Vince Williams

Honorary member and representative

International Jolson Society

This year the International Al Jolson Society celebrates the 60th anniversary of the making of the film Jolson Sings Again which was premiered on 17 August 1949.

Columbia Pictures took a gamble on movie columnist Sidney Skolsky’s idea that the life of Al Jolson, with ‘Jolie’ as Al Jolson was called among friends, singing all his own songs, would be a box-office hit. And so The Jolson Story was premiered on 10 October 1946, and it was a phenomenal smash hit.

After the release of The Jolson Story, Al Jolson, at the age of 60, was again rated a top entertainer. Al Jolson and The Jolson Story’ were so successful that Columbia Pictures made a decision that was absolutely unique for a film biography of its kind. Columbia Pictures decided to film a sequel. Harry Cohn, the president of Columbia Pictures, put Sidney Buchman in charge of the new Jolson picture. Larry Parks was again back at Columbia Pictures and he was quickly signed on to play the lead in Jolson Sings Again.

Sidney Buchman, now the picture’s producer as well as screen writer, began to hire his cast. He brought back William Demarest as Jolson’s long-time friend and manager Steve Martin. He also brought back Ludwig Donath and Tamara Shayne as Papa and Mama Yoelson.

The only original cast number not to be included in the new picture was Evelyn Keyes who played Julie Benson, Jolson’s wife, in The Jolson Story. For the part of the new Mrs Jolson, Sidney Buchman hired the lovely screen actress Barbara Hale. Myron McCormick was also added to the cast as colonel Bryant who has effectively played the part as the Hollywood producer who thinks the life of Al Jolson is a suitable screen subject and persuades Al to try it.

In preparation for both Jolson stories, Larry Parks worked in front of mirrors. Larry rehearsed and recorded his skilful Al Jolson impersonations for Jolson Sings Again for six days a week for seven months, from 9am to 5pm before two mirrors, two-and-a-half metres high and five metres wide, to the blasting of a sound machine with mammoth 300-watt room-high speakers, with a vibration so powerful that they shook the desks in the publicity department at the Columbia Picture’s studio. Larry worked with a playback man, Truck Krone, who worked the record machine and Audrine Bryer, a dance choreographer. They wore out 400 records on playbacks, playing some numbers as many as 2,400 times.

The film covers the recent years in Al Jolson’s fabulous career, including his crusading efforts to entertain US men-of-war and as the first important entertainer to cover Europe, Alaska and the Caribbean.

Jolson Sings Again, Columbia Pictures’ extravaganza, was heralded with rave reviews by the critics and with big box-office success by the movie-going public. It is one of the best and most successful movie sequels in Hollywood history.

Al Jolson was in superb voice and the movie-going public must have agreed, as they made Jolson Sings Again the number one box-office film of 1949. That Larry Parks has made Hollywood history a second time in capturing all the qualities of Al Jolson, so different from himself, was no surprise to those who knew Larry. He loved making Jolson’s films and it was Larry’s portrayal that revived Jolson’s popularity. But there is no denying that Jolson’s voice was powerful and unique and Jolson in person had a great charisma when he performed.

In almost every detail Sidney Buchman’s screenplay is tasteful and sensible. As producer of the film, the same Mr Buchman has wisely not let the plot overrun the proceedings. Henry Levin’s direction is well-paced and the musical mixing is a tribute to all concerned, from maestro Morris Stoloff to orchestrators George Duning and Larry Russel, and musical advisor Sal Chaplin. Jolson Sings Again received Academy Award nominations for Best Writing, Cinematography and Musical Scoring.

By 1950, Al Jolson was seemingly more popular than ever. In Britain he had shown the way to another new business trend. His name was featured in the country’s very first batch of long-playing records with a selection from Jolson Sings Again.