The Jazz Singer (1980): cast, story & where to watch
1980 · Film · ★ 5.8
Released in 1980, The Jazz Singer is a drama, romance and music film directed by Richard Fleischer, running about 115 minutes. “His story will make you cry. His music will make you sing. His triumph will make you cheer.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. Jess Robin dreams of a career in popular music, but his father, Cantor Rabinovitch, forbids it, insisting Jess live as a traditional Jew and inherit his position at the synagogue. With the help of friend and professional musician Bubba, Jess gets a chance to go to Los Angeles and have famous singer Keith Lennox record one of his songs. Defying both his father and his wife, Jess leaves New York to pursue his dreams.
Who’s in it. The Jazz Singer stars Neil Diamond as Jess Robin / Yussel Rabinovitch, Laurence Olivier as Cantor Rabinovitch, Lucie Arnaz as Molly Bell and Catlin Adams as Rivka Rabinovitch, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 5.8/10, The Jazz Singer has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Jazz Singer page.
If you liked it. Fans of The Jazz Singer tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch The Jazz Singer (1980)?
- In US, The Jazz Singer is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is The Jazz Singer worth watching?
- The Jazz Singer holds an audience score of 5.8 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy drama, romance and music. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in The Jazz Singer?
- The Jazz Singer stars Neil Diamond, Laurence Olivier, Lucie Arnaz, Catlin Adams and Franklyn Ajaye.