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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 554

The Jazz Singer

192789 minUnited States
DramaMusical
Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
English
This copy runs
88:56
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Alfred A. Cohn (1880–1951), Alan Crosland (1894–1936), Samson Raphaelson (1894–1983), Louis Silvers (1889–1954); The Jazz Singer ( Blu-ray ) Warner Home Video · Public domain

Synopsis

A cantor expects his son to continue the family's religious musical tradition, but the boy dreams of popular entertainment. Years after leaving home, the singer approaches a major stage opportunity under an Americanised name. His father's illness forces him to choose between opening-night ambition and the duty that first drove them apart.

Cast

DirectorsAlan Crosland

Historical context

The film's synchronised singing and brief spoken passages helped accelerate Hollywood's move to sound features. Al Jolson's use of blackface is also central to its history, connecting the narrative of assimilation to a racist entertainment tradition rather than an uncomplicated story of technological progress.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film referenceDuke Center for the Study of the Public Domain — US term reference

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 13, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

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