The Jazz Singer (1927)

 Alan Crosland's "The Jazz Singer"

Before 1927, there are only a handful on instances in which sound appeared in moving pictures. Films were completely silent, since the process of capturing light on celluloid to make films did not involve capturing sound, as well. Typically, music accompanied most films through an orchestra or piano player present at the film screening. The only instances of a filmmaker experimenting with additional sound were short subject pieces that were created specifically for the purposes of experimenting with sound. The only feature length film to experiment with sound before 1927 was D.W. Griffith's "Dream Street," which was shown in New York in 1921 using a sound-on-disc system called Photokinema. This film had a single singing sequence with crowd noises. It did not, however, contain any dialogue sequences. It wasn't until 1927's "The Jazz Singer" that a full-length feature film would debut not only audible singing sequences, but audible dialogue, as well.

"The Jazz Singer" stars Al Jolson as Jackie Rabinowitz, the son of a Jewish cantor. He defies the traditions of his Jewish heritage by taking up a career as a jazz singer, performing in black-face. He must eventually choose between his Jewish roots and perform in his ill father's stead, or be the American entertainer he desperately wants to be.

The thematic root of the film stems from this dual identity that Jackie deals with. Despite the controversy surrounding the use of black-face in the film, it is one of the only thematically relevant uses of black-face in film history. Although it is an abhorrent practice throughout history, and even so in "The Jazz Singer," its use in the film derives from the confliction between Jackie's Jewish heritage and his attraction to American culture, and more specifically, black culture which comprises the foundation of American culture. In the early 20th century, most Jewish communities were immigrants in the United States, either legally or generationally. The assimilation of Jews into American culture was a major point of contention in most Jewish communities. If one fully assimilates into a foreign culture, what sense of identity do you have left? This is the major tension of the film, and is visually represented by Jackie covering his face with black paint to visually demonstrate the tension happening in his identity. The film makes a point to reach a compromise the two identities. While Jackie does go and fill in for his father on the Day of Atonement, his talent for jazz singing is celebrated in the scene in which his mother goes and sees him. 

The origins of the story derive from Al Jolson himself. On April 25, 1917, University of Illinois undergraduate Samuel Raphaelson attended a performance of "Robinson Crusoe, Jr." starring a thirty year old Jolson. A Jewish Jolson performed in blackface, and impressed Raphaelson in his ability to perform with utter emotionality. Raphaelson went on to write a piece of literature called "The Day of Atonement," which was based on Jolson's actual life. The story was eventually adapted to a stage play called "The Jazz Singer," which starred George Jessel. When it was decided by Warner Brothers to adapt the play into a feature length film, the contract with Jessel fell through. Al Jolson was eventually cast in the lead role, bringing a full circle to the original inspiration of the story.

It was decided by Warner Brothers that "The Jazz Singer" would be an attempt at a full length feature film that contained sound. Perhaps this ambitious effort was due to the company's poor finances, as the first ever sound film would certainly be a sure-fire hit. Harry Warner, the eldest Warner brother, even sold $4 million of his personal stock in the company to keep it solvent. Warner Brothers had used sound technology before, for two films released in 1926, "Don Juan" and "The Better Ole". Although the films were dialogue-less, the Vitaphone used in the film allowed them to play audible music for the films. "The Jazz Singer" also contained a synchronized instrumental and sound effects, but went a step further with synchronized singing and (sparse) dialogue. The first sung dialogue in film was when Jackie sings "Dirty Hands, Dirty Face" and subsequently, the first spoken dialogue in film history is when, after the song, Jackie exclaims, "Wait a minute, wait a minute - you ain't heard nothing yet!" It was at this moment that sound pictures were born. 

The first ever feature length sound-included film needed to be a major hit. It was made especially difficult by the difficulty in presenting the film with its synchronized sound discs. There were fifteen visual reels that needed to align with fifteen sound discs. The theater projectionist had to be able to thread the thread the film and cue the Vitaphone records incredibly quickly. Because the studio had so much riding financially on the film, the world premiere of the film had to make a considerable impact on the audience. Because of this, as well as the difficulty in presenting the film, the slightest human error by the projectionist could have cost the entire studio financial ruin. The film was screened for the first time in New York on October 6, 1927. None of the four Warner brothers could attend, as they were attending the funeral of one of the brothers, Sam, who died a day before of pneumonia. At the premier, the surprise and awe of the spectators were palpable. According to those who attended the premier, the crowd erupted when Jolson sings and speaks for the first time. Later in the film, when Jackie begins to speak to his mother (in audible dialogue), the crowd became hysterical. No one had ever seen moving images begin to speak and "The Jazz Singer" changed cinema (and culture) forever.

Something magical happens in the film and in culture when sound-less film begins to speak. Switching for the objective to the subjectivity of the writer of this blog, I was completely uncertain of what to expect coming from the introduction of dialogue. After all, living in contemporary times, all the movie that I (or anybody) watches are mostly sound films. It is difficulty to have the same perspective that awed audiences had when the film first premiered. For this reason, when Jolson switches from singing to speaking "wait a minute, wait a minute..," it doesn't have too much of an affect, as the dialogue almost appears as a part of the singing in a way. However, later in the film, when Jackie begins speaking to his mother, something changes. Nothing in the visuals actually changes, however, it feels like it somehow does. Having seen over a hundred silent films myself, they seem cemented in my mind with an acute visual style - something very expressive in body language and acting, as well as some sort of removal of reality. When watching a silent film, it almost seems like you're not watching realty or anything grounded in realism. Instead, it seems as though you are observing a work of art. This all changes when Jackie begins speaking to his mother. The feeling of the visual images somehow changes. I went from watching an objective piece of art to something far more grounded in realty. I went from watching a visual performance to watching human beings talking to each other. And for some strange reason, my perspective on the images changes. Because of this, the scenes feel almost out of place - as if I'm watching a different film when they show up. It is a bit strange to describe, but I felt a dramatic change in the viewing experience. I felt something magical had happened right before my eyes. I felt a change in what I was witnessing.

Because Warner Brothers were banking on "The Jazz Singer" being a major success with its newfound technologies, the film was the very first film to implement a 'percentage-of-gross' contract, rather than a typical flat rental fee. The 'percentage-of-gross' element of the rental contract meant that theaters were allowed to keep a percentage of the profits if the film went over its standard two week theatrical window. This gave theaters a greater incentive to keep the film in theaters for as long as possible, which benefitted both them and the studio. This new contract arrangement would eventually become the standard for theater contracts for films. 

On top of all the massive changes that "The Jazz Singer" brought to the film industry, there was one aspect of its release that no one saw coming. Because the film introduced sound to pictures, the stage and theater industry took a major step back. The stage play of "The Jazz Singer" was in its third season touring when the film version was released. Because audiences could go see a sound-filled theatrical experience of the same story for only 50 cents, they stopped showing up to the $3.00 stage show. Because of this, sound films dramatically hurt the theater industry forever. 

"The Jazz Singer" will forever be a film that changed everything. Not only did it introduce sound pictures to the world, it changed theater contracts forever, as well as change other industries. Its use of blackface is as memorable as its introduction of sound, as well. Despite its flaws, its remembered as one of the most significant pieces of film ever produced. Al Jolson's character was right when he started sound pictures with "you ain't seen nothing yet." Because "The Jazz Singer" was only the beginning.