The Jazz Singer is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan
Crosland. It is the first feature-length motion picture with not only
a synchronized recorded music score but also lip-synchronous singing
and speech in several isolated sequences. Its release heralded the
commercial ascendance of sound films and ended the silent film era. It
was produced by Warner Bros. with its Vitaphone sound-on-disc system.
The film features six songs performed by Al Jolson. It is based on the
1925 play of the same name by Samson Raphaelson, which itself was
adapted from one of his short stories titled "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. 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 Honorary Academy
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 National Film Registry of
"culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" motion
pictures. 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.
Crosland. It is the first feature-length motion picture with not only
a synchronized recorded music score but also lip-synchronous singing
and speech in several isolated sequences. Its release heralded the
commercial ascendance of sound films and ended the silent film era. It
was produced by Warner Bros. with its Vitaphone sound-on-disc system.
The film features six songs performed by Al Jolson. It is based on the
1925 play of the same name by Samson Raphaelson, which itself was
adapted from one of his short stories titled "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. 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 Honorary Academy
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 National Film Registry of
"culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" motion
pictures. 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.
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