The Jazz Singer

The Jazz Singer- 1980 Neil Diamond as young cantor Yussel Rabinovitch takes on the part famously done by Al Jolson in 1927 in his one and only major film role. Sir Lawrence Olivier does some slumming as Cantor Rabinovitch to earn money for his theatrical productions in London. It's the same story as the 1927 version with minor changes. In this one the young cantor who goes into show biz goes by the name of Jess Robin. This film has to be one of the worst re-makes of all time. When one reads the reviews of the era, it's incredible how scathing the critics were. Neil Diamond is so bad and Lawrence Olivier not much better. It was such a disaster that Neil Diamond never got another role in film. I could not see it through to the end as it was unbearable viewing. After the half way point I called it quits.