The Jazz Singer

In cities where the Vitaphone can be installed and reproduce his voice this picture will eminently repay attendance.

Undoubtedly the best thing Vitaphone has ever put on the screen.

The Vitaphoned songs and some dialogue have been introduced most adroitly.

It's ragged and dull until the magical moment when Jolson turns to the camera to announce, 'You ain't heard nothin' yet' -- a line so loaded with unconscious irony that it still raises a few goose bumps.

Of its time, surely, 'The Jazz Singer' is nevertheless better than one expects going in.

A film whose appeal is almost solely historical, for a multitude of reasons.

The Jazz Singer is not a good picture artistically, but it's historically significant and Al Johnson is truly entertaining

The Jazz Singer is a shallow attempt by a powerful group of straying Jews to clear their consciences.

By today's standards, The Jazz Singer is mawkish, crudely filmed, and full of schmaltz. Yet it remains fascinating in its historical value, not only for its technical innovation.

An overrated cinematic turd, and an embarrassment to Jazz.

There's one thing that neither Neil Diamond nor Danny Thomas nor even Jerry Lewis had in their versions: the unrivaled showmanship and charisma of Al Jolson.

...there's no taking away from the movie's heart and Jolson's singing. The Jazz Singer remains a classic of its kind.