''Jolson Sings Again'' is a 1949 American

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

biographical film A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudra ...

directed by Henry Levin, and the sequel to ''

The Jolson Story ''The Jolson Story'' is a 1946 American musical biography film which purports to tell the life story of singer Al Jolson. It stars Larry Parks as Jolson, Evelyn Keyes as Julie Benson (approximating Jolson's wife, Ruby Keeler), William Demares ...

'' (1946), both of which cover the life of singer

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jews, Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-bi ...

. It was the highest-grossing film of 1949 and received three

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

nominations at the 22nd Academy Awards.

Synopsis

In this follow-up to ''The Jolson Story'', we pick up the singer's career just as he has returned to the stage after a premature retirement. But his wife has left him and the appeal of the spotlight is not what it used to be. This time Jolson (

Larry Parks Samuel Lawrence Klausman Parks (December 13, 1914 – April 13, 1975) was an American stage and film actor. His career arced from bit player and supporting roles to top billing, before it was virtually ended when he admitted to having once been ...

) trades in the stage for life in the fast lane: women, horses, travel. His father (

Ludwig Donath Ludwig Donath (6 March 1900 – 29 September 1967), was an Austrian actor who appeared in many American films. Life Born to a Jewish family, Donath graduated from Vienna's Academy of Dramatic Art and became a prominent actor on the stage i ...

) becomes increasingly concerned about his frivolous lifestyle. With the death of his mother (

Tamara Shayne Tamara Shayne (25 November 1902 – 23 October 1983), also known as Tamara Nikoulina, was a Russian-born actress and long-time resident in the United States. Early life Tamara Shayne was born Tamara Veniaminovna Olkenitskaya on 25 November 1902 i ...

) and the beginning of World War II, Jolson comes back to earth—and returns to the stage. Once again teamed with manager Steve Martin (

William Demarest Carl William Demarest (February 27, 1892 – December 27, 1983) was an American character actor, known especially for his roles in screwball comedies by Preston Sturges and for playing Uncle Charley in the sitcom ''My Three Sons'' Demarest, w ...

), Jolson travels the world entertaining troops everywhere from Alaska to Africa. When he finally collapses from exhaustion it takes young, pretty nurse Ellen Clark (

Barbara Hale Barbara Hale (April 18, 1922 – January 26, 2017) was an American actress who portrayed legal secretary Della Street in the dramatic television series ''Perry Mason (1957 TV series), Perry Mason'' (1957–1966), earning her a 1959 Emmy Award f ...

) to show him there is more to life than "just rushing around".

Cast

Credited

/ Larry Parks *

as Ellen Clark *

as Steve Martin *

as Cantor Yoelson *

Bill Goodwin William Nettles Goodwin (July 28, 1910 – May 9, 1958),Palm Spr ...

as Tom Baron *

Myron McCormick Myron McCormick (February 8, 1908 – July 30, 1962) was an American actor of stage, radio and film. Early life and education Born in Albany, Indiana, in 1908, Walter Myron McCormick was the middle child of Walter P. and Bessie M. McCormick' ...

as Ralph Bryant *

as Moma Yoelson

Uncredited

* Eric Wilton as Henry *

Helen Mowery Helen Emily Inkster (April 25, 1922 – July 14, 2008)Helen Emily Webster in the U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014, retrieved froAncestry.com/ref> was a former Miss Wyoming who acted on the stage, in films, and on television. Ea ...

as Script Girl

Reception

''Jolson Sings Again'' was eagerly awaited by moviegoers who remembered ''The Jolson Story'', and hundreds of theaters showed the sequel to excellent response.

Reviews

"''Jolson Sings Again'' bids fair to par ''The Jolson Story'' grosses and may even top them. In short, a smasheroo of unqualified proportions."Abel Green, ''Variety'', August 1949 "...Jolson's voice is still a formidable, awesome, and grandiously captivating instrument."Philip Hamburger. ''New Yorker'', August 27, 1949, pp. 37-38 "There is heart, humor, tragedy and a warm sprinkling of sentiment in Mr. Buchman's story. Much of the latter is conjured up by a succession of nostalgic songs which run all through the film and are sung in grand style by Mr. Jolson himself. The vitality of the Jolson voice is suitably matched in the physical representation provided by Larry Parks, who by now comes close to perfection in aping the vigorous expression with which Jolson tacks a song."Thomas M. Pryor, ''New York Times'', August 18, 1949

Commentary

"''Jolson Sings Again'' is a well-made sequel to ''The Jolson Story''. In some ways, it betters the original. If anything, Jolson's voice sounds even better in this movie, and Larry Parks' Jolson is a warmer, more human character here." In this sequel, the story reaches the point in Jolson's life where the film of his life is to be made (first film: ''The Jolson Story''), and in preparation for the film Jolson meets the actor who is to portray him. In what is probably a cinema first, Parks plays both Jolson and himself (the young Larry Parks) as they meet in a split-screen scene.James Fisher. "Al Jolson - a Bio-bibliography" (1994)

Awards and nominations

Footnotes

External links

The Al Jolson web site
* * {{Henry Levin 1949 films 1940s biographical films 1949 musical films American biographical films American musical films Biographical films about singers Blackface minstrel shows and films Columbia Pictures films 1940s English-language films Films scored by George Duning Films scored by Morris Stoloff Films about musical theatre Films directed by Henry Levin Jukebox musical films Musical films based on actual events Films with screenplays by Sidney Buchman Cultural depictions of Al Jolson 1940s American films