The Jazz Singer Page #4

He takes a fresh grip on the boy and starts in the direction of the

bedroom.

78.FULL SHOT ROOM

As father with son in tow go toward the bedroom, the mother follows a

few steps, pleading with the cantor not to whip Jakie. He turns around

and demands what she means by such interference. She looks at him

imploringly.

79.CLOSE-UP SARA

She holds out her outstretched hands to the cantor, saying:

TITLE 22:
"It will do no good, Papa -- and he must get

ready for school in a few minutes. Yom Kippur

begins soon."

80.CLOSE SHOT GROUP

The cantor answers her with a snort of disgust and renewed determination

to continue with what he considers his duty. The boy, emboldened by his

mother's championship, turns and faces his father courageously. The old

man looks down at him in surprise.

81.CLOSE-UP CANTOR AND SON

The boy looks up at his father, his boyish face set with determination.

He declares:

TITLE 23:
"I told you before -- if you whip me again,

I'll run away -- and never come back."

At this show of rebellion the cantor stiffens. He nods his head

menacingly as though accepting the challenge, takes another grip on the

boy's shoulder, and pushes him toward the bedroom, as Jakie starts

sobbing hysterically. At the door, the cantor takes a strap that is

hanging over a chair near the door.

82.MED. SHOT ROOM

As the cantor shoves open the door, Sara again tries to intervene. The

cantor holds out a hand to prevent her following, pushes Jakie into the

bedroom, and follows him, closing the door behind him with a bang. Sara

stands looking tearfully at the door, realizing the expected crisis in

the little family, which she has feared, has finally arrived.

83.CLOSE-UP SARA

She stands mutely facing the door. Suddenly she starts and listens, then

puts her hands over her ears as though to shut out the sounds she hears,

and her shoulders heave with repressed sobs. She starts for the door,

then restrains herself. Her emotions finally overcome her and she drops

into a chair and cries without restraint. (Nothing of what occurs in the

bedroom is shown.)

84.MED. SHOT SAME

The door of the bedroom opens suddenly and Jakie emerges. He is shaking

with a mixture of anger and the painful effects of the whipping. He

comes out quickly, looks at his mother, rushes over, and kisses her

impulsively, and as she puts her arms around him, he breaks away and

before she can stop him, he runs toward the front door.

85.FULL SHOT ROOM

Jakie rushes to the door and dashes out, as the cantor appears in the

doorway of the bedroom. He is somewhat breathless from exertion. He does

not look to see what has become of the boy. He pauses and looks at his

wife in a dazed way. He looks toward the door. Then in a mechanical way

he takes his watch from his pocket and glances at it.

86.CLOSE-UP CANTOR

He holds the watch up to his eyes closely, then looks in the direction

of his wife and says:

TITLE 24:
"It is time for the services, Mama."

He turns to the wall behind him where hangs the prayer shawl and the

freshly washed and ironed robe which the cantor wears when he sings the

"Kol Nidre" on the Day of Atonement.

87.MED.SHOT BOTH

The cantor starts putting on the robe, with great deliberation. Sara is

standing mutely looking toward the door through which her boy vanished.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

88.INT. SYNAGOGUE LONG SHOT

Every pew in the place is filled with men, and in the balcony behind sit

the women in the place reserved for them. On the raised platform, the

cantor and the choir boys are taking their places.

89.CLOSE SHOT CANTOR AND CHOIR

As the boys line up, a solemn look on each young face, the cantor looks

from one to the other.

90.CLOSE-UP CANTOR

He has his back to the congregation. He has his eyes fixed on the place

where Jakie usually has stood.

91.MED. SHOT

As the Cantor stands motionless, the rabbi steps up to him. The old man

looks at him and they exchange a few words.

92.CLOSE SHOT BOTH

The cantor looks at the vacant place again, then turns to the rabbi and

says, with a break in his voice:

TITLE 25:
"Tonight my boy Jakie was to sing 'Kol Nidre'

-- but he is not going to be a cantor now."

Back. He finishes title. The rabbi moves out of scene, and the cantor

takes the position in which he is to sing.

93.FULL SHOT SYNAGOGUE

The congregation comes to attention, and small groups that have been

conversing look toward the cantor.

94.MED. SHOT CHOIR

The cantor is in the foreground, his back to the camera, as the first

low notes of the "Kol Nidre" are sung. Never has the cantor's voice sung

the heart-breaking song like this before. There is a tear in every note,

and as his voice rises in the wailing harmony that is handed down from

the walls of Jerusalem, the choir boys look at him in wonder. (Vitaphone

is used in full volume.)

95.FULL SHOT SYNAGOGUE

As the cantor's voice rises in a long, mournful wail, the scene and

music slowly FADE.

TITLE 26:
Ten years and three thousand miles away from

the ghetto.

FADE IN:

96.AIRPLANE VIEW OF SAN FRANCISCO

A shot may be obtained which immediately identifies the city, with its

hills and ferries and the Golden Gate in the distance.

DISSOLVE INTO:

97.OFFICE STAR VAUDEVILLE CIRCUIT

Full shot of room shows various types of performers seated about the

room awaiting an opportunity to talk to the booking manager. There is an

old-time legitimate actor of the East Lynne period, a dancing team of

girls, three Teutonic-looking acrobats, a fat young man whose clothes

were once quite "snappy," and a few other types found usually in such a

place. The fat man is hidden behind a copy of Variety. An office boy,

small, weazened, and wise beyond his years, pertly tells all inquirers

that Mr. Schuler is "in conference." All of the people in the room look

hopefully toward the door every time it is opened and look away

hopelessly every time it closes. A big, husky, flashily dressed blonde

enters and breezes up to the boy. He gets up and tries to hold the gate

of the enclosure shut, so that she cannot enter.

98.CLOSE-UP BLONDE AND BOY

She says that she is there to see Mr. Schuler. The boy looks at her and

says:

TITLE 27:
"Mr. Schuler's in conf'rence and can't be disturbed."

The girl gives him a supercilious look, shoves him aside, and sweeps up

to the door to the inner room. She opens it and passes in as the boy

stands with open mouth and gazes after her.

99.FULL SHOT ROOM

The less fortunate performers sit and look wonderingly at the closed

door. The boy finally shrugs his shoulders and takes his chair. The

outer door opens and a young man enters. He is shabbily dressed and,

although he is neat of person, it is obvious that he is down on his

luck. He pauses and then hesitatingly goes up to the railing where the

office boy sits idly hammering a typewriter with no paper in it. The boy

doesn't even look up.

100.CLOSE-UP JACK

He stands looking at the boy nervously.

TITLE 28:
It was a long jump from Jakie Rabinowitz to

Jack Robin -- and the roses in his pathway

were almost hidden under the thorns.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes