The Jazz Singer (Neil Diamond)

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The Jazz Singer
Jazz singer.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Richard Fleischer
Screenplay by
Herbert Baker
Stephen H. Foreman
Based on The Jazz Singer
by Samson Raphaelson
Produced by Jerry Leider
Starring
Neil Diamond
Laurence Olivier
Lucie Arnaz
Catlin Adams
Franklyn Ajaye
Paul Nicholas
Cinematography Isidore Mankofsky
Edited by Frank J. Urioste
Music by Gilbert Bécaud
Neil Diamond
Leonard Rosenman
Richard Bennett
Alan E. Lindgren
Production
company
EMI Films
Distributed by Associated Film Distribution
Release date
December 19, 1980
Running time 115 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $13 million
Box office $27.1 million
The Jazz Singer is a 1980 American musical drama film directed by Richard Fleischer and produced by Jerry Leider. The film stars Neil Diamond (in his acting debut), Sir Laurence Olivier and Lucie Arnaz, and tells the story of a young singer who is torn between tradition and pursuing his dreams as a pop singer. Based on the 1925 play of the same name by Samson Raphaelson, this film is the fourth adaptation of the play, after the 1927 and the 1952 theatrical adaptions, and a 1959 television adaptation.

Developed as a starring vehicle for Diamond, who had undergone a revival of popularity in the late 1970s, the film was initially intended to be produced by Paramount and AFD, with Sidney J. Furie directing, and Deborah Raffin acting opposite Diamond. However, production was plagued with several delays in filming, the departures of Furie and Raffin, and numerous script rewrites.

The Jazz Singer was released by AFD on December 19, 1980, and was a critical and commercial disappointment, although it did make a substantial profit, doubling its $13 million budget by making $27.1 million (not including sales of the soundtrack album, which shipped quintuple platinum, or over 5 million copies, making it the most successful of Diamond's recording career). Critics panned the acting of Diamond and – unusually – Olivier, while praising Arnaz's performance and Diamond's accompanying soundtrack and live musical performances in the film. The soundtrack eventually reached multi-platinum status, becoming Diamond's most successful album to date and one of the more successful film soundtrack albums in history.