The Jazz Singer - 1555 Words

â€Å"The Jazz Singer† Before watching â€Å"The Jazz Singer†, I had no idea of its cultural or historical significance. I learned that it was the first motion picture to have synchronized dialogue and words. It set the precedent for cinematography, live voice recordings, and real-time dialogue. The film was based on a short story written only a few years prior. The story was called â€Å"The Day of Atonement† and was authored by Samson Raphaelson. The short story was then adapted into an onstage musical in 1925 before finally becoming a full length feature film in 1927. The film follows a young man by the name of Jakie Rabinowitz. He lives with his mother and father in the Jewish ghetto of the lower east side of Manhattan. Jakie is an only child†¦show more content†¦I don’t think we can necessarily say that Jakie opposes these Jewish values in essence, but perhaps he does because the tradition of his family is one that he is not particularly fond of. His father, grandfather, and great grandfather have all been Cantor’s at their local Synagogues. It’s easy to see a rebel in young Jakie. He is committed to his dream and he is looking for any way out of his current circumstance. Jakie has probably been whipped by his father before but now that Jakie has direction in his life, he takes advantage of the situation by fleeing from home and pursuing his dreams. Part of the appeal of â€Å"The Jazz Singer† is that it is difficult to see a progressive maturation of Jack Robin. Rather, we see an ambitious, sometimes blind performer whose â€Å"career comes before everything†. But then Jack is faced with a crossroads. He is to choose rather or not to finally step into the lime-light he has so longed for. Truthfully, I did not know how Jakie would choose. He had been scorned by his father time and time again and he had dedicated his whole life to jazz singing. But ultimately I was not surprised at the choice Jack made. He did it for his m other. Though not traditional by any means, there is a love story taking place in â€Å"The Jazz Singer†, and no it is not between Jack Rubin and Mary Dale. But rather between Jack and Sara, his mother. Sara takes on the role of the quintessential Jewish mother heartbroken by theShow MoreRelatedThe Jazz Singer851 Words   |  4 PagesThe Jazz Singer, released in 1927, is a black and white film that centers on a young man who wishes to conquer his dreams in becoming a professional jazz singer. This film, directed by Alan Crosland, demonstrates new developments from the decade of the 1920’s. During the decade, many new advances; such as the introduction of musicals and other technological advancements, were created. The Jazz Singer utilized these new advances of the decade and incorporated them into each scene. This is evidentRead MoreAnalysis Of The Jazz Singer2060 Words   |  9 PagesBlack shirt, black pants, black hair, blackface. The most provocative scene in the 1927 film, The Jazz Singer, takes places in the dressing room of Jack Robin as he prepares to take the stage for a dress rehearsal of his Broadway show. Jack Robin, formerly Jakie Rabinowitz, is at the height of his struggle with his identity: a white Jew longing to be with his people during the holiest night in his religion but instead preparing to assume the mask a black performer to execute his role in the minstrelRead MoreThe, R B And Jazz Singers1442 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"Rage to Survive, The Etta James Story† as told by Etta James, and written by David Ritz, is a biographical telling of the history of the soul singer who, through a series of crashes and comebacks, became one of the most famous blues, RB and jazz singers in history. Born in Los Angeles, California, Etta James, or as a young child known as Jamesetta Hawkins, was born January 25th, 1938 to Ms. Dorothy Hawkins who was just fourteen, and an absent father. 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Unfortunately, this sound film didn’ t last long because it was overshadowed by the sound on disc, later named the Vitaphone. The Vitaphone was developed by Western Electrics Bell Laboratories and quickly acquired by Warner Bros Company in AprilRead MoreHow Sound Developed Changed America During The 1920s Beginning With Silent Films 951 Words   |  4 Pagescould not afford the fees of these large performers. Warner Brothers tested the use of synchronised sound with a series of successful short films in 1926. Following this they released The Jazz Singer (1927), which was a pivotal moment for synchronised sound and was the first â€Å"part-talkie† film. The Jazz Singer used Vitaphone s sound-on-disc for musical numbers performed by American vaudeville star Al Jolson, these closely resembled vaudeville acts the audience would have been familiar with. TheRead MoreThe Jazz Singer : A Jewish American Story Essay1853 Words   |  8 PagesAt its core, The Jazz Singer is ostensibly a Jewish-American story. The central conflict is Jakie Rabinowitz’s heritage, family, and upbringing coming to a head with his chosen career and where his heart lies: performance in an American pop cultural milieu. A reading of the film suggests that although hybridity can be found between the old and the new; the traditional and the modern; they are fundamentally in conflict with each other and cannot co-exist in their established forms: one must supersedeRead MoreThe Golden Age of Hollywood566 Words   |  2 PagesMetro Golden Meyer (MGM), and 20th Century Fox. These five super-studios were not only the highest-grossing, but also produced over 90 percent of America’s films. 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