The Jazz Singer (Warner Bros.) (1927)

Tense Drama of Laughter and Tears Love of Fame haved Him from Home | But Greater Love Brought Him Back Picture Based on Play by Samson Rishdlens as Produced on Stage by Lewis & Gordon and Sam H. Harris; Scenario by Al Cohn; Assistant Director Gordon Hollingshead; Cameraman Hal Mohr PRODUCTION DIRECTED BY ALAN CROSLAND P 4 £ Che Ghetto—a city within a city grey-beard ee 5 raucous shysters, gay childrer devout women, sh irp-tongued gossipers— a pushing, yelling, seething civilization living in New York City’s most congest: area. Here, for generations, t men of the Rabinowitz i ave been the cantors O1 t Orcnar Synagogue ° riere, in d Street a little apartment over a store next to the synagogue, Cantor R abinowitz teaches the youth of his tongrega tion to sing the age-old Judea. Jakie..Rabinewitz, songs of his son, at thirteen, sings “Kol Nidre” as appealingly as his fat] cantor’s life ambition is 1er. The to’ have Jakie follow in his footsteps and succeed him as the can Jakie of the smiling eyes sob in his voice doesn’t w a cantor. He wants to theatre. Though Mama tor. But and the ant to be sing in a Rabino witz understands that the synagogue is not for her light-hearted boy, the stern father cries “Better Jakie had not _~ born than to sing in a low-life den.’ ’ Pals Forever! Se, % Ch, SILLS ADRAOEA ALY ALD EAA AldJolson in “The Ja a ae Laetttt btetl itt ttt tills e 7 Sinder™ with May McAvoy JA Warner Bros Production Production No. 1—Cut or Mat | | Father Whips Boy | i . The Day of Atonement comes, to spread its cloak of reverence over the Ghetto. The hour of Yom Sineer approaches and ,Moisha Yudelson, high in the councils of Y the congregation, rushe s to the cantor with the news that Jakie, who is to sing in the choir tonight, is down at a beer garde n singing ragtime melodies. The cantor re coils, but immediately rec leaves the house. The overs and minutes seem like hours to Mama Rabinowitz till Jakie is hurled through the doorway, his tear-stained face cowed with terror. “If p me once more [ will r Mama pleads, “Don’t papa, maybe it is f shouldn’t be a cantor.” cantor silences her. Jakie taught to sing to God! apa beats ? in away. hit him, etter he But the must be Warner Bro. Present AL JOLSON in “THE JAZZ SI} SINGER” ‘Dazzling Life-Story of Broadway’s Idolized Jazz Singer ! So Jakie runs away. of the vaudeville agencies Ten years later find him making the rounds in San Francisco, a mammy singer known he and his as Jack Robin. Broke, roommate, Buster, Billings, oF into “Cotfee-Dan’s, wander where Buster knows the master of ceremonies. It is the custom at the restaurant to call upon the professional people who are dining there to perform. In response to a request fro a Mammy is thrilled. Mary Dal e, dancer, featured headlistens to announcer, Jack sings song. The audience liner at the Or phet um, Jack with the admirat artist for another; s!| come to the theatre the ion of the one 1e realizes that here is a genius—a genius whose songs reach the heart. Mary questions Jack and invites him to next day to be introduced to the manager. Runaway Finds Fame Sponsored by Mary Dale, Jack enjoys a phenomenal rise to fame., No one knows better than Jack the | debt he owes Mary and his heart} . .4 with love and gratitude |C@n’t desert his friends on the : : is filled g opening night of the show, and! Only twice before in the last ten! for his benefactress. Mother Fears Actress ~ | | | Rehearsals speed by. The producer is staking everything on Mary’s judgment. Jack Robin, a stranger to Broadway, is the featured player in a costly production. The singer appreciates the fact that this is his chance to prove his gratitude to Mary. He must make good! Jack’s voice has never been better and Mary knows he will be an overnight sensation. “Jakie, Come Home!” The last rehearsal takes place on the night before Yom Kippur. When Jack returns to his dressing room, he finds Yudelson there with the news that the cantor is very sick, he cannot sing “Kol Nidre” on Yom Kippur. Never has there “All I Did, Mama, Was to Sing in the Cafe—and Papa——he——”’ been a Yom Kippur without a Scene from “The azz Sind er” starring Gi Jolson Rabinowitz to sing “Kol Nidre.’’ Will Jakie come and sing? Dying Father Forgives ee NEW YORK Jack tries to explain that he 4 Warner rds. Production Production No. 2—Cut or Mat CRITICISMS Jolson accorded ovation as “The while he argues, Mama arrives. years has so sincere and so thun-}; Jazz Singer.’—Rose Pelswick in \“Jakie must come to see Papa! He derous a storm of applause broken! Evening Journal. wants him! He should come!” lover a cinema as that which ar‘o.., |Yrived at the conclusion last night > » 9 the h iro > e “Si pe rm The next day, as the hour of the| of Al Jolson’s movie, “The Jazz Mama Rabinowitz receives a let-| opening performance draws near,|<Sjncer” TT, So : Pin ter from her boy, telling of his b igen ONE EG bor aca To me, last night’s ac—s jJack kneels at the old man’s bedclaim represented the natural re Ww ‘ ic > . vet . > . . . Muse Tele. Phe shamus genie ith | side. The cantor 2 ee the action of an intelligent gathering Mary aie, 1ie Sha stern, unrelenting father. He to a phenomenally beautiful epi success and his frien dship letter, for Mama _ cannot English. “Mary Dale?” she interrupts, “a shiksa, maybe my Jakie But her heart is glad—Jakie is happy and falls in love with her.” read | pleads with his Jakie. “My son, I} sode woven out of tragic loveliness. shown to the cantor, however, To him Jakie is as one dead. Home to See Parents Jack is summoned to New York for a tryout in a new arrives on the cantor and with fine presents and Papa, hurries hor hardly recognizes him. prayer shawl you _ brought show. He ’s birthday for Mama me. Mama “So stylish and handsome you look, Jakie. Ah, Papa will be pleased to see the for him!” Jack goes to the piano and in the same room where his voice was trained to sing “Kol and “Eli Eli,” he sings Nidre” a synco pated mammy song. “Stop! Defile not this house with your low songs!” The cantor is at the door, stern and terrible. Mama forward pleadingly. “Look, Papa, it’s your birthday. Our Jakie does shawl he not forget. A prayer brought for you, the best can buy!” steps money Jazz Singer Exiled The cantor is relentless. “I no son—go!” Co-Stars With Mary have Jack Robin leaves the home of He visits his youth once again. the theatre and finds that Mary ! . ‘vast audience that Jack sees as he is to be starred in the new show— and he is to be co-starred! faith in his talent has his greatest chance. won Jack want it you, a Rabin owitz, should <— pe ie : — M: W j sing Koi Nidre’ tonight. Quinn Martin in The World Sombre shadows flood the sick } | room. | An impressive triumph successful. The boy’s letter is not} ithe audience applauded ecstatically . another victory for one of the Star Sings Sacred Song great personalities of the modern theatre. The entertainment at the Th St Se Warner is a great show.—Richard e gregatio 2e FINS to le ; ‘he < Tr} gather in the synagogue for their ey Se ee eee + rene. Day of Atonement. Uptown, at) [f enthusiasm is any barometer _ a . — crowd Walts | indicating the black-faced — star’s or tne curtain to rise On an @VE€N-|ayjeepecc = ; P ic < ing’s entertainment. Bejeweled i ——— oe women, men in faultless evening : z -_" , attire, converse lightly on the Regina Cannon in The American. topics of the day. There is a hush —then an angry murmur—the| And Al did a lot last night. He manager has just announced that) began at 8 o’clock by tieing up the performance has been post-'traffie for an hour and a half in poned! front of the Warner Theatre. He Mary aid the producer speed to saw all the most influential of the synagogue Through the open Broadway turn into the blazing enee : ‘ : trance over which was an anwindows like a message from ar ~!nouncement of his picture covering — —_ bhing DP cinta A eed upper stories of the building. > > ~ 1eSSagve oT a : . 2 * ae } gang — laotes *c He heard his friends and all others ’ attles fate, singing the ; ser man” Wi0 DS —) '® ~'S who could get into the theatre in sorrow of life. Mary’s face ligh ae “ae ovations, greater perhaps’ than up, her heart is nappy, sne Knows F P even he had ever before’ been he will come to her soon, given. He heard them whistle and sscSoclaaatiaii acca iaeaceamaaamaiaie shriek their applause, and he saw | Lielite>—Sies ‘ehts! tears sparkling on the eyelids of > as most of the women in the audience when the lights finally went on.— ae pa es dena dy , oe an . A year later Broadway ny Hettie Cattell in The Mirror. | nighters are packing the Winte ae | ‘ m4 a rr “* . Garden. — Jack Robin is opening “The Jazz Singer” is a welcome Mary’s | ’ “The Jazz Singer!” In the first addition to the galaxy of worthwhile film specials now showing on Broadway. It is an exceed; 2 ingly worthy effort—George GerIsn’t her son, Jakie, the idol 0° hard in The Evening World. millions. On the stage Jack Robin See oor row sits Mama Rabinowitz, Yudelson beside her. Mama is all smiles isings to an enchanted audience, The star gives a performance “I'd walk a million miles for one of ,worthy of his reputation. He your smiles, my Mammy.” Just in-| Drought the audience to cheers.— side the wings Mary watches with Eileen Creelman in Evening Sun. shining eyes. Mama, too, smiles oa happily. She is the only one in the The audience wildly greeted the film which will undoubtedly be a sings again to wild applause, “J’d SUCceSS and have a healthy run on age age FUG Sppyease, the road as well as at the Warner walk a million miles for one of her -Theatre—Betty Colfax in The smiles, my Mammy!” * Graphic. It is marvelous, compelling and superbly Winter Gardenish.—Donald Thompson in Evening Telegram, Mr. Jolson’s efforts were received with rousing applause. It was a happy idea to persuade him to play the leading role for few men would have approached the task as he does in this photoplay. All that disappointed the people in the packed theatre seemed to be the fact that they could not call upon him or his image at least for an encore.—F., Mordaunt Hall in The Times. re Daenicatetiedieteiiananetenantaemasedtictteeteedeceto eat ieee eee “T’d walk a million miles for one of your smiles— my Mammy!” MELE ALE er ras ia “The Jazz Singer” 4A Warner Bros Production Production No. 3—Cut or Mat