The Dryden will screen The Jazz Singer (Alan Crosland, U.S. 1927, 88 min., 35mm).

Al Jolson, "the world's greatest entertainer" in the 1920s, stars as the man who turns his back on family tradition of being a cantor in the synagogue to follow his heart and go into show business against his father's wishes. This semi-autobiographical film of Jolson's life was based on Samson Raphelson's 1922 short story The Day of the Atonement and his 1925 Broadway play The Jazz Singer. While basically a silent film with a music and effects track and interpolated songs, it was also the first feature film to incorporate two synchronized dialogue sequences. It was the spoken dialogue that made The Jazz Singer a sensation and began the death knell for silent films.

[source: George Eastman Museum website, 2016-Aug-15]