The Jazz Singer

The Jazz Singer was released in 1927. The film tells the story of a young man (Jacob, played by Al Jolson) whose father wants him to follow in his footsteps and become a cantor. However, Jacob would much rather be a jazz singer. The two become estranged, and Jacob (later “Jack”) becomes a popular entertainer. On his father’s deathbed he returns to sing the Kol Nidre prayer from Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Jazz Singer is considered the first “sound” film: the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music score and, in select sequences,  lip-synchronous singing and speech.