8 : ClasIm-225 p. 34.

Home Video: DVD.