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person_profile-Al Jolson

Al Jolson Died at age: 64

Actor | Producer

Fullname:

Al Jolson

Date of Birth:

May 26, 1886

Country of birth:

Lithuania

Died:

Oct 23, 1950

Biography of

Al Jolson

    ​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Al Jolson (May 26, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian singer, comedian and actor. In his heyday, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer".He was born in the Russian Empire (the part of which is now in Lithuania) and emigrated to America at the age of five with his Jewish parents.

    His performing style was brash and extroverted, and he popularized a large number of songs that benefited from his "shamelessly sentimental, melodramatic approach". Numerous well-known singers were influenced by his music, including Bing Crosby Judy Garland, rock and country entertainer Jerry Lee Lewis, and Bob Dylan, who once referred to him as "somebody whose life I can feel". Broadway critic Gilbert Seldes compared him to "the Great God Pan," claiming that Jolson represented "the concentration of our national health and gaiety."

    In the 1930s, he was America's most famous and highest paid entertainer. Between 1911 and 1928, Jolson had nine sell-out Winter Garden shows in a row, more than 80 hit records, and 16 national and international tours. Although he's best remembered today as the star in the first (full length) talking movie, The Jazz Singer in 1927, he later starred in a series of successful musical films throughout the 1930s. After a period of inactivity, his stardom returned with the 1946 Oscar-winning biographical film, The Jolson Story. Larry Parks played Jolson with the songs dubbed in with Jolson’s real voice. A sequel, Jolson Sings Again, was released in 1949, and was nominated for three Oscars. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Jolson became the first star to entertain troops overseas during World War II, and again in 1950 became the first star to perform for G.I.s in Korea, doing 42 shows in 16 days. He died just weeks after returning to the U.S., partly due to the physical exertion of performing. Defense Secretary George Marshall afterward awarded the Medal of Merit to Jolson's family.

    He enjoyed performing in blackface makeup – a theatrical convention since the mid-19th century. With his unique and dynamic style of singing black music, like jazz and blues, he was later credited with single-handedly introducing African-American music to white audiences. As early as 1911 he became known for fighting against anti-black discrimination on Broadway. Jolson's well-known theatrics and his promotion of equality on Broadway helped pave the way for many black performers, playwrights, and songwriters, including Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and Ethel Waters.

    Description above from the Wikipedia article Al Jolson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Photos of

Al Jolson

Photos ( 3 Photos

Filmography of

Al Jolson

Found 27 Movies in total

Gene Kelly - An American in Hollywood

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 2025

Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To

(archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1990

Going Hollywood: The '30s

(archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1984

Showbiz Goes to War

(archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1982

Salsa

(archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1976

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1975

The Legend of Rudolph Valentino

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1961

Purple Heart Diary

Al Jolson (archive footage) (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1951

The Golden Twenties

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1950

Jolson Sings Again

Himself (singing voice) (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1949

The Jolson Story

Singing Voice / Al Jolson (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1946

Rhapsody in Blue

Al Jolson ( Actor )

... 1945

Take It or Leave It

Himself ( Actor )

... 1944

Swanee River

Edwin P. Christy ( Actor )

... 1939

Hollywood Cavalcade

Al Jolson ( Actor )

... 1939

Rose of Washington Square

Ted Cotter ( Actor )

... 1939

The Singing Kid

Al Jackson ( Actor )

... 1936

Go Into Your Dance

Al Howard ( Actor )

... 1935

Wonder Bar

Al Wonder ( Actor )

... 1934

Hallelujah, I'm a Bum

Bumper ( Actor )

... 1933

Big Boy

Gus ( Actor )

... 1930

Show Girl in Hollywood

Al Jolsen ( Actor )

... 1930

Mammy

Al Fuller ( Actor )

... 1930

New York Nights

Al Jolson ( Actor )

... 1929

Say It with Songs

Joe Lane ( Actor )

... 1929

The Singing Fool

Al Stone ( Actor )

... 1928

The Jazz Singer

Jakie Rabinowitz ( Actor )

... 1927