Remembered now as the source for the first feature-length sound motion picture starring Al Jolson in 1927, Samson Raphaelson's The Jazz Singer became a popular stage hit a few years before the film. The original Broadway production, which opened at the Fulton Theatre on 14 September 1925, featured singer-comedian George Jessel in a rare dramatic turn as Jack Robin, son of a devout cantor, who wishes to break with tradition and sing in popular theatres. Jack runs away from home and climbs the ladder of show business success, but yearns for connection with his family. When he is cast in a starring role in a Broadway musical revue, Jack must decide whether to open in the show or return home to replace his dying father as cantor on the Day of Atonement. The play, which ran for 303 performances (followed in 1927 by a brief revival, again with Jessel in the lead), was reportedly based on Jolson's life, but Raphaelson took pains to reject this rumor. However, when Jolson appeared in the film, The Jazz Singer became indelibly linked with him. Subsequent screen versions (1953, 1980) fell short of the original that is credited with ushering in the era of sound movies.
See also motion picture.
The Historical Dictionary of the American Theater. James Fisher.