The jazz singer (1946)

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Movie
German title The jazz singer
Original title The Jolson Story
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1946
length 104 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Alfred E. Green
script Stephen Longstreet
production Sidney Skolsky
music Morris Stoloff
camera Joseph Walker
cut William A. Lyon
occupation

The jazz singer (original title: The Jolson Story ) is an American film biography by director Alfred E. Green from 1946. The film tells the life of the Jewish-American jazz singer Al Jolson (1886-1950). The German premiere was on June 7, 1957.

action

In his stage show, the entertainer Steve Martin asks the audience to sing along to a song. But only one of the audience sings along, a boy named Asa Yolson. Martin is thrilled with Asa's voice and tries to get him on his show. Asa is Jewish and should be in the synagogue. Martin's visit to the rabbi does not help, the rabbi forbids Asa to appear in a show. The boy then runs away to Baltimore. In a home, a priest helps him find Steve Martin. He gets in touch with Asa's parents. The parents agree after Asa told them he would continue to run away if he wasn't allowed to sing. After a few introductions, Asa and Steve have creative differences. When Asa's voice breaks, he wants to give up, but Steve convinces him that the new pitch would work. Asa is convinced and takes the stage name Al Jolson.

When Al replaces a drunken colleague, Tom Baron, entrepreneurs Hammerstein and Doxteter become aware of Al. Doxteter hires him for his play. At first Al is happy about it, but after a while he gets bored of just singing the same song over and over again. Doxteter tries variations, but Al is not satisfied. One evening Al missed his performance when he heard a jazz performance - the music he loved. Doxteter fires him, but Tom Baron invites him to sing his own pieces on his show. Al sings his most famous hit at Tom's: Mammy . Over time, Als appearances get better and better. He experiments with lighting effects and stage designs. Al finally goes on tour with his show. There he met the dancer Julie Benson. For Al, it's love at first sight. After the tour, the two get married. But Julie, unlike Al, wants to get out of show business.

One day when they want to celebrate their wedding anniversary at Als Eltern, his father asks him to sing something. Tom suggests going to a nightclub, but Al is afraid of being recognized. Nobody wants to know about it, however. It goes to a night club and Al is promptly recognized and asked to sing a number. Julie realizes that Al is only happy on the show stage and quietly leaves the room and Al's life.

background

Film editor William A. Lyon later received Oscar honors. He won the Oscar twice, in 1954 and 1956. Costume designer Jean Louis also won an Oscar in 1957. Production designer Stephen Goosson has already been awarded the Oscar for the project. He received his statue in 1938.

The film was by far the most successful at the US box office in 1946. In 1949 Harry Levin turned a sequel under the title Jolson Sings Again , again with Larry Parks and William Demarest. The first American sound film (original title: The Jazz Singer ) was made in 1927 under the German title Der Jazzsänger . Alan Crosland directed it at the time . Starring: Al Jolson.

Reviews

For the film-dienst , the film was "not very authentic as a biography, but entertaining as a film thanks to show elements and excellent jazz songs that are interpreted by Jolson himself using the playback method."

Awards

Academy Awards 1947

In 1947 the production won the Photoplay Award for Best Film.

literature

  • James Fisher: Al Jolson: A Bio-Bibliography. Greenwood, 1994, ISBN 0-313-28620-5 . (English)
  • Th. Teimel: The jazz singer. In: Illustrated film program. No. 300, Vienna 1949, p. 4.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The jazz singer. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed July 22, 2018 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used