The Jazz Singer is a 1980 American musical drama film directed by Richard Fleischer and produced by Jerry Leider. The film stars Neil Diamond (in his acting debut), Laurence Olivier and Lucie Arnaz, and tells the story of Yussel Rabinovitch, a young singer who is torn between tradition and pursuing his dreams as a pop singer. Based on the 1925 play of the same title by Samson Raphaelson, it is the fourth film adaptation, following the 1927 and the 1952 theatrical adaptions, and a 1959 television adaptation.
Developed as a starring vehicle for Diamond, who had undergone a revival of popularity in the late 1970s, the film was intended to be produced by Paramount and AFD, with Sidney J. Furie directing, and Deborah Raffin acting opposite Diamond. However, production was plagued with several delays in filming, the departures of Furie and Raffin, and numerous script rewrites.
The Jazz Singer was released by AFD on December 19, 1980, and was a critical and commercial disappointment. Critics panned the acting of Diamond and Olivier, while praising Arnaz's performance, the accompanying soundtrack and live musical performances in the film. The soundtrack eventually reached multi-platinum status, becoming Diamond's most successful album to date and one of the more successful film soundtrack albums in history.
Plot Yussel Rabinovitch is a young, fifth-generation Jewish cantor performing at the synagogue of his imperious father. Yussel is married to his childhood friend Rivka, and settled down to a life of religious devotion to the teaching of his faith.
On the side, Yussel writes songs for a black singing group, and when Teddy, a member of the quartet is arrested, Yussel covers for him at one of their gigs by wearing blackface. The nightclub engagement is a success, but one of the patrons notices that Yussel's hands are white and speaks out. A fight ensues, and the band is arrested. Yussel's father comes to the jail to bail them out and discovers there is not a Yussel Rabinovitch there, but a Jess Robin. His father questions him about the name, and Yussel confesses that it is a stage name he uses when performing. His father tells him that his singing voice was to be used for God's purposes, not his own.
Bubba, a member of the Four Brothers singing group, is Yussel's best friend, although he knows him only as Jess. Bubba informs him that the band has a gig in Los Angeles, performing back-up vocals for successful singer Keith Lennox. Shortly after Bubba leaves, Yussel begins composing a song that will eventually become "Love on the Rocks". Rivka notices him writing the song in his free time and senses that Yussel yearns for a bigger stage for his voice, but her values keep her grounded to the life they have built.
Bubba calls from Los Angeles to inform Jess that Lennox heard and loved "Love on the Rocks" and wants to record it, but they need Jess to come for two weeks to oversee the recording session. Jess views this as the opportunity he has been waiting for, but Rivka and his father are opposed to his going. Later at his father's 25th anniversary party as shul cantor, his father relents and tearfully releases him.
When Jess arrives in Los Angeles, he is picked up by music agent Molly Bell. She takes him to the studio where Lennox is recording, and Jess is shocked to find that his ballad is now being recorded as a hard rock song. During a break in recording, Jess asks the producer and Lennox if he can perform the song as a ballad as he intended, so Lennox can get an idea of the song's framing. They allow him to do so, and while recording the song, Molly decides that Jess' performance is the way the song should be done. However, Lennox is not convinced and fires not only Jess but Bubba and his group.
Later, Molly gets a tip from a friend as to where Eddie Gibbs, a booking agent, is having lunch. She gets into his car, uninvited, and has him listen to Jess's recording of "Love on the Rocks". When Gibbs asks her who it is, Molly tells him that it is the new opening act for Zany Grey's television special. Gibbs is impressed, but says he can't book anyone from just a tape recording and unceremoniously tosses her from his car. However, Molly manages to arrange for Gibbs to visit a club where Jess is playing, thanks to Bubba, who is working there as a waiter. His live performance convinces Gibbs to book Jess as an opening act for the television special.
Meanwhile, back in New York, Cantor Rabinovitch reminds Rivka that her place is by her husband's side. He pressures her to go to California and attempt to bring him home. Rivka arrives on Jess's opening night, and tells Molly that Jess needs to return home. The audience gives Jess a standing ovation, and he heads backstage and is reunited with Rivka. At the after-party, Jess is met by an enthusiastic crowd and given a recording contract. Jess asks Rivka to stay, but she says she wants something different. Realizing she has lost him, she returns home.
Days later, Jess meets Molly by the pier and confesses his love for her, telling her he and Rivka have separated. As time passes, the two grow close to each other, and Jess's career success continues. His father visits, attempting to persuade him to come home, but Jess refuses, insisting he is making a name for himself with his music career. Jess reveals that he and Rivka are divorcing, which devastates his father. To make matters worse, Molly suddenly arrives. Jess attempts to explain the matter to his father, but to no avail, and he angrily disowns his son and leaves weeping.
Heartbroken, Jess struggles at his recording sessions, taking out his anger on his bandmates, until he storms out of a recording session and drives away aimlessly. When his car runs out of gas on the highway, he hitchhikes and lives the life of a drifter for a few months. However, he eventually returns home to Molly when Bubba finds him and tells him she has given birth to his son, Chaim. Molly once again meets Gibbs in his car and persuades him to allow Jess to perform on Grey's television special.
At rehearsal, the day before Yom Kippur, Jess learns that his father is in hospital with high blood pressure and won't be able to sing Kol Nidre at the synagogue. Jess is initially reluctant to go, vowing that he is dead to his father, but Molly insists that he go or else she will feel guilty about being the cause of the estrangement. Jess ultimately agrees and returns to sing at the synagogue. He attempts to make amends with his father, who refuses to speak to Jess until learning he now has a grandson, at which point his father finally breaks down and the two finally reconcile. The final scene depicts Jess performing "America", with his enthusiastic father and Molly in attendance.
Cast
Production Development The idea for another adaptation of The Jazz Singer came from producer Jerry Leider, who saw Neil Diamond on a 1977 television special Love at the Greek. Leider believed that Diamond could have the same crossover appeal as fellow singers Elvis Presley and Barbra Streisand, the latter of whom had recently starred in the successful remake of A Star Is Born. Encouraged by the success of A Star Is Born, Leider decided to remake The Jazz Singer. However, an entire year would have to pass before rights to the remake could be figured out, as both Warner Bros. and United Artists claimed ownership.
In the fall of 1977, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer put the remake in development, with principal photography planned to begin in the fall of 1978. Jerry Kass wrote a treatment and Stephen Foreman did the first draft.Caulfield & Taylor p 31 However, in September 1978, the studio dropped the remake, over "executives being anxious about the movie being 'too Jewish'", according to writer Stephen H. Foreman. The project was picked up by EMI Films and Paramount as a partnership. When Paramount dropped out, EMI decided to proceed alone.
Sidney J. Furie signed on to direct in December 1978. He said “I loved the Neil Diamond idea when they pitched it to me. I also felt a personal connection to the material, because of my own background, and because I had had a lot of fun doing Lady Sings the Blues with Diana, who was also a novice."Kremer p 259-260 Furie requested Foreman do extensive rewrites. When Foreman left to work on another project, Herbert Baker was brought on to work on the script. Arthur Laurents was bought in to do a polish.
In early 1979, Diamond underwent back surgery, and invoked a clause in his contract that allowed him to finish the original music before filming began. During this time, the studio and Leider did consider replacing Diamond with Barry Manilow, though ultimately decided against it. Meanwhile, Jacqueline Bisset was approached for the lead female role Molly Bell, but asked for too much money. Furie initially wanted Lucie Arnaz, but she was appearing on Broadway in They're Playing Our Song; Deborah Raffin was cast instead after Furie saw her in the television film Willa. The script was changed to accommodate Raffin. Sir Laurence Olivier was cast as Cantor Rabinovitch, for a $1 million, ten-week contract.
In July 1979 Barry Spikings of EMI announced that the film was on his studio's slate for the year which would also include The Awakening, The Story of Maria Callas, Discoland (later retitled Can't Stop the Music), and Honky Tonk Freeway. It was part of a deliberate decision by EMI to make more consciously American films. However unlike in previous years, EMI would use a British distributor, Associated Film Distribution. Michael Deeley, then head of production of EMI Films, said The Jazz Singer was " a project much favoured by" Bernard Delfont, head of EMI.
Shooting Filming was finally able to commence on January 7, 1980, though problems immediately started again. Diamond — who was making his acting debut — struggled in his transition from performing to acting. Furie attempted to relax Diamond by using improvisation which had worked with Diana Ross on Lady Sings the Blues but this method did not work with Diamond. EMI also were unhappy at Furie's technique of using multiple cameras.Kremer p 261
"I really think that Neil was just a regular guy scared to death to be acting in his first film," said Arnaz.Kremer p 262 Raffin decided to leave the project. She was paid $225,000 and was replaced by Arnaz. The location had to shift to New York because Arnaz was appearing in They're Playing Our Song on Broadway.Caulfield & Taylor p 332
The producer fired Furie on March 3. Furie said “They had to fire me. They had to bring in a new director and issue a new edict to Neil, like 'Here it is! Were not standing for this shit anymore.' I was relieved to be off that picture because I was not able to function as a film director. I didn't want to have to do six camera crews because this guy wouldn't show up. They paid me off and that was it?"Kremer p 262-263 "We could not come to agreement on certain concepts for the second half of the film," said Leider.Caulfield & Taylor p 32
Richard Fleischer Michael Apted was offered the job of director but turned it down. The job was then offered to Richard Fleischer, who had taken over directing on the films The Last Run and Ashanti. Fleischer was attracted by the thought of working with Diamond and Olivier and accepted.Fleischer p 296 Fleischer watched the footage and described it as "a basket case" with every scene having been shot by multiple cameras, the script being constantly rewritten, Olivier overacting and Diamond underacting.Fleischer p 297 Fleischer started filming within two weeks of Furie's dismissal, on 17 March, later writing " I felt reasonably sure that I could salvage it and make myself something of a hero in the bargain. Leider later called it "the greatest rescue operation since Entebbe."Fleischer p 298