Week 1. The Jazz Singer (1927)

4 STARS - REEEALLY GOOD!!


“The singing was O.K.  I got bored in the middle.” --Kayla

The Film:  Famous as the first “talkie,“ this film bridges silent and sound eras with the story of Jakie Rabinowitz, a Jewish boy determined to pursue his dream to sing jazz.  As cantor of the synagogue his father has dreams of his own--that son would follow father in the sacred calling.   He is outraged to learn Jakie has been singing the profane music in a neighborhood saloon and administers a stern beating.  But the boy flees home and his father disowns him.  Years later he is now a show biz veteran (played by Al Jolson) on the verge of his big break.  But once again finds himself torn between family traditions and the siren song of modern America.

The Society:   As our first film--and the only choice on the New York Times’ list for 1927 (no selections are made for 1928-29)--we didn’t do too bad.  The girls got a taste of both the silent and sound eras, and gained a glimpse into Judaism, an important influence on Western culture.  The film also gave us a chance to talk about racism and prejudice, not only against Jews, but also African-Americans. 

            Most importantly, though, they actually got into it!  During the climactic final scenes, little Syd, age 9, cried out, desperately, “No! Don’t die!  Don’t die!” 

Perhaps it all stirred up too painful memories.  When her grandmother died two years ago, Sydney's little heart grieved deeply.  But importantly, she connected to this 83-year-old movie despite having to wade through numerous title cards with her 4^th-grade reading skills.  That speaks volumes for it’s timeless power. 

And the difference between today's leading edge, special effects blockbusters and the low tech of the Twenties was not lost on Mackenzie, age 15.  To think—“The Jazz Singer” was the “Avatar” of 1927!  Now when it comes up in history class, they can say--hey, I saw that! 

The Family Vote:  [Spoiler Alert]

Syd - 4 Stars - It’s sad that his dad dies, but it’s good he died happily.

Kayla - 4 Stars - It wasn’t very fun having to read the signs.  They left out a lot of speech and talking.  The singing was O.K.  I got bored in the middle.

Kenz - 3 Stars - Well, I kinda liked it, but the plot was a little boring.

Stacy - 5 Stars - I was amazed about how much back then even, people were trying to address prejudice in subtle ways.  The social worker in me loved that!!

Ladd - 4 Stars - Interesting to finally see this historic movie that I’ve heard so much about all my life.  Now I know what all the talk was about!  And we truly feel the jazz singer’s deep anguish in this movie’s most poignant moments.

That’s What Dad Says:  We had little idea what to expect with this first film.  I remember reading about it in history books, and knew it was the first talking picture.  And I had a vague notion that a white actor in blackface played an African-American, so the film, though historic, was considered a flawed product of a racist era. 

            First surprise--for the most part the movie is NOT a “talkie.”  Most of the dialog still has to be read by the viewer from “title cards.”  Only a few lines of speech (but all of the songs) are actually heard.  It would be as if “The Wizard of Oz” were filmed partly in color and partly in--oh, never mind--you know what I mean!  One spoken line we hear is a famous one, “You ain’t heard nothin’ yet!”  It is repeated for good measure, clearly touting the promise of the new technology.

            Second surprise--the film is not about a black character played by a white actor, but it’s about a Jewish character played by a Jewish actor, Al Jolson, who himself broke ethnic barriers as the first identifiably Jewish entertainer in America.  While the use of blackface to depict African-American characters clearly has racist roots, “The Jazz Singer” does not appear to convey racism, but rather, respect for African-Americans and their music.  Also, the movie alludes to prejudice against Jews and promotes tolerance towards them.  Jolson, himself, had a long history of promoting African-American music to white audiences and working for racial tolerance, especially in show business.

            Finally, the use of blackface serves an important thematic role in the movie.  When his mother goes to see him backstage and he is in blackface, she looks at first uncertain of who he is.  This speaks to the theme of how we are free to dramatically change who we are in this modern, individualistic society—for better or for worse.  --Ladd

Thanks for Dinner, Mom!

Theme - Jewish

 

Artichokes with Hollandaise sauce (Thank-you, Julia Childs)

Bagels with cream cheese

Hummus

Olives

Falafel

Milkshakes (not because they’re Jewish, but because we bought a new smoothie maker that day)