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 a member of a

Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of '' The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engel ...

cell, which led to his

blacklisting Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist (or black list) of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list. If someone is on a blacklist, t ...

by all

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

studios. His best known role was

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American 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-billed ...

, whom he portrayed in two films: ''

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) and '' Jolson Sings Again'' (1949).

Life and career

Parks was born in

Olathe, Kansas Olathe ( ) is the county seat of Johnson County, Kansas, United States. It is the fourth-most populous city in both the Kansas City metropolitan area and the state of Kansas, with a 2020 population of 141,290. History 19th century Olathe wa ...

, the son of Nellie (Klausman) and Frank H. Parks. He was raised in his mother's religion of Judaism. He was raised in

Joliet, Illinois Joliet ( ) is a city in Will and Kendall counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. At the 2020 census, the city was the third-largest in Illinois, with a population of 150,362. His ...

, and graduated from Joliet Township High School in 1932. He attended the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Uni ...

as a pre-med student, and played in stock companies for a few years. He went to Hollywood at the suggestion of

John Garfield John Garfield (born Jacob Julius Garfinkle, March 4, 1913 – May 21, 1952) was an American actor who played brooding, rebellious, working-class characters. He grew up in poverty in New York City. In the early 1930s, he became a member of ...

, who said a part in a Warner Bros. film called ''Mama Ravioli'' was being held for him. The movie was cancelled, but Parks wound up signing a movie contract with

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

in 1941.

Supporting player

As did most Columbia contract players, he played supporting roles in higher-budgeted films, and larger roles in B pictures. Parks could be seen in '' Mystery Ship'' (1941) and ''

Harmon of Michigan ''Harmon of Michigan'' is a 1941 American film starring Anita Louise and Larry Parks. Ostensibly a biopic about University of Michigan football player Tom Harmon's post-collegiate career as a coach, it was actually filmed immediately upon his grad ...

'' (1941). He could be seen in the "A" films '' You Belong to Me'' (1941) and ''

Three Girls About Town ''Three Girls About Town'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Leigh Jason and starring Joan Blondell, Binnie Barnes and Janet Blair (in her film debut). It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The story was written by Rich ...

'' (1941). He could also be seen in ''

Sing for Your Supper Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

'' (1941), '' Harvard, Here I Come'' (1942), '' Blondie Goes to College'' (1942), ''

Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terri ...

'' (1942), '' Alias Boston Blackie'' (1942), '' North of the Rockies'' (1942), '' Hello, Annapolis'' (1942), and ''

Submarine Raider '' Submarine Raider'' is a 1942 American war film directed by Lew Landers and starring John Howard. Plot Production Budd Boetticher was working as an assistant director at Columbia Pictures, notably to George Stevens on ''The More the Merrie ...

'' (1942). Parks was also in an A-movie, ''

They All Kissed the Bride ''They All Kissed the Bride'' is a 1942 American screwball comedy film directed by Alexander Hall and starring Joan Crawford and Melvyn Douglas. The plot follows a trucking firm executive who falls in love. Crawford took over the title role a ...

'' (1942) with

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion pict ...

. Then he was in war films such as ''

Flight Lieutenant Flight lieutenant is a junior Officer (armed forces)#Commissioned officers, commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) RAF officer ranks, system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries. I ...

'' (1942) and ''

Atlantic Convoy ''Atlantic Convoy'' is a 1942 American war film directed by Lew Landers. The story follows naval patrols based on the Icelandic coast battling the German U-boats during World War II, and the German efforts to infiltrate their operations with ...

'' (1942). Parks was in '' A Man's World'' (1942) and had a bigger part in '' The Boogie Man Will Get You'' (1942) with

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established ...

and

Peter Lorre Peter Lorre (; born László Löwenstein, ; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, first in Europe and later in the United States. He began his stage career in Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before movin ...

. Parks had a tiny part in '' You Were Never Lovelier'' (1942). He was in '' Power of the Press'' (1943), ''

Reveille with Beverly ''Reveille with Beverly'' is a 1943 American musical film starring Ann Miller, Franklin Pangborn, and Larry Parks directed by Charles Barton, released by Columbia Pictures, based on the ''Reveille with Beverly'' radio show hosted by Jean Ruth H ...

'' (1943), ''

Redhead from Manhattan ''Redhead from Manhattan'' is a 1943 comedy film directed by Lew Landers and written by Joseph Hoffman. The film stars Lupe Vélez in one of her last screen appearances, Michael Duane, Tim Ryan, Gerald Mohr, Lillian Yarbo and Arthur Loft. The fi ...

'' (1943) with

Lupe Vélez María Guadalupe Villalobos Vélez (July 18, 1908 – December 13, 1944), known professionally as Lupe Vélez, was a Mexican actress, singer and dancer during the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. Vélez began her career as a performer in Mexican ...

, ''

First Comes Courage ''First Comes Courage'' is a 1943 American war film, the final film directed by Dorothy Arzner, one of the few female directors in Hollywood at the time. The film was based on the 1943 novel ''Commandos'' by Elliott Arnold, adapted by George Skl ...

'' (1943) directed by

Dorothy Arzner Dorothy Emma Arzner (January 3, 1897 – October 1, 1979) was an American film director whose career in Hollywood spanned from the silent era of the 1920s into the early 1940s. With the exception of longtime silent film director Lois Weber (who d ...

, and ''

Destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed ...

'' (1943) with Glenn Ford. Parks had bigger parts in '' Is Everybody Happy?'' (1943), '' Deerslayer'' (1943), ''

The Racket Man ''The Racket Man'' is a 1944 American crime film directed by D. Ross Lederman. Plot A racketeer gets his draft notice and becomes a soldier. He comes across a criminal organization while in the Army and decides to do something about it. Cast ...

'' (1944), '' Hey, Rookie'' (1944), and ''

Jam Session A jam session is a relatively informal musical event, process, or activity where musicians, typically instrumentalists, play improvised solos and vamp over tunes, drones, songs, and chord progressions. To "jam" is to improvise music without ...

'' (1944).

Leading man

Parks graduated to leads with ''

The Black Parachute ''The Black Parachute'' is a 1944 American war film directed by Lew Landers and starring John Carradine, Osa Massen and Larry Parks. The ''Chicago Daily Tribune'' said the film had "an engrossing story and is graced by excellent acting - notabl ...

'' (1944), '' Stars on Parade'' (1944), '' Sergeant Mike'' (1944), and '' She's a Sweetheart'' (1944). He supported

Paul Muni Paul Muni (born Frederich Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund; September 22, 1895– August 25, 1967) was an American stage and film actor who grew up in Chicago. Muni was a five-time Academy Award nominee, with one win. He started his acting career in ...

in ''

Counter-Attack A counterattack is a tactic employed in response to an attack, with the term originating in "war games". The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy during attack, while the specific objectives typically seek ...

'' (1945). He was in a Western '' Renegades'' (1946), with

Evelyn Keyes Evelyn Louise Keyes (November 20, 1916 – July 4, 2008) was an American film actress. She is best known for her role as Suellen O'Hara in the 1939 film ''Gone with the Wind''. Early life Evelyn Keyes was born in Port Arthur, Texas, to Omar Do ...

. When Columbia was preparing a screen biography of Al Jolson, many big-name stars were considered for the title role, including

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

and

Danny Thomas Danny Thomas (born Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz; January 6, 1912 – February 6, 1991) was an American actor, singer, nightclub comedian, producer, and philanthropist. He created and starred in one of the most successful and long-running sitc ...

(both of whom turned it down), but resident contractee Larry Parks was reportedly the first actor to be interviewed. Parks impressed the producers and won the role. At the age of 31, his performance in ''The Jolson Story'' (1946) earned him an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

nomination for Best Actor.

Stardom

Teresa Wright and Larry Parks - Ford Theatre 1954

Now that Parks was a fully-fledged star, Columbia kept him busy in elaborate productions. He appeared opposite the studio's biggest star,

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

, in '' Down to Earth'' (1947). That year, exhibitors voted him the 15th-biggest star in the US. Then, he made some swashbucklers, '' The Swordsman'' (1948) and '' The Gallant Blade'' (1948). Parks tried to break his contract with Columbia in 1948, but was unsuccessful. That year he criticised the House Un-American Activities Committee (''HUAC''). He made ''Jolson Sings Again'' (1949), which was another huge box-office hit. His co-star in the film,

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'' (1957–1966), earning her a 1959 Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting A ...

, teamed with him again in the comedy feature '' Emergency Wedding'' (1950). In 1950 he and his wife announced plans to make their own film ''Stakeout''. British exhibitors voted him the 9th-most popular star in the UK.

Blacklisting

In 1951, Parks was summoned to appear before the ''HUAC'' under threat of being blacklisted in the movie industry, but he begged not to be forced to testify. He eventually did so in tears, only to be blacklisted anyway. Parks eventually gave up the names of his former colleagues to the committee. Following his admission before the committee,

dropped him from his contract, although it had four years to run, and Parks had been set to star in the film ''Small Wonder'' (which later became '' The First Time''). At the time, Parks' fee was $75,000 a film. A romantic comedy he made for MGM, '' Love Is Better Than Ever'', was shelved for a year. He made a TV film for '' The Ford Television Theatre'' in 1953 and starred in the British film '' Tiger by the Tail'' (1955) in England. He continued to squeeze out a living acting on the stage and doing occasional television programs. His last appearance in a major role was in the

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

film, '' Freud: The Secret Passion'' (1962).

Later career

Parks eventually left the film industry and formed a successful construction business. Eventually, he and his wife, Betty Garrett, owned many apartment buildings scattered throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Rather than sell them upon completion, Parks decided to retain ownership and collect rents as a landlord, a decision that proved to be extremely profitable. During that period, the couple occasionally performed in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

showrooms,

summer stock In American theater, summer-stock theater is a theater that presents stage productions only in the summer. The name combines the season with the tradition of staging shows by a resident company, reusing stock scenery and costumes. Summer stock th ...

productions, and touring companies of Broadway shows.

Personal life

Parks married actress Betty Garrett in 1944. She starred in Hollywood films such as '' On the Town'' and on television as

Archie Bunker Archie is a masculine given name, a diminutive of Archibald. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Archie Alexander (1888–1958), African-American mathematician, engineer and governor of the US Virgin Islands * Archie Blake (mathemati ...

's neighbor Irene Lorenzo on ''

All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS for nine seasons, from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. Afterwards, it was continued with the spin-off series ''Archie Bunker's Place'', which picked up where ''All in ...

'' and as landlady Edna Babish on '' Laverne and Shirley''. Her career also faced turmoil as a result of her marriage to Parks, and the two spent much of the 1950s doing theatre and musical variety shows. Together, they had two sons, actor

Andrew Parks Andrew Lawrence Parks (born March 1, 1951) is an American film and television actor. Born in Los Angeles, California to actors Larry Parks and Betty Garrett, Andrew Parks made his film debut at the age of 11 but did not continue his acting caree ...

and composer Garrett Parks. Larry Parks was also godfather to actor

Jeff Bridges Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Bridges comes from a prominent ac ...

. A Democrat, he supported Adlai Stevenson's campaign in the 1952 presidential election.''Motion Picture and Television Magazine'', November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers Parks died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

in 1975 at the age of 60.

Filmography

* '' Mystery Ship'' (1941) as Tommy Baker * ''

'' (1941) as Harvey * '' You Belong to Me'' (1941) as Blemish (uncredited) * ''

'' (1941) as Reporter * ''

'' (1941) as Mickey (uncredited) * ''

Honolulu Lu ''Honolulu Lu'' is a 1941 American musical film directed by Charles Barton and written by Eliot Gibbons. The film stars Lupe Vélez, Bruce Bennett, Leo Carrillo, Marjorie Gateson, Don Beddoe and Forrest Tucker. The film was released December 11, ...

'' (1941) as Sailor (uncredited) * ''

Harvard, Here I Come! ''Harvard, Here I Come!'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Lew Landers and stars Maxie Rosenbloom, Max 'Slapsie Maxie' Rosenbloom, Arline Judge, Stanley Brown, Don Beddoe, Marie Wilson (American actress), Marie Wilson, and Virginia Sale ...

'' (1941) as Eddie Spellman * '' Blondie Goes to College'' (1942) as Rusty Bryant * ''

'' (1942) as Recruit Kincaid * '' Alias Boston Blackie'' (1942) as Joe Trilby * '' North of the Rockies'' (1942) as Jim Bailey * '' Hello, Annapolis'' (1942) as Paul Herbert * ''

'' (1942) as Sparksie * ''

'' (1942) as Joe Krim (uncredited) * ''

'' (1942) as Cadet Sandy Roth (uncredited) * ''

'' (1942) as Gregory * '' A Man's World'' (1942) as Chick O'Driscoll * '' The Boogie Man Will Get You'' (1942) as Bill Layden * '' You Were Never Lovelier'' (1942) as Tony (uncredited) * '' Power of the Press'' (1943) as Jerry Purvis (uncredited) * ''

'' (1943) as Eddie Ross * ''

'' (1943) as Flirt (uncredited) * ''

'' (1943) as Capt. Langdon (uncredited) * ''

'' (1943) as Ens. Johnson (uncredited) * '' Is Everybody Happy?'' (1943) as Jerry Stewart * '' The Deerslayer'' (1943) as Jingo-Good * ''

'' (1944) as Larry Lake * '' Hey, Rookie'' (1944) as Jim Leighter * ''

'' (1944) as Actor at Superba Pictures (uncredited) * ''

'' (1944) as Michael Kaligor Lindley * '' Stars on Parade'' (1944) as Danny Davis * '' Sergeant Mike'' (1944) as Pvt. Tom Allen * '' She's a Sweetheart'' (1944) as Rocky Hill * ''

'' (1945) as Kirichenko * '' Renegades'' (1946) as Ben Dembrow (Ben Taylor) * ''

'' (1946) as Al Jolson * '' Down to Earth'' (1947) as Danny Miller * ''

Her Husband's Affairs ''Her Husband's Affairs'' is a 1947 American romantic comedy film directed by S. Sylvan Simon and starring Lucille Ball and Franchot Tone Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone (February 27, 1905 – September 18, 1968) was an American actor, produc ...

'' (1947) as Himself (uncredited) * '' The Swordsman'' (1948) as Alexander MacArden * '' The Gallant Blade'' (1948) as Lt. David Picard * '' Jolson Sings Again'' (1949) as Al Jolson * '' Emergency Wedding'' (1950) as Peter Judson Kirk Jr. * '' Love Is Better Than Ever'' (1952) as Jud Parker * '' Tiger by the Tail'' (1954, UK) as John Desmond * '' Freud: The Secret Passion'' (1962, UK) as Dr. Joseph Breuer (final film role)

Television

References

External links

* * Video
''The Jolson Story''
compilation of film clips
Photographs and literature
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parks, Larry 1914 births 1975 deaths 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American male actors Actors from Joliet, Illinois American male film actors American male stage actors California Democrats Columbia Pictures contract players Hollywood blacklist Illinois Democrats Jewish American male actors Male actors from Illinois Male actors from Kansas Members of the Communist Party USA People from Olathe, Kansas University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumni