"I Haff No Son" - The Jazz Singer

[vroota42]

Overacting (Laurence Olivier) vs. underracting (Neil Diamond).

[MsGbergh]

Did you watch the film, hillybilly? Rivka (Neil's wife or should I say Jess's wife suggested the split , because she preferred being a Cantor's wife - to the wife of a "jazz singer." The only relationship between Jess and Molly before that was professional.

[TomthatiscalledTom]

For me, the highlight of this movie was when Neil blacks up and puts on an Afro wig to sing with his group in an all black club. After singing along to the less than soulful 'You, baby, baby,' the patrons look a little closer and notice that the man behind Cracklin' Rosie is well....a cracker. A riot breaks out (That 'aint no brotha, that's a white boy!) and Rabbi Larry has to bail the boy out, shaking his head and asking....Eeet's not tuff enuff...beink a chew?

[dyinglikeflies]

What can be funnier or hammier than this?

[whitelilihusband]

I really did enjoy this movie and Sir Lawrence Oliver played an amazing role in this film. The Jewish faith takes marriage very seriously. Its a sin for a husband to be apart from his wife for any length of time, and more so to divorce is unforgivable.

[MKUltra3]

With all due respect, SCTV's Sid Dithers creams Olivier in his interpretation of this classic scene - now available on Youtube! (for now)

[kentamitchell]

@MKUltra3 Where? Please.

[MKUltra3]

@kentamitchell - SCTV gets pulled regularly - search for 'sctv, jazz singer, al jarreau'

Here's Mr. Dithers with a public health announcement - watch?v=_Sk-YHHoB2g

[baldtruth71]

Put it on the board!

[oldfart4751]

My favourite scene, the late great Lawrence Olivier one of the finest Actors of our time.

[kaykaybbay]

i love neil diamond. And this movie really moved me.

[alvicious]

is that sid dithers?

[darrellkaiser1985]

This scene has always been emotional for me. I think it's more of the idea of your father disowning you than the the acting portayed by Diamond and Olivier. I make my father mad sometimes, but I hope that I never make him this mad.

[redbandmagic]

Taken out of context this scene is about as credible as something from out of the Airplane or Naked Gun movies but in context I actually bought into it.

[krillin876]

same accent as from boys from brazil

[asherhawke]

I haff no talent

[morgan8757]

I liked molly much better than rivka

[redbandmagic]

You know that's thing... as much as I enjoy this movie... I could tell which one of the two women Neil was going to be with at the end of the movie because of the casting. There's no way they were going to have Neil drop a hottie like Molly for the plain jane Rivka.

[pattixox]

p8alan---Thanks for taking the time to answer .

[p8alan]

Lucy was in a tv movie but cant remember its name (sry) but imo she wasnt in enough i love her shes awesome

[pattixox]

Holy crap! Could you imagine meeting you boyfriend's father for the first time and he reacts like this.? First he looks like he's gonna pass out then starts to cry and holler and then he looks at you and tears his clothes.Wow LOL

[AsTheWorldChurns]

@pattixox Bad acting aside, you are missing some important points. Marriage to a Jewish woman is THE MOST important treasure a Jew can have. Judaism ONLY runs along the mothers line, so a non-Jewish womans baby will NOT be Jewish. He left his wife to marry a non-Jew, this is akin to death. Dad says Kaddish, the mourning for a blood relative whos died. Yes, all of this drama is a lot for a new,non-Jewish girlfriend to absorb.Yes, the scene is over-wrought. BUT it's ENTIRELY believable.

[tranurse]

@AsTheWorldChurns yeah, but both were selfish. and cheating on your wife is a sin, i agree.

[pattixox]

What other movie(s) has Lucy Arnaz's been in? Just curious 'cause I'v never seen her in anything else but this.

[HaFannyHa]

Oy Gavult! This is utter garbage. I hoped they paid Olivier enough to appear in this embarrassing pile. Jeez, if I had to be in the same room as Neil Diamond, I'd tear my clothes!

[GraceUnderPressure1]

HaFunnyHa, what you have commented with is "utter garbage"!

Its amazing how someone like you can bad mouth one of the greats lmao, you're so pathetic! You'll never have half the success or talent that Neil has if you carry that attitude around with you!

[frankmilitary]

This really is garbage. Olivier was heard denouncing it just before the release and had to put an opology in the newspapers or the director said he'd sue.

[davss5]

Oops, I mistakenly thought that Olivier portrayed a Nazi in The Boys from Brazil - but he portrayed a Jew...so - since there was at least an opportunity after Marathon Man for Olivier to portray a Jew, then perhaps this was not as much an issue when The Jazz Singer was released (1980) - unless the persons who saw Marathon Man did not see The Boys from Brazil...maybe I should state my major point (below) on a video from The Boys from Brazil!

[davss5]

I feel that Olivier's portrayal of an Old World Jewish man is fine...still, I can't help but think of his portrayal in 1976 (Marathon Man) and in 1977 (The Boys from Brazil) as a Nazi...on one hand it says something of his versatility to play both sides...yet, I wonder if the 180 degree change in character in The Jazz Singer (just 3-4 years later in 1980) may not have been enough time for some persons (especially Jews) to feel comfortable with Olivier in this role

[92af]

Laurence Olivier was the best actor in the world

[saintsubversive]

I absolutely love Olivier in this film, one of the most entertaining scenery chewings in the history of cinema.

[bobparis]

Where's the part where he sings "Mammy"?

[saintsubversive]

They alluded to that in the beginning of the film, where Diamond is onstage in a black nightclub, wearing dark makeup to disguise his race, but giving himself away by forgetting to put it on his hands.

[saintsubversive]

Good point, that is a very strange part of the plotline. He breaks up with his wife of many years after the breakthrough concert, and then the very next day he's telling Lucie Arnaz he's in love with her (and they stop going out for pizzas). And this is supposed to be a deeply religious man?

At the very least, he should have waited until the divorce was final (assuming Rivi didnt go thru Reno overnight on the way back to New York). No wonder Pop was so livid. :)

[redbandmagic]

This is a movie. It's about moving the plot forward. You can take something that usually takes months to do in real life and make it happen a couple of scenes later. It's called fiction.

[ImNotAlone100]

@hillibillycat56 -- Actually, his WIFE was the one with the bad morals. She was just a house wife. HE was the one with jobs and a career. You can be a housewife anywhere. But if you truly LOVE you husband, than you will support his dreams, and follow him wherever he may go. And on that note-- She obviously wasn't paying attention. If she would have been COMMUNICATING with him all those years, then maybe she would have known what was truly in his heart, and that he wasn't happy back home.

[CarlDuke]

Olivier is brilliant. Great emotional wallop.

[godtoldmeto]

"pop! please! she can go back and pick up the bialys you wanted!"

[tranurse]

i love this movie, yes it is cheesy, but i grew up watching it with my mom.

[and203]

haha the worst part is when neil's supposed to be trying to keep him from leaving...

"Why are you doing this?"

...so bad

[ladytron72]

Agreed!

He's more like "Oh come on Larry! why are you doing this to me? couldn't you just act real' bad so we're a match?... please?"

:-D

[nesnman]

Neil should have pushed him down the stairs.

[RagMuffin90]

The acting Is great...haha!

[stevenson52]

Sir Laurence WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!

[JerseySurvivor]

if Larry were here he'd tell you. For the MONEY!!

[teflonmagnet]

excruciating to watch...neil is one step removed from a mannequin.

[vonstarksky]

true neil does stick out a bit

[centromarmo]

hey marniereeves show some respect jewish folk only look jews in the eyes,cool folk and i respect them so much,youn have there way of life and there histiry,proud pepole and respect these pepole for who thet are

[MarnieReeves]

Among many things that bugged me about this movie is how Neil Diamond never looks anyone in the eye when he talks to them - he's always looking in the vicinity of their collar bone.

[PythonTV]

I don't know what is worse;

Neil Diamond's fuzzy shower cap, Lucy Arnaz's horrible acting, or Sir Larry's accent.

Oh Mr. Olivier: How the mighty have fallen.

I must admit though, I adore this movie.

[Tomurow]

This particular scene is one of the worst memories of my childhood. Being forced to sit through it as a kid scared me for life. Maudlin is the word! lol.

[mikeclaw]

I don't think it's one of Sir Larry's better memories either.

[HarryPotter87]

The father freaked me out when he goes crazy by tearing his shirt, like he's the Incredible Hulk, or somethin'.

[FunknGrvn]

It's a Jewish symbol of great loss like when some one has died, his son in this case.

[Tomakak]

Oy. I love this film. I've listened to Diamond since I was a kid, and Olivier is...well, Olivier.

[fronio88]

I just got done reading the novel.I never saw the movie,and yet i can place every scene posted to parts of the book

[sansankudo]

So sad my Jewish friends,so sad.

[paulbno1]

Maudlin crap-o-rama? You bag of shite, this is a fantastic movie. And that's a terrific scene. How dare you!

[redbandmagic]

It is a fantastic movie but I don't know if I agree with this being a terrific scene. I can see how someone could call this moment overwrought.

[Leanne60]

such a good movie. thx.

[ylaviv]

It's called Kriaa = "to tear".