| Believed
to be the best vaudevillian of all time, Al Jolson also has
the monumental credit of being the first person to speak in
a feature film. It was in vaudeville that his blackface persona
was born, as Al believed audiences laughed more for black performers.
The story of "The Jazz Singer" is similar to Al's real-life
story; he too was expected to be a cantor and ran away from
home. "You ain't heard nothing yet," spoken by Al, became the
first words uttered on the silver screen, and propelled him
to superstardom.
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