Hollywood 1927: The Jazz Singer

The film that marked the end of Silent Cinema

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, you haven't heard anything yet!" This was the first phrase ever heard in a feature film. This is the film "The Jazz Singer", shot in Hollywood in 1927, and its protagonist, Al Jolson, was the first person to speak on the big screen, saying these "prophetic" words.

The film was shot with the Vitaphon system, which was the culmination of a series of inventions by Thomas Edison. From the kinetoscope and the phonograph of the inventor was born the kinetofron and then the gramophone, which accompanied the image in the projections, but depended on the speed of the operator in order to have simultaneously on the cloth image and sound.

The Vitafon system finally managed to synchronize the media and thus the first talking film, "The Jazz Singer", was born, but not in its full range. It was mute by 90%, with mezzoths, and only by 10% with the sound synchronized. It was until then the most expensive film in the history of cinema. The following year, seven American Studios procured the new system. The era of Silent Cinema was coming to an end to dawn the time of the Speaker.

"The Jazz Singer" is an American, musical, dramatic film directed by Alan Crosland and starring Al Jolson. He "tells" the story of a singer, son of a Jew, in charge of a synagogue, who turns his back on his father and his religion, seeking music, fame, love... On October 6, 1927, "Jazz Singer" premiered at the Warner Theatre in New York And broke records at the box-office, establishing Warner Brothers as a major Hollywood Company after winning the primacy in the "revolution" of Omilod Cinema.

In 1977, Hollywood celebrated the 50 years of the Talking Cinema, issuing anniversary stamps and first-time envelopes depicting the poster and the protagonist of the film. In addition, "Jazz Singer" has been selected for preservation by the Congressional Film Archive as one of the most historic films.

The film was screened in Greece, in 1929 at the Cinema Attikon, in Athens, under the title, "The Jazz Singer" and in November 1930, at the Cinema Olympia, in Chania.