The Jazz Singer (1980)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Samson Raphaelson (play)
Herbert Baker (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 December 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

His story will make you cry. His music will make you sing. His triumph will make you cheer.

Plot:

The son of a Jewish Cantor must defy his father in order to pursue his dream of being a pop singer.

Plot Keywords:

Jewish | Pop Singer | Singer | Star | Pop Music

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Neil Diamond	...	Jess Robin
Laurence Olivier	...	Cantor Rabinovitch
Lucie Arnaz	...	Molly Bell
Catlin Adams	...	Rivka Rabinovitch
Franklyn Ajaye	...	Bubba
Paul Nicholas	...	Keith Lennox
Sully Boyar	...	Eddie Gibbs
Mike Kellin	...	Leo
James Booth	...	Paul Rossini
Luther Waters	...	Teddy
Oren Waters	...	Mel
Rod Gist	...	Timmy
Walter Janovitz	...	Rabbi Birnbaum (as Walter Janowitz)
Janet Brandt	...	Aunt Tillie
John Witherspoon	...	M.C. Cinderella Club

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | DTS-ES (DVD version) | Dolby Digital EX (DVD version) | 70 mm 6-Track

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Australia:G | USA:PG (#25818) | Finland:S | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

EMI Films

Trivia:

This film is listed among The 100 Worst Movies Ever Made in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book THE OFFICIAL RAZZIE® MOVIE GUIDE.

Goofs:

Continuity: Jess sings to an audience in California in the middle of the movie. At the end of the movie he is singing to an audience in New York (it is assumed from the progression of the film) and it is quite obviously the same audience and venue. A number of audience members are present in both scenes. There is a woman with glasses wearing a vest and white shirt, a man in the middle of the audience with a checked cap, and a large man having a great time down front clapping very excitedly.

Quotes:

Yussel Rabinovitch: You overlook the beach
Molly Bell: Sometimes the rent

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Simpsons: Like Father, Like Clown (#3.6)" (1991)

Soundtrack:

Kol Nidre

A microcosm of a man in turmoil, facing a difficult choice...

Between his duties and responsibilities, and his dreams and love. For those who want to pick the movie apart, without looking inside the story it tells, skip this comment.

Given the choice between one's responsibility to family, parents, religion, tradition, and duty, or choosing love, dreams, goals, and the pursuit of happiness through following our heart, which choice would we make?

The movie tells a story of strength through failure, of living versus wasting away in a life spent pleasing others, and of giving our heart and our dreams sway over the path we take in life.