the jazz singer be one of a number of film make in the late 1940 and 1950 about the jewish experience in the united state . other than crossfire ( 1947 ) and gentleman agreement ( 1947 ) which deal with anti semitism they usually have a musical theatre background . these film include the jolson story ( 1946 ) and jolson sings again ( 1949 ) and the eddy duchin story ( 1951 ) and the eddie cantor story ( 1953 ) and the benny goodman story ( 1956 ) and margorie morningstar ( 1958 ) . the lead actor in these jewish film be always play by non jew . for example larry park a non jew play al jolson and gene kelly play noel airman in marjorie morningstar . this casting be probably do to make the jewish theme palpable to a mainly non jewish audience . the jazz singer ( 1952 ) be no different . danny thomas be a devout catholic and peggy lee be certainly not jewish although she play a non practicing jewess in the film . the clue to her background be when she attend the golding family meal before enter she say i haven not be to a sader ( passover service ) since i leave home . the film be about a cantor son who have just leave the service after see action in korea . his dilemma be whether to become a cantor and a family tradition or to be a singer in musical theatre . his choice of theatre lead to an inevitable conflict with his father . however and there be much more to this film than this . this film be make after the rosenberg trial during the mccarthy whitchhunts and the hollywood blacklist . therefore in this film the jew be show a good loyal citizen andare quintessentialy american . the synagogue choir would rather play baseball than practice . the cantor friends also talk about baseball in fact one of them be a major league umpire . the synagogue itself date back to 1790 and george washington be say to have visit . therefore jew be present a part and parcel of american society . nobody in this film have a eastern european accent . peggy lee appear in very few feature film . in this film you get to see her sing lover and just one of those thing wonderful . danny thomas be quite credible and he act and sing the part very well . the comedic routine could have be leave out . yes and the film be schmaltzy and sentimental but it be well worth see . i enjoy it very much .