The Jazz Singer in Łódź

The Jazz Singer in Łódź

Ad from the Yiddish newspaper Najer Folksblat publicizing a 1930 screening of The Jazz Singer at the movie theater Splendid in Łódź. As the first cinema with a permanent sound-film setup, Splendid was the ideal venue to screen the first full-feature synchronized American talkie. Though not the most financially successful of the early talking movies, The Jazz Singer went on to become the most treasured of them. For Lodzer Jews, the film had the additional significance of presenting the story of the Jewish passage into modernity: the cantor's son leaves the traditional Jewish world to seek good fortune in the world of popular music.

Najer Folksblat no. 63

1930

Yiddish

Polish

newspaper ad

1-ter klang-kino-teater in Lodz / „Splendid” / oyf di aparaten fun / „Western Elektric” [sic] / Haynt un folgende teg! Prekhtigster klu [sic] fun sezon! / Der genialer zinger un film-artist / Al Jolson / als / Zinger fun dzshadz-band / Lebens-geshikhte fun an’artist, velkher iz aroysgerisen gevorn / fun di traditsionele moyern fun getto un hot zikh dervorben / dem gresten ruhm. Tragedie fun a genialen zinger, vemens foter / a sinagoge-kantor hot zikh obgezogt far dem opraysen zikh fun / der traditsie un hot moykhl geven dem harben urtayl oyfn / toyten-bet, ven Al Jolson hot fertreten dem sinagoge- / kantor un hot / gezungen dem lid Kol Nidre / Onhoyb fun di seansen 6, 8 un 10 ovend.

First sound-cinema-theater in Lodz / “Splendid” / with the apparatuses from / “Western Electric” / Today and following days! Most magnificent entertainment of the season! / The most inspired singer and film-artist / The Jazz Singer [Singer of Jazz-Band] / Life history of an artist, who was wrested / from the traditional walls of the ghetto and acquired himself / the greatest fame. Tragedy of an inspired singer, whose father, / a synagogue cantor, renounced him for severing himself from / tradition, and pardoned the harsh verdict on his / deathbed, when Al Jolson substituted as the synagogue / cantor and / sang the song Kol Nidre / Showings begin at 6, 8, and 10 PM.