October 6, 1927 – The first “talkie” opened in New York. “The Jazz Singer” is an American musical film and the first feature-length motion picture with synchronized dialogue sequences. Its release heralded the commercial ascendance of the “talkies” and the decline of the silent film era. Directed by Alan Crosland and produced by Warner Bros. with its Vitaphone sound-on-disc system, the movie star Al Jolson performs six songs. The film is based on The Day of Atonement, a play by Samson Raphaelson.
