A Plantation Act
Encyclopedia
A Plantation Act is an early Vitaphone
Vitaphone
Vitaphone was a sound film process used on feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects produced by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1930. Vitaphone was the last, but most successful, of the sound-on-disc processes...

 sound-on-disc
Sound-on-disc
The term Sound-on-disc refers to a class of sound film processes using a phonograph or other disc to record or playback sound in sync with a motion picture...

 short film starring Al Jolson
Al Jolson
Al Jolson was an American singer, comedian and actor. In his heyday, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer"....

. This was the first film that Jolson starred in. On a film set with a plantation background, Jolson in blackface
Blackface
Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used in minstrel shows, and later vaudeville, in which performers create a stereotyped caricature of a black person. The practice gained popularity during the 19th century and contributed to the proliferation of stereotypes such as the "happy-go-lucky darky...

 sings three of his hit songs: "April Showers", "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody
Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody
"Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" is a popular song written by Jean Schwartz, with lyrics by Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young. The song was published in 1918....

", and "When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along)
When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along)
"When the Red, Red Robin " was a 1926 popular song written by songwriter Harry M. Woods. The song was an instant hit for singers like "Whispering" Jack Smith, Cliff Edwards and the Ipana Troubadors...

". The film closely resembles Jolson's stage act, complete with three curtain calls at the finish.

This film was thought to be lost since 1933, and its unavailability fueled the misconception that the first commercial sound film made was Jolson's subsequent film The Jazz Singer
The Jazz Singer (1927 film)
The Jazz Singer is a 1927 American musical film. 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. Produced by Warner Bros. with its Vitaphone sound-on-disc system,...

. A copy of A Plantation Act was found in the National Archives, mislabeled as a preview for The Jazz Singer. An accompanying soundtrack disc was also found, but broken in five pieces. Audio technicians chemically bonded the fragments together and re-recorded the soundtrack, digitally removing the pops and clicks created by the disc damage. The restored version has been issued as a bonus feature on the DVD release of The Jazz Singer
The Jazz Singer (1927 film)
The Jazz Singer is a 1927 American musical film. 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. Produced by Warner Bros. with its Vitaphone sound-on-disc system,...

.
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