In 1925, he emerged as one of the most popular leading men on Broadway with the starring role in the stage production of "The Jazz Singer". The success of the show prompted Warner Bros.—after their success with "Don Juan" (1926) with music and sound effects only—to adapt "The Jazz Singer" as the first "talkie" with dialogue and to cast Jessel in the lead role. However, the studio refused his salary demands, so Jessel turned down the movie role, which was eventually played by Al Jolson. According to Jessel during an interview around 1980, Warner Bros. still owed Jessel money for earlier roles and lacked enough funds to produce this movie with a leading star. Jolson, the biographical inspiration for the movie, became the movie's main financial backer.