THE JOLSON STORY

US, 1946, 128 minutes, Colour.
Larry Parks, Evelyn Keyes, William Demarest.
Directed by Alfred E. Green.

The storyline for The Jolson Story and Jolson Sings Again is continuous. The sequel begins exactly where the original ended. (A reminder that there was a passion for sequels to successful films as far back as the 1940s.)

Larry Parks achieves a lifetime high in his impersonation of Al Jolson, even though he looks nothing like him. Jolson was alive at the time – and the screenwriters were shrewd in the comments made after the original that it was a fictionalised, even idealised, portrait of the singer in having a scene where Parks impersonates Jolson having a conversation with Larry Parks after seeing one of Parks’s performances of his songs.

Larry Parks brought a genial presence to the character of Jolson (which many said was not exactly the same as the more acerbic reality). Parks is also skilful in his lip-synching of Jolson’s famous songs including ‘Swanee’, ‘April Showers’, ‘California, Here I Come’. This emphasis on the songs continued from the original into the sequel.

The film was well acclaimed, winning Oscar nominations for Larry Parks and William Demarest for their performances as well as musical score and colour photography.

While these films revived Al Jolson’s career though he was to die fairly soon after they were released, the films did not save the career of Larry Parks who was accused of being a communist and was blacklisted. He appeared in very few films afterwards but made an appearance in John Huston’s Freud. The ban also affected his loyal wife, the singer-comedienne Betty Garrett who was so much to the fore in some MGM musicals including Neptune’s Daughter and On the Town.

The films compress Jolson’s life, but highlight his relationship with his Jewish background, especially his father. It shows the choices he made of taking up the stage rather than following in his father’s footsteps and committed to his religion. The films also show him having only two wives – whereas he had four. Ruby Keeler, singer-dancer of many of the Warner Bros films of the 1930s, including some with Jolson like Wunderbar, is compressed into the character of Julie Benson, played by Evelyn Keyes. In the sequel, the wife who takes care of him and persuades him to calm down is played by Barbara Hale. William Demarest plays his manager Steve Martin in both of the films.

There was a popularity of doing biographies of living singers and composers during the 1940s and 1950s including Rhapsody in Blue about George Gershwin, Night and Day about Cole Porter, Till the Clouds Roll By about Jerome Kern, Words and Music about Lorenz Hart, The Danny Thomas story about Danny Thomas. The Jolson Story and Jolson Sings Again stand out as some of the best of these biopics.

1. The status of this film an a classic biography? As a classic film?

2. The impact of Al Jolson? Popularity? As an American entertainer, prominent figure in American theatre? Songs and style of singing? His appearance in 'The Jazz Singer'? His reputation in the early part of the century? Now?

3. The film an presenting show business in America? The world of entertainment? Wide audience interest in American entertainment and its style?

4. The contribution of colour, songs, dancing? Jolson's songs and his musical style? The world of burlesque, the world of Broadway musicals?

5. The presentation of the Jolson favourites for example 'Mammy', 'California Here I Come', 'April Showers', 'Rock-a-bye', 'The Anniversary Waltz'? Their insertion into the film, dramatic emphases?

6. The quality of Larry Parks' performance and his imitating Jolson's style, the dubbing of the songs? Evelyn Keyes as Ruby Keeler? Comment on the presentation of Jolson in real life and yet the changing of Ruby Keeler's name to Julie Benson while retaining the original titles of her films?

7. The chronological structure of the film? The lack of emphasis on detail in Jolson's life? The emphasis on the varying audiences and audience response to Jolson from the time that he was a boy to his big stardom? Comment on the cinematic devices for the passing of time, journeys, letters and postcards to his family?

8. The introduction to the world of burlesque and Steve Martin's style of act? The introduction of the Jewish boy enthusiastic about singing and his impact on Martin and the audience? The introduction of the Jewish background and his father as a cantor? Martin, Jolson's running away from home, jumping the train, the arrest, the irony of ending in a Catholic institution and singing Ave Maria? The introduction to the family: the mother and the interest in her son's career, the cantor and his strictness? The highlighting of Jolson's talent, his ambitions? Indications of his character? Determination? The emphasis on the audience response?

9. The importance of the character of Stove Martin: the old-style burlesque entertainer, his interest in the boy and helping him, their work together and the varying songs, Jolson's voice breaking and the whistling? The importance of Stove furthering his career and yet retaining the old style? His willingness to sacrifice himself and his career for Jolson's promotion especially to The Minstrels? The importance of Jolson hiring him an his manager and the bond between them? His managing of Jolson's life, advice?

10. The portrayal of the early days of burlesque, Al's ambitions, his quick thinking in whistling? His stepping in when the Minstrel was drunk, his ability to evaluate a situation?

11. The decision that he had to make and his devotion to Stove, his work with The Minstrels, his furthering his career, the impact of New Orleans and the jazz? The various jobs, his leaving The Minstrels, his arrival home and the sudden opening for Broadway and his pushing his way to the top? The opening night and his holding of his audience and making a success? The indication of his meteoric rise, the years passing with the various shows and their long runs?

12. The importance of the varying scenes with the family, acting an a chorus to his career, his putting off marriage and being too late?

13. The impact of success on him, the passing of the years, the Yid, amount of travel, bringing his shown to a Yid audience? Sunday night shown for show business people like Ziegfeld? The prospect of the opening up of film and talkies, the wide audience?

14. The encounter with Julie Benson and the Sunday show, the singing of April Showers, the party, his continued talk, his courting her, his phoning from California, presence at her opening, the joy of their marriage and her acceptance by the family?

15. The call of Hollywood? The success of 'The Jazz Singer'? The continued contracts? Julie going to Hollywood and her acceptance of the contracts for Al? The years passing, their individual successes, filming together? The dream of retirement and the symbol of the house?

16. The crisis and Al's decision to retire? Their trip together? The happiness and yet it not being satisfying? The importance of the anniversary sequence and the arrival of his parents? The singing of The Anniversary Waltz? The arrival of his manager friend and the going to the night club?

17. The revelation of his happiness in singing? Julie and his father realizing this? The significance of her leaving?

18. How much insight into a person's life? An entertainer and his obsession with entertaining and his audience? The dominance of career and success over the human level? American entertainers? How well did the film give insight in terms of a musical biography?