Rather than follow in his father's footsteps, a Jewish cantor's son runs away from home to become a jazz singer; many years later he returns to New York to star in a Broadway show and attempts a reconciliation with his implacable father. Even 1927 audiences thought it was pretty silly--but no one ever went to see THE JAZZ SINGER because it was a great film. They went to see it because you could hear the actors talk.
Not that they do much talking. Al Jolson performs several of his popular numbers and there are occasional snatches of speech and dialogue, but for all practical purposes THE JAZZ SINGER is a silent film. The cast, which includes Warner Oland (better known for his later appearances as Charlie Chan) plays very broadly, and the result is mildly entertaining. But the interest here is largely historical. Film historians, students, and buffs will be eager to see it--and rightly so--but I do not recommend it for the casual viewer.
Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
Not that they do much talking. Al Jolson performs several of his popular numbers and there are occasional snatches of speech and dialogue, but for all practical purposes THE JAZZ SINGER is a silent film. The cast, which includes Warner Oland (better known for his later appearances as Charlie Chan) plays very broadly, and the result is mildly entertaining. But the interest here is largely historical. Film historians, students, and buffs will be eager to see it--and rightly so--but I do not recommend it for the casual viewer.
Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer