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Generally considered the first sound feature, this 1927 film is pretty much silent except for a few lines of dialogue and Al Jolson's songs. The story finds Jolson playing the son of a cantor who wants him to follow in his footsteps, but the singer prefers secular music. Except for its historical value, the film isn't all that interesting, though it is great to get a sense of why people considered Jolson to be a hugely exciting entertainer at the time. --Tom Keogh
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow! This box set gives you hours of fascinating viewing,
By
This review is from: Jazz Singer (DVD)
This is the best box set I have ever seen. There are hours of absorbing viewing. The Jazz singer is fully restored with wonderful sound. The extras are what make the set worthwhile. The second disk has an excellent documentary about the coming of sound and the third disk has dozens of long thought lost vitaphone shorts. The first think I played were the technicolor fragments from the long lost movie called "Gold Digger's of Broadway". I watched this set for about four hours and didn't realize the time had flown by. If you have any interest in this era, this is the set for you.
Also, before you dismiss the movie because of the view that black face was done for racist reasons,listen to the commentary as you watch the film. It is important to take a step back in time when watching old films. Jolson and Cantor for that matter, wore black face, because it was traditional, but really felt they were honoring black entertainers rather than in any way mocking them. Except for the make-up, Jolson, does not in any way imitate or mock black people. It is pointed out that the great black entertainer from this era also wore blackface and did so so he could highlight his face to be seen from the balcony. It is suggested that Jolson's character doesn't feel he is free to appear in his own ethnic guise, and be accepted, so he chooses the more acceptable guise of a black entertainer. Check out the many more reviews of this set found on Amazon. COM I just found this on the internet: "Next we get Gold Diggers of Broadway Excerpts. The 15-second and 43-second area offers two segments of this lost early talkie. We get Tiptoe Through the Tulips and Finale. Or were supposed to see those. If you activate Tip Toe, youll see Finale, and if you select Finale, youll find a ballet clip from The Rogue Song. Warner Bros. will correct this on future pressings and replace your copy if you get the wrong one."
4.0 out of 5 stars
Highly moving film,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Jazz Singer (VHS Tape)
What lady watching could keep a dry eye at the end when Jack Robin sings Mammy with his own mother proudly watching in the audience? Absolutely moving. The film was not the first part talkie to come outa Hollywood but it was the most successful. And the story rather closely parallels Jolson's real life family story. He was the son of a cantor, the two were originally from Lithuania and Jolson ran away from his dad when he was just a boy.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting but uneven,
By The Movie Critic (Australia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Jazz Singer (VHS Tape)
"The Jazz Singer" will forever be remembered as being the first Hollywood movie to make the transition from the silent era. However, if not for its label as the first talking picture, "The Jazz Singer" would have been long forgotten and would not have earned a place in the AFI's top 100 movies list. The first 20 minutes or so of "The Jazz Singer" has 'classic status' written all over it. It is very good and if the remainder of the movie continued the same way, the film would merit at least 4 1/2 stars. However, the film soon dips down and never quite regains itself. It loses its direction, the dialogue continually becomes more amateurish and at times it's an effort to watch. The story is of Jakie Rabinowitz, a young Jewish man who wants to break away from following his family's traditions and pursue a career as an entertainer, much to the disapproval of his father. Many will find the story to be cliched and over used. However, given the films age, this aspect can be overlooked. But either way, the film ultimately doesn't stand the test of time and must be watched from a historical viewpoint. Talking pictures had just started and this was uncharted territory. Some of the actors seem uncomfortable with the transition and it shows sometimes on screen. That being said, "The Jazz Singer" is something that is only sought after by critics and movie buffs. It's worth a look but the average moviegoer will find it an ordeal to watch.
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