Young Jakie Rabinowitz (Bobby Gordon) loves jazz and ragtime, and wants to be a performer. But his father (Warner Oland) is a cantor, and he orders his son to carry on the family tradition. Jakie tries his hand anyway, only to be discovered by neighbor Moisha Yudelson (Otto Lederer) and kicked out of the house. A decade later, an older Jakie (Al Jolson) has followed his dream, changed his name and found love with performer Mary (May McAvoy), but he still wants to win his father over.
The film features 11 songs, including several from the Jewish/Eastern European religious and traditional roots and Yiddish theatre, Mistrelsy, and early Tin Pan Alley classics: "Yusel, Yusel", "Kaddish", "KolNidre", "Waiting For The Robert E. Lee", "Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Goo' Bye)", "Blue Skies", "My Mammy", "My Gal Sal".
Part silent, part talkie
Consistent with its historic content, there is some black face.
[1 hr 36 min]
| | Give My Regards To Broadway (1904) George M. Cohan (w/m) |