Sidney Samson

Biography & Overview

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), Laurence Olivier and Lucie Arnaz, and tells the story of Yussel Rabinovitch, a young singer who is torn between tradition and pursuing his dreams as a pop singer. Based on the 1925 play of the same title by Samson Raphaelson, it is the fourth film adaptation, following 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 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. Critics panned the acting of Diamond and Olivier, while praising Arnaz's performance, the 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.