more » Nov 6, 2007
I even got to watch a restored version of the first talkie of The Jazz Singer with Al Jolson on a recent night. Anyway, on a recent night, I was watching an old picture when someone referred to someone who was dying of consumption. (Searcy Daily Citizen, AR)
The remarkable trial of Richard Wills Nov 2, 2007
To borrow from Al Jolson in the original version of The Jazz Singer, the first feature-length movie made with snatches of audible dialogue, "Wait a minute, wait a minute - you ain't heard nothin' yet, folks.". Rick Wills is that punishingly loquacious fellow with the coffin-shaped head who last month spent 11-plus days in the witness stand, theoretically testifying in his own defence. (Globe and Mail -- National)
The voice of Andrew Carnegie Oct 30, 2007
Credit for its rediscovery and its restoration goes to 59-year-old Queens, N.Y., sound artist Art Shifrin, who in the early 1980s found a copy of the Carnegie clip in the archives of the Swedish Radio Company in Stockholm and then the original cylinder sound roll in the Edison National Historic Site in West Orange, N.J. What his work showed was that as early as 1913, Mr. Edison had been experimenting with the phonograph and the motion picture (two of his inventions) to create films -- 14 years... (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
'You ain't heard nothin' yet!'Anniversary screening of early talking pic 'The Jazz Singer' at historic Loew's Oct 27, 2007
Anniversary screening of early talking pic 'The Jazz Singer' at historic Loew's ... Anniversary screening of early talking pic 'The Jazz Singer' at historic Loew's ... The Vitaphone sound-on-film process was used for motion pictures such as The Jazz Singer. (Union City Reporter, NJ)
Photo Gallery Oct 27, 2007
The Landmark Loews Jersey Theater in Jersey City on Nov. 10 will be holding an 80th anniversary screening of The Jazz Singer starring Al Jolson, seen in still from the movie performing for his mother (Eugenie Besserer) ... Now in its 80th anniversary year, people will have an opportunity to view "The Jazz Singer" in one of its few screenings on the East Coast before year's end, when it shows at the historic Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre in Jersey City on Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m. ... "The Jazz... (Jersey City Reporter, NJ)
The Jazz Singer Oct 21, 2007
The first full-length talkie is out on 3 disc DVD. Jolson sings again in the 80th anniversary edition of this seminal film. (Suite101.com)
A mighty message Oct 20, 2007
NEW THIS WEEK: Transformers n Grindhouse Presents: Planet Terror: Unrated n A Mighty Heart n The Invisible n The Jazz Singer (1927): Deluxe Edition. NEW LAST WEEK: Reign Over Me n 28 Weeks Later n Surf's Up n Evan Almighty. (Winnipeg Sun)
New on DVD: There's no 'Love' crazier than Riss and Pugach's Oct 19, 2007
By Mike Clark, USA TODAY The Jazz Singer 80th Anniversary Collector's Edition. 1/2 (out of four), 1927, Warner, unrated, $40. (USA Today -- Life)
'Transformers,' 'Planet Terror,' 'Mighty Heart' Oct 17, 2007
Among other extras are a new documentary on the transition from the silent era to sound pictures, commentary from film historians and Jolson's 1947 radio version of "The Jazz Singer." DVD set, $39. 92. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
On DVD: 'Transformers,' 'My Best Friend,' 'A Mighty Heart,' 'Hoax' Oct 17, 2007
80th anniversary edition of The Jazz Singer with Al Jolson the original talkie. The MGM Holiday Collection: A box holding The Bishop's Wife (1947), March of the Wooden Soldiers (1934) and Pocketful of Miracles (1961). (San Diego Union-Tribune)
New on DVD: Transformers, A Mighty Heart Oct 16, 2007
The Jazz SingerEighty years has flown by since Al Jolson told audiences, You aint heard nothing yet, ushering in the age of talking pictures ... Among other extras are a new documentary on the transition from the silent era to sound pictures, commentary from film historians and Jolsons 1947 radio version of The Jazz Singer. (MSNBC -- Movies)
Summer's 'Transformers' isn't transforming Oct 14, 2007
Movies: "Believers"; "The Company"; "Crazy Love"; "Havoc 2"; "Ice Spiders"; "The Invisible"; "The Jazz Singer"; "Jingle All the Way"; "Michael Moore Hates America"; "A Mighty Heart"; "Planet Terror"; "The Reaping"; "Return to House on Haunted Hill"; "Safe Harbour"; "The Trials of Darryl Hunt". Read Comments > | Share This Story. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
All That 'Jazz' Oct 14, 2007
Tuesday, the same studio releases a three-disc edition of "The Jazz Singer," the pioneering talkie that established Warners as a major Hollywood force. Starring Al Jolson as a young man who defies his father, a Jewish cantor, to become an entertainer, "The Jazz Singer" is a mostly silent drama ... Jolson's real life inspired the Broadway play on which"The Jazz Singer" was based, but he wasn't the Warners first, or even second, choice for the role. (New York Post -- Entertainment)
Click for Full Story Oct 6, 2007
Eighty years ago in 1927, talking motion pictures arrived with the opening of The Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson ... Today's Highlight in History:On October 6, 1927, the era of talking pictures arrived with the opening of "The Jazz Singer," a movie starring Al Jolson, which featured both silent and sound-synchronized scenes. (KWTX.com, TX)
Long-vacant Modern Theatre in Boston to house Suffolk University students Oct 4, 2007
The 1876 building, first used as a furniture store and turned into a "talkie" cinema just as Al Jolson brought sound to American movies in "The Jazz Singer" in 1928, is adjacent to 10 West St., which Suffolk also bought and is renovating for dorm space. "Doing the Modern will make West Street a more efficient building," Nucci said. (Boston Globe)
Talking twins, jazz, and heroes with Diana Krall Jul 12, 2007
The jazz singer, pianist, and wife of Elvis Costello gave birth to twin boys in December, and now she's back on the road, in a tour that lands at the Cape Cod Melody Tent tomorrow and the Bank of America Pavilion Saturday. The Berklee College of Music dropout is between albums right now -- her latest, "From This Moment On," came out last summer, and she has only just begun working on her next one -- so we decided to do what her publicist had politely asked us not to do: focus on her personal... (Boston Globe)
A jazz singer of many talents Jul 7, 2007
George Melly, the jazz singer who has died at the age of 80, was a man who lived his life outrageously. He wore fedoras and deafeningly loud wide-striped suits; his sexual appetite was prodigious and included gay partners in the days when same-sex relationships were still illegal as well as bisexual and heterosexual lovers and two marriages; his appetite for alcohol was equally voracious and would have felled most men far younger; yet his excesses merely served to underline his wit,... (Financial Times)
New Young Pony Club: Fantastic Playroom Jul 7, 2007
The jazz singer and author known as "Goodtime George" has died. We look back on his life in images. (Times Online)
Earthquake in Kent damages houses Jul 6, 2007
"My first thought was to grab on to the window sill but by that moment the tremors had started. Across Folkestone, the town worst hit, residents were baffled as to what was happening as their houses shook, plaster came down from the ceilings and ornaments fell from sideboards. Some thought their homes had been hit by a runaway vehicle, others that there had been an attack on the Channel tunnel. Paul Stanhope, 31, who lives in Pavilion Road with his girlfriend and two children, said: The bed was... (Yahoo News -- Earthquakes & Volcanoes)
George Melly, the last king of the swingers, dies Jul 6, 2007
George Melly, the jazz singer, raconteur and author, has died at the age of 80 ... " The deathbed advice that a young George Melly received from his wool-trader father was: "Do what you want - I never did". And he followed it with unique aplomb. When the jazz singer himself died yesterday, at the age of 80, he had left few stones unturned, few avenues unexplored. Indeed, his life had been as large and flamboyant as any of the trademark double-breasted suits that he habitually wore on stage. Best... (Daily Mail)
Postal workers to strike again next Thursday Jul 6, 2007
Allan Leighton now has the opportunity to avoid more strikes simply by returning to meaningful negotiations," Dave Ward, the union's Deputy General Secretary, said. If he is again dismissive of his employees, then there will be further strikes. Mr Ward claimed that more than 95% of Royal Mail s workforce took part in last Friday's strike, which he said showed the overwhelming support for the union s campaign, however Royal Mail said backing for the walkout had been "patchy" and that 60% of its... (Times Online)
Larry Doby: Proud to bat 2nd Jul 5, 2007
The Perfect Crime (1928): Second movie with dialogue, behind Al Jolson's The Jazz Singer. Clarence Duncan Chamberlin: Second, after Charles Lindbergh, to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. (AZCentral -- Sports)
Connick honoured at Montreal jazz festival Jul 3, 2007
The jazz singer and actor was given the Ella Fitzgerald award at this year's edition of the Montreal International Jazz Festival, which runs until July 8. Connick plays the Montreal festival today. (Edmonton Sun)
A Niche Strategy Now Under Stress Jun 6, 2007
Della Reese, the jazz singer and actress, seemed a natural choice to star in ads for Avandia, when Glaxo signed her on in 2004. Not only does Ms. Reese have broad appeal, known most recently for her role in the television series ;Touched by an Angel,; but she has Type 2 diabetes. (Shoals TimesDaily)
Walt Disney Academy Award Winner May 30, 2007
With the success of the mischievous Mickey Mouse in Plane Crazy and Gallopin' Gaucho in the late 1920s and the award of an Oscar in 1929 for The Jazz Singer, was firmly established as a successful sound motion picture pioneer. His success continued to grow throughout the 1930s. (Suite101.com)
Walt Disney the Early Days May 30, 2007
Following the success of The Jazz Singer in 1927 Disney realised the potential for sound motion pictures and quickly produced Steamboat Willie but the mischievous , introduced in 1928, took the world by storm. In Plane Crazy and Gallopin' Gaucho Disney himself provided the voice of Mickey. (Suite101.com)
Asian celebs dazzle on French shores May 18, 2007
Norah Jones, the jazz singer and star of My Blueberry Nights alongside Jude Law, is half Asian as her father is noted Indian musician Ravi Shanker. In the film, Norah plays a heartbroken New York girl, who goes on a cross-country trip after being ditched by her boyfriend. (Electric New Paper)
Things to do May 5, 2007
Karen Marguth1-4 p.m. Sunday / 2658 E. Alluvial Ave., (866) 246-7717After performing at the Rogue Festival, the jazz singer takes the stage backed by members from Stolen Thunder for the groundbreaking ceremony of Fresno Cohousing's Celebration of Community. The community will consist of 28 private homes with shared common facilities where residents socialize. (Fresno Bee)
Witness Preparation Becomes Oversight Apr 4, 2007
During just one year, the first talking picture (The Jazz Singer) and the Academy Awards debuted, Babe Ruth hit 60 homers (more than any other American League team), Charles Lindbergh soloed from New York to Paris, the Russian communists kicked Trotsky out of their party, Sacco and Vanzetti were electrocuted, the Holland Tunnel opened, Peking man s remains were found and electronic television was born. This year was 1927. (Human Events Online)
When Betty Got Frank Apr 3, 2007
Like the cantor's son in The Jazz Singer, or pert Owl Jolson in the Tex Avery cartoon I Love to Sing-a, he had to battle his family's resistance to mainstream pop. Indeed, Loesser's nearly operatic score for The Most Happy Fella might have been his way of saying, Papa, can you hear it. Arthur, can you see it. (Time.com)
Every generation faces a different set of challenges Mar 18, 2007
When my mom was about 10, the first talking movie, "The Jazz Singer," was released. In the old days there were no computers, no Internet, no cell phones, no MP3 players, or any of the myriad of technological advances that we deem necessary today. (Pensacola News Journal)
Sir Philip throws 6m birthday party Mar 17, 2007
The revellers were also serenaded by Roberta Flack, best-known for her 1973 hit Killing Me Softly, the American soul singer James Ingram, and the jazz singer Patti Austin. Jilly Johnson, the former Page 3 girl, Eddie Jordan, the Formula 1 boss, and Charles Dunstone, the Carphone Warehouse owner, who were pictured at Stansted airport, were also thought to be amongst the guests. (Telegraph.co.uk)
Lights, camera … silence Jan 29, 2007
It is 80 years since Al Jolson uttered the immortal words "You ain't seen nothin' yet" in The Jazz Singer, the talkie that ended the silent movie era. Now, as cinema moves into the digital age, a curious thing is happening - silent films are having a revival. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Opening night at Fox Theatre Jan 28, 2007
It was a hurried-up job as they wanted to open before Christmas and introduce the "talkies" with Al Jolson singing in "The Jazz Singer.". There were new Fox Theatres in Fresno, Visalia, Hanford and other places. (Hanford Sentinal, CA)
Verdict? Punters vote with their seats Jan 26, 2007
Linehan does not shy away from arguments that he mismatched some performers and venues or, moreover, that he neglected opera and classical music in favour of populist musical fare, such as Stomp's big noise machine, or presenting the jazz singer Madeleine Peyroux at the cavernous State Theatre, even though she was on tour here recently. "It's a question of focus and how you can best make classical music fit," he said. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
France's arbiters of high art anoint animator Walt Disney's 'genius' Jan 16, 2007
This month, a tap-dancing musical honoring Josephine Baker's 100th birthday just closed; the jazz singer was born in St. Louis but felt most at home in the Paris of the late 1920s. "Looking for Josephine" travels to Barcelona and then to New Orleans, La. (Christian Science Monitor)
A DVD black hole Dec 12, 2006
-The Jazz Singer, the landmark 1927 talkie with Al Jolson. Also needs cleaning up. (USA Today -- Life)
Wonderful World Dec 5, 2006
In October, 1927, for instance, America woke up to The Jazz Singer. By May, 1928, Disney was calling a halt to the production of silent cartoons. (New Yorker)
Looking for beauty? Watch the Sunrise, says Nov 19, 2006
Sunrise opened one month after the first official studio talkie, The Jazz Singer, changed everything. How was it received. (Toronto Star -- Arts)
Hollywood all set to take viewers on an animated ride Nov 18, 2006
Sure, when The Jazz Singer came out, people turned up to see sound pictures. In a handful of years, people no longer turned up to hear movies. (India Times)
Screen Legends: Jack Warner Nov 10, 2006
Warner Brothers was founded in 1923, its place etched in history with the first talking picture in 1927, The Jazz Singer featuring superstar Al Jolson. The studio had a gritty image with tough guys like James Cagney and dangerous divas like Bette Davis. (Toronto Star -- Arts)
The Race Issue Nov 8, 2006
Hollywood s checkered race-relations record reaches back to the industry s salad days from D.W. Griffith s three-hour-plus silent epic The Birth of a Nation (1915), widely recognized for both its undeniable contribution to filmmaking (critic James Agee likened Griffith s now-standard cinematic innovations to the invention of the wheel) and its unrelenting racism (the film features a heroic Ku Klux Klan, argues for segregation, and is populated by black villains, largely portrayed by white... (San Antonio Current, TX)
Jazz-age entertainers helped acculturate American Jews Nov 4, 2006
Films like "The Jazz Singer" reveal an ambivalence among Jews of the 1920s about their immigrant heritage, Merwin said. "It's paradoxical," he said. (Kansas City Jewish Chronicle, KS)
Today in history: October 6 Oct 6, 2006
Todays Highlight in History:On October 6, 1927, the era of talking pictures arrived with the opening of The Jazz Singer, a movie starring Al Jolson which featured both silent and sound-synchronized scenes. On this date:In 1536, English theologian and scholar William Tyndale, who was the first to translate the Bible into Early Modern English, was executed for heresy. (MSNBC -- Race)
Porn film Deep Throat achieves place on 'landmark' films list Oct 6, 2006
SELECTED 'LANDMARK' FILMS The Birth of a Nation (1915) The Jazz Singer (1927) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) Citizen Kane (1941) Vertigo (1958) Easy Rider (1969) Jaws (1975) Blade Runner (1982) Pulp Fiction (1994) Brokeback Mountain (2005). Andrew Collins, the magazine's film editor, said: "While many of these movies are truly great, this is not a list of the greatest films of all time. "These are films, major and minor, whose influence is still felt; time, context and circumstances have... (BBC News -- Entertainment)
MIKE WEATHERFORD: Pizzarelli might finally be where he belongs Sep 21, 2006
The jazz singer and guitarist and his quartet should find a cozy fit at the Suncoast this weekend, showcasing his Frank Sinatra tribute album, "Dear Mr. Sinatra." Pizzarelli endured a lot of audience chatter when he opened a Jerry Seinfeld stint at Caesars Palace in 1994. He also played a Bellagio lounge when the hotel opened in 1998, before management realized the casino itself was such a draw that name attractions weren't required. (Las Vegas Review-Journal -- Life)
Regal Rialto Sep 17, 2006
Silent films would soon go the way of vaudeville, as patrons flocked to the talkies, such as The Jazz Singer, with Al Jolson. The Rialto building, which changed ownership several times, thrived for decades. (Montana Standard, MT)
Well-known choreographer visits dance students Sep 12, 2006
He was recently named by the Dance Heritage Coalition as "one of America's Irreplaceable Dance Treasures: The First 100." McKayle has received Tony awards for his works on Broadway and has done choreography for a number of well-known films, including Disney's "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" and "The Jazz Singer.". After a break, McKayle returned to his chair in the studio to work with the dance students again. (University News, MO)
* Silent cinema has never been this loud Sep 8, 2006
Before The Jazz Singer came out in 1927, the world of cinema was silent. But the silent cinema was not totally silent. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
Sound equals space Aug 3, 2006
In the 1920s, the company's founders provided the first commercial professional sound system for the motion picture, "The Jazz Singer." The movie was the first feature-length film to have dialogue and sound effects. The popularity of the Warner Bros. (Times Herald-Record, NY -- Business)
Artistic inspiration drives producer Rick Rubin Jul 7, 2006
Diamond was delighted when 12 Songs generated his strongest reviews since 1980's The Jazz Singer. "It's been a long wait," he says. (USA Today)
SUSHIL CHEEMA Jul 6, 2006
Despite the increase, Lanam, the jazz singer, is planning on staying in his current apartment, one in which he says he has lived for the past 11 years, hoping that the rates won t continue to increase too much. In the meantime, Lanam will continue to delight audiences with his melodies, and maybe one day he ll be able to feel as good about his rent situation as he does about his music. (New York Press)
More of this story Jun 27, 2006
Diana Krall and husband Elvis Costello announced Sunday that the jazz singer is pregnant and due in December just in time for their third wedding anniversary. Costello, 51, is touring with Allen Toussaint in support of their album, he River in Reverse. (Auburn Citizen, NY)
The daily dish ... Jun 27, 2006
Diana Krall and husband Elvis Costello announced Sunday that the jazz singer is pregnant and due in December - just in time for their third wedding anniversary. A spokesman confirmed the pregnancy. (Buffalo News -- Entertainment)
People in the news Jun 26, 2006
Diana Krall and husband Elvis Costello announced Sunday that the jazz singer is pregnant and due in December, just in time for their third wedding anniversary. A spokesman in New York confirmed the pregnancy. (Sun-Sentinel.com)
Kidman, Urban Say 'I Do' In Twilight Clifftop Nuptials Jun 26, 2006
" The British rocker's songs include "Veronica," "Pump It Up" and "Alison (Tampa Bay Online, FL -- News)
Turner Classic Movies Donates $100,000 to the Magic Johnson Foundation for New State-of-the-Art Screening Room May 20, 2006
"The screening room is an excellent venue for providing them with quality entertainment and a secure environment where they can watch movies." TCM's Race wood: Black Image on Film month long film series including Birth of a Nation (1915), The Jazz Singer (1927), Gone with the Wind (1939), Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) and Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) airs on Tuesday and Thursday primetime evenings. TCM will look at not only the more controversial or striking films but also the evolution of... (PR Newswire)
They're Marching to 'America' May 9, 2006
It was Neil Diamond, singing his own exodus anthem: "America," from the pop elder statesman's 1980 remake of America's first talkie, "The Jazz Singer." ... Its association with "The Jazz Singer," a cinematic flop with a platinum-selling soundtrack, raises the specter of American entertainment's most controversial border crossing blackface minstrelsy. (Los Angeles Times)
HOLLYWOOD ON THE ROPES May 7, 2006
But The Jazz Singer, the Al Jolson-starring part-talkie released to startling success by the upstart Warner Brothers studio in 1927, nevertheless took Hollywood by surprise. The Warner Brothers release had simply come too soon: most of the theatres in America were not only owned and controlled by the studios, they were not yet equipped with the necessary technology for the switch to talkies. (Toronto Star -- Arts)
The gifts of Bette Davis (Gary Arnold) Apr 29, 2006
Also arranged more or less chronologically, Mr. Bogle's series begins Tuesday with a recap of the silent period that includes D.W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation," a 1927 remake of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and "The Jazz Singer," the Al Jolson sensation that made talking pictures inevitable. By the time the series ends, with a ninth installment on May 30 that includes showings of Carl Franklin's "Devil in a Blue Dress" and Spike Lee's "Get on the Bus," Mr. Bogle will have traversed 80 years of... (Washington Times)
Conan director Fleischer mourned Mar 28, 2006
Fleischer's later films included Soylent Green with Charlton Heston, Mr Majestyk with Charles Bronson and the Neil Diamond remake of The Jazz Singer. His last film was 1989's Call from Space, though he was executive producer on a 1994 Betty Boop feature that was eventually never made. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Richard Fleischer Mar 27, 2006
The film that marked his breakthrough, The Narrow Margin (1952), a low-budget thriller filmed almost entirely in a railroad car, is considered by some critics to be one of the best B movies ever made. His autobiography, published in 1993, Just Tell Me When to Cry - subtitled "Encounters with the Greats, Near-Greats and Ingrates of Hollywood" - is one of the most absorbing of its kind. (Telegraph.co.uk)
Max Beesley: Access all areas Jan 17, 2006
The son of the jazz drummer Maxton Beesley and the jazz singer Chris Marlowe, Beesley attended Chetham's School of Music, in Manchester, and was once a choirboy in Manchester Cathedral. He has penned the score to the movie The Emperor's Wife, and written songs for Geri Halliwell. (The Independent, UK)
Maverick Mogul Jan 14, 2006
And, astonishing as it may seem, he and Wagner just may be to cinema's digital age what the Warner brothers became by dragging the industry out of the silent era with The Jazz Singer. Today, as major studios fret about their sagging box-office revenues--and kick and scream about the digital bogeyman at their door--Cuban and Wagner are embracing the beast and embarking on an ambitious series of experiments intended to make better movies, and to make movies a better business. (FastCompany)
