The Jazz Singer (1927)

76% of critics liked it
(25 reviews)
55% of users liked it
(4,046 ratings)

On the verge of receivership in 1926, Warner Bros. studio decides to risk its future by investing in the Vitaphone sound system. Warners' first Vitaphone release, Don Juan, was a silent film accompanied by music and sound effects. The studio took the Vitaphone process one step farther in its 1927… More On the verge of receivership in 1926, Warner Bros. studio decides to risk its future by investing in the Vitaphone sound system. Warners' first Vitaphone release, Don Juan, was a silent film accompanied by music and sound effects. The studio took the Vitaphone process one step farther in its 1927 adaptation of the Samson Raphaelson Broadway hit The Jazz Singer, incorporating vocal musical numbers in what was essentially a non-talking film. Al Jolson stars as Jakie Rabinowitz, the son of Jewish cantor Warner Oland. Turning his back on family tradition, Jakie transforms himself into cabaret-entertainer Jack Robin. When Jack comes home to visit his parents, he is warmly greeted by his mother (Eugenie Besserer), but is cold-shouldered by his father, who feels that Jack is a traitor to his heritage by singing jazz music. Several subsequent opportunities for a reconciliation are muffed by the stubborn Jack and his equally stubborn father. On the eve of his biggest show-business triumph, Jack receives word that his father is dying. Out of respect, Jack foregoes his opening night to attend Atonement services at the temple and sing the Kol Nidre in his father's place. Through a superimposed image, we are assured that the spirit of Jack's father has at long last forgiven his son. Only twenty minutes or so of Jazz Singer is in any way a "talkie;" all of the Vitaphone sequences are built around Jolson's musical numbers. What thrilled the opening night crowds attending Jazz Singer were not so much the songs themselves but Jolson's adlibbed comments, notably in the scene where he sings "Blue Skies" to his mother. Previous short-subject experiments with sound had failed because the on-screen talent had come off stilted and unnatural; but when Jolson began chattering away in a naturalistic, conversational fashion, the delighted audiences suddenly realized that talking pictures did indeed have the capacity to entertain. Despite its many shortcomings (the storyline goes beyond mawkish, while Jolson's acting in the silent scenes is downright amateurish), The Jazz Singer was a box-office success the like of which no one had previously witnessed. The film did turn-away business for months, propelling Warner Bros. from a shoestring operation into Hollywood's leading film factory. Proof that The Jazz Singer is best viewed within its historical context is provided by the 1953 and 1980 remakes, both interminable wallows in sentimental goo. Worse still, neither one of those films had Al Jolson--who, in spite of his inadequacies as an actor, was inarguably the greatest musical entertainer of his era. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: Alan Crosland Jr, Alan Crosland
Genres: Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Classics

In Theaters: Oct 6, 1927 Wide
On DVD: Oct 16, 2007

Critic Reviews

, TIME Magazine
In cities where the Vitaphone can be installed and reproduce his voice this picture will eminently repay attendance.
Variety Staff, Variety
Undoubtedly the best thing Vitaphone has ever put on the screen.
Mordaunt Hall, New York Times
The Vitaphoned songs and some dialogue have been introduced most adroitly.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
It's ragged and dull until the magical moment when Jolson turns to the camera to announce, 'You ain't heard nothin' yet' -- a line so loaded with unconscious irony that it still raises a few goose bumps.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
The Jazz Singer is not a good picture artistically, but it's historically significant and Al Johnson is truly entertaining
Jordan Hiller, Bangitout.com
The Jazz Singer is a shallow attempt by a powerful group of straying Jews to clear their consciences.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
By today's standards, The Jazz Singer is mawkish, crudely filmed, and full of schmaltz. Yet it remains fascinating in its historical value, not only for its technical innovation.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
An overrated cinematic turd, and an embarrassment to Jazz.
Sean Axmaker, MSN.com
It's absurdly maudlin, a creaky story of a modern American son with "jazz music" in his soul.... But Jolson is marvelous, mugging and shimmying his way through songs
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...a landmark film, and it's good to have it in so good a restored digital print and with so good a restored soundtrack. (Three-Disc Deluxe Edition)
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...there's no taking away from the movie's heart and Jolson's singing. The Jazz Singer remains a classic of its kind.
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed
Just an okay little story that is too mired in soapy melodrama and Jolson's hammy performance to rise above simple mediocrity...
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The Broadway melodrama is schmaltzy, but the music thank God is heavenly.
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Three quarters of a century later, viewing 'The Jazz Singer' is perhaps a historical curiosity to many. It is an insult to overly sensitive others.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

Hoary old chestnut that should be seen for its historical significance, aside from that its the ripest kind of melodrama. Overwrought acting, clutched bosoms, fevered declamations, the works are on display here. Do keep an eye out for a young Myrna Loy, just starting out, as a chorus… More
Hoary old chestnut that should be seen for its historical significance, aside from that its the ripest kind of melodrama. Overwrought acting, clutched bosoms, fevered declamations, the works are on display here. Do keep an eye out for a young Myrna Loy, just starting out, as a chorus girl.
Alexander D

Starring Al Jolson as the title character, THE JAZZ SINGER is much more than just the first full-length feature with sound.
Sophie B

An amazing film for its time! I feel awestruck that THIS was the first ever feature length film to include synchronised sound. The narrative and themes are universal and still relevant today, 80 years on. I feel that this would have been even better if they were able to implement… More
An amazing film for its time! I feel awestruck that THIS was the first ever feature length film to include synchronised sound. The narrative and themes are universal and still relevant today, 80 years on. I feel that this would have been even better if they were able to implement sound for the whole film. A beautiful film with beautiful performances. Some people wouldn't be able to look past the fact that it's mostly silent and in black and white, but I'm so glad I was able to do that and experience this film. They didn't just make a random, awful and totally pointless film to add the sound to, they made something worthwhile something where the sound was secondary to the narrative and that's what makes this even more momentous and inspiring. A fantastic chunk of history.
AJ V

Finally after years of hearing about this movie and seeing clips from it in historical film documentaries, I finally watched it! And I really liked it too! The story is universal and still applies today, Jolson was great as the Jewish cantor's son who wanted to be a jazz singer… More
Finally after years of hearing about this movie and seeing clips from it in historical film documentaries, I finally watched it! And I really liked it too! The story is universal and still applies today, Jolson was great as the Jewish cantor's son who wanted to be a jazz singer instead of a cantor like his father. Of course this movie is famous for having bits of dialogue spoken, which is spoken during the song sequences. This device is both really cool and makes you wish the whole movie were a talky, but it also is kinda annoying at times too, as the transitions are a bit awkward. Overall, I really liked this movie, though.
First L

There's going to be the inevitable offense of modern sensibilities with the blackface performance of "Mammy", but I'll be damned if that performance which closes the movie isn't both touching and uplifting. Jolson plays Jakie Robin (Rabinowitz), the son of a… More
There's going to be the inevitable offense of modern sensibilities with the blackface performance of "Mammy", but I'll be damned if that performance which closes the movie isn't both touching and uplifting. Jolson plays Jakie Robin (Rabinowitz), the son of a cantor who wishes to sing jazz instead. A story that's been done many times since (like the cartoon where "Owl Jolson" sings "I wanna sing'a about the moon'a and the june'a and the spring'a", for instance), but the first real "talkie" has got them all beat. Jolson's performance might come off as hokey to modern audiences at first glance, but those are real tears on his cheeks as he sings about his mother (not one but three songs about dear old mom). Calling it the first talkie is a bit of a stretch though, as the majority of the film is still silent, it's just the songs (and a few spoken words during those songs) that have any sound. The sound and picture don't always match up either, but this "vitaphone"-brand of production was brand new and I guess not entirely perfected. Perfected or not, this film, and the wave of popularity that followed, opened the floodgates to the era of talking pictures. Such a revolutionary landmark film didn't necessarily have to be so creative with the story, so it's a pleasant enough surprise that it's not something completely nonsensical. Al Jolson was the consumate entertainer of his day, and this is a fine showcase of his talent. And while it's true those looking to find offense can find it easily enough here, it's well worth it to look at the film through a historical perspective.
Arash X

Well the first feature-length movie with audible dialogue ...
Brandon W

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see Michel Hazanavicius' lovable The Artist, a film about a silent film actor's fall from stardom as Hollywood made the transition from the Silent Era to the Sound Era in 1927. My love for The Artist sparked my interest in The Jazz Singer,… More
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see Michel Hazanavicius' lovable The Artist, a film about a silent film actor's fall from stardom as Hollywood made the transition from the Silent Era to the Sound Era in 1927. My love for The Artist sparked my interest in The Jazz Singer, the very first feature-length film to incorporate synchronized sound into its story. Its popularity at the time led to the Talkie Revolution seen in The Artist. I feel that The Jazz Singer's legacy and impact on cinema is much more impressive than the actual quality of the film itself. It is one of the most historically important and influential films of cinema, but by today's standards it is rather dull and has aged very poorly. The acting in particular is somewhat awkwardly portrayed. The storyline of a man running away from home to pursue stardom seems overdone and cliche, but that is not to say that it wasn't original in its time. Perhaps this story was creative or daring in 1927, but it's nothing new for a modern audience. The flow of the film feels clumsy and disjointed as it repeatedly switches back and forth between silent and sound film. The film is even a bit racist at times as well. When The Jazz Singer is viewed through the eyes of a modern audience, it is difficult to comprehend the impact this seemingly insignificant film had on cinema. It spurred what many view as the greatest revolution in the history of film. Despite its many flaws, I cannot bring myself to fail it, as it has influenced films in so many ways. I can also be somewhat generous with my rating because it had the challenge of being the very first film to be done in this manner. After decades of silent films with title cards being tradition, I can imagine that it would have been hard to make the very first film of its kind, not having any other examples to go by. The Jazz Singer is full of holes but its historical significance cannot go unnoticed.
Matthew Y

Like The Birth of a Nation, The Jazz Singer is a HISTORICALLY important film. That does NOT make it a classic or even a good movie. We've been lucky over the past decades that cinematic firsts have coincided with good films, the first computer animated film was Toy Story, the… More
Like The Birth of a Nation, The Jazz Singer is a HISTORICALLY important film. That does NOT make it a classic or even a good movie. We've been lucky over the past decades that cinematic firsts have coincided with good films, the first computer animated film was Toy Story, the first animated film was Snow White, the first film in color was Gone With the Wind, etc. Just because The Jazz Singer was the first film to incorporate sound does not make it an all time great. It is a dull watch with few moments of real magic. "You Ain't Heard Nuttin' Yet" is a top 100 line of all time. The film is not.
Lord N

Well, I really do appreciate the historical value, I mean come on, it was the first talkie. It got bring and rather melodramatic at many points. I was watching this and since it was half sound and half silent, it got me thinking. I think that it was silent when it was focusing on his… More
Well, I really do appreciate the historical value, I mean come on, it was the first talkie. It got bring and rather melodramatic at many points. I was watching this and since it was half sound and half silent, it got me thinking. I think that it was silent when it was focusing on his parents, or the old generation and that is represented with silent film. The Jazz Singer's parts are in sound to signify the new generation or era of talking films. it was a decent film that has good historical value. I feel that it has little else to offer other than a few entertaining moments and one comedic moment.
Lizzy B

Amazing! I was extremely impressed with the blending of silent and sound shots that really made me appreciate sound movies so much more.
Jared H

I could be ignorant about it, and compare this movie to other films like "Saving Private Ryan", "Titanic", or even new musicals like "Once", and say that this movie isn't nearly as moving, well-made, or good as them...which would be true. But, as… More
I could be ignorant about it, and compare this movie to other films like "Saving Private Ryan", "Titanic", or even new musicals like "Once", and say that this movie isn't nearly as moving, well-made, or good as them...which would be true. But, as a true fan of movies, I can't deny the significance of "The Jazz Singer". It was the first movie with sound..that is, "synchronous" sound, meaning sound that is actually coming from the actors and not a score added in post-production. And, it wasn't just a gimmick to showcase the new technology...I was actually really entertained, and quite moved by the message of faith and family. Not to mention Al Jolson's delightful and magnetic performance. I'd be stupid not to recognize and acknowledge this film for what it was at the time rather than what it is today. This is a proven classic, and for good reason, and there's really only one rating that would do this revolutionary film justice, a full five stars.