Al Jolson was the biggest star in America, a Jewish immigrant who left the synagogue behind to conquer Broadway and Hollywood. Jonathan Schwab guides Yael Steiner through his journey from cantor’s son to star of The Jazz Singer, the 1927 film that made synchronized sound a sensation and told a deeply Jewish story to all of America. Trading film history along the way, Yael and Schwab unpack assimilation, blackface, race, and how Jewish immigrants didn’t just work in Hollywood, they built it.
Tune in next week for part 2 on Sammy Davis Jr.
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Credit: The Jazz Singer Singer Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures Release date October6,1927.
Clip from The Jazz Singer starring Al Jolson:
https://youtu.be/mTufuWn3jv8?si=PE35erbhfZsqnqAH
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