A young Jewish man is torn between tradition and individuality when his old-fashioned family objects to his career as a jazz singer. This is the first full length feature film to use synchronized sound, and is the original film musical.
Directed by Alan Crosland
new york city
dancer
parent child relationship
san francisco, california
jewish ghetto
generations conflict
jewish life
black and white
blackface
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Where to Watch
Cast
Al Jolson
Jakie Rabinowitz
May McAvoy
Mary Dale
Warner Oland
Cantor Rabinowitz
Eugenie Besserer
Sara Rabinowitz
Otto Lederer
Moisha Yudelson
Robert Gordon
Young Jakie Rabinowitz
Richard Tucker
Harry Lee
William Demarest
Buster Billings (uncredited)
John Miljan
Host (uncredited)
Roscoe Karns
Agent (uncredited)
Anders Randolf
Dillings (uncredited)
Walter Rodgers
Make-Up Man (uncredited)
Crew
Alan Crosland
Director
Samson Raphaelson
Theatre Play
Popular Reviews
123 reviews
Lia Markin
9.4★ · 11/11/25
1
ChrisPRO
3.0★ · 07/11/26
Watched it just to say I did. It’s like going to Bourbon Street. You don’t want to be there but you have to. I didn’t want to watch this but I had to in order to consider myself a “film buff”. It’s boring as hell. I want my Kanopy credits back.
Watched it just to say I did. It’s like going to Bourbon Street. You don’t want to be there but you have to. I didn’t want to watch this but I had to in order to consider myself a “film buff”. It’s boring as hell. I want my Kanopy credits back.
Carly Gravley
2.0★ · 04/27/26
Bad!!!!!
Also, this was not the first talkie or even a proper talkie at all. Its place in film history is wildly overblown.
Rewatched to pull clips for a video on why it gets to steal talking valor the way it does:
