The Jazz Singer (1953)

Rich looking redo of the legendary Jolson film that revolutionized the film industry ushering sound in and silence out. The thing is that it was the technology that was the big deal about the film not the story which is pure hokum. However that seems to be something that the studio chose to ignore assuming the name recognition of the title would draw the crowds. The film did okay but it's a cornball exercise from start to finish. The main story was dated in '27 and is certainly no fresher in '52.Danny Thomas just didn't have the strength of personality to make it on the big screen. Watching him it becomes apparent why he made it on TV and not cinema. He has a nice, likable demeanor, the sort that worked so well for Perry Como and Dinah Shore when they likewise abandoned the big screen for the small, but he doesn't dominate his scenes the way a leading man has to. He does sing well although not nearly well enough to be the rage of New York he's supposed to be.That master of all genres Michael Curtiz moves the movie along well enough but it's too schmaltzy for him to be able to make it really memorable.Putting all that aside the best reason to catch the film is the presence of Peggy Lee in the cast. This was her acting debut and while she doesn't have the instantly easy relaxed acting style of Doris Day the role doesn't put big demands on her, she did much better a few years on in Pete Kelly's Blues. It doesn't matter though when she sings which fortunately is often. When she does that all the hokeyness melts away and the viewer is treated to a legend doing what she does best, sing. An extra bonus is that she performs one of her biggest hits, Lover, in an elegant club setting giving you an idea of what it was actually like to see her in person.Worth catching for Miss Lee but the story is sappy.

Michael Curtiz second musical directed in 2 years with Danny Thomas, this one a remake of the 1927 classic of the same name. The movie is quite watchable. Especially nostalgic is the color shots of Times Square as it used to be before today's LCD ads. Fans of Peggy Lee should catch this one. She looks fantastic and sounds great in the songs she does. The songs are good too. Thomas plays the Cantors son who wants to be a popular singer. Thomas does a lot of stand up comedy in this movie.Thomas is quite touching doing a special song for his mother late in the film. It is kind of strange that the same night he is called to his dying father's bedside. Why is mom at the show while dad is home ill? That is a little different for this era the film was made. The film is pretty good overall. Thomas fans will not want to miss this one either.

This is the second version of the much-filmed tale of the Jewish boy who wants to sing modern music, rather than becoming a cantor in the synagogue. This time, the character is called Jerry Golding and is played by Danny Thomas, a second-string singer and comedian of the fifties, perhaps best known for his TV series.The story itself is sparse, but Thomas gets a chance to put across some swing numbers (one or two in the company of his lady friend Judy Lane, played by the sparky Peggy Lee, in a role originally planned for Doris Day). As Golding's parents, Eduard Franz and Mildred Dunnock give good value as they struggle to understand the culture clash which has seen their son look for fame as a popular crooner.A minor film, and one not helped by the humorous approach (perhaps to accommodate Thomas's particular style). But, this version of 'The Jazz Singer' is as good a way as any to spend a Sunday afternoon.

To be frank, this is probably the best version in my book as a sound movie version of the Jazz Singer. The 1927 version is really a silent movie despite its build-up as the first talkie.Danny Thomas is a great comedian, and he sings very well. He does the Jewish stuff with feeling. Peggy Lee is great and any film that has her is always entertaining. Allan Joslyn is not too entertaining and we could have done without him. One question: since when do Cantors live in such luxurious houses???