vincentlynch-moonoi We all know that bio-pics of the era weren't very accurate...but that's okay...this is simply an interesting film. It's fairly well known that Jolson wanted to play himself in this film, but thank goodness he wasn't allowed to do so. Not just because he was too old for the part, but also because his ego would have ruined the film. Larry Parks was able to make Al Jolson likable...something Jolson couldn't have done for himself. And by the way, Larry Parks' lip-sinking to the real Jolson singing is simply outstanding. The same can be said for Scotty Beckett as he was playing the young Jolson.Of course, there's a lot of Black face in this film. Get over it. History -- whether pleasant or not -- is still history. And, if you read up on Jolson, you'll find that he was extremely popular with African-Americans of the time, and they flocked to honor him at his funeral. We can't understand it all now. That's not excusing the cultural faux pas (and that's putting it mildly) of Black face, but, the Black face phenomenon may not have been as black and white (no pun intended) as we see it today. Something to think about.Larry Parks was something of a one hit wonder (with the emphasis on "hit"), but his performance here is really one of the greatest performances in any bio-pic.And then there's Jolson. I was only a baby when Jolson died, but I've always thought that Jolson was something special...special unique. I don't imagine many of us would have liked him personally, and his voice was certainly not a traditional vocalist's voice of almost any era. But again, it was unique, and by the time this film was made, a special kind of mellow with high energy.And then there's the supporting cast. William Demarest, not usually one of my favorite character actors (although he's always "okay"). But, this role is more diverse for Demarest and he shines in it. Evelyn Keyes is also excellent as Julie Benson -- an amalgam of Jolson's actual 4 wives. Bill Goodwin is good as another performer and eventual director of a theater. Ludwig Donath is quite charming as Cantor Yoelson, Al's father. Scotty Beckett is excellent as the young Al Jolson. Tamara Shayne is good as Al's mother.Although the film pretends Jolson had only one wife (he actually married 4 times), they way they handle the rigors of show business and the effect it had on Jolson's marriages. Quite cleverly done.To be honest, aside from Larry Parks' off-color front tooth, which I found rather distracting, there's not much to criticize here (other than the typical bio-pic white wash), and much to praise. Back then, it was so popular that it revived Jolson's seriously flagging career just a few years before his death. BTW, if you have a chance, listen to the Bing Crosby - Al Jolson radio performances which are on DVD...quite fun and memorable.

robert-259-28954 What is so amazing about this film is how well it still stands up after all these years. When watching it, you can hardly believe it was made in 1946!! But this movie mainly belongs to the superb Larry Parks, who as many have remarked, "Was even better than Al Jolson," in his remarkable recreation. In fact, his performance was one of the best I've seen, clearly as good as Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles, or any of the many others that were to follow. The reason I called this movie a perfect film, was because it embodied all of the qualities a great movie should, from casting, to script, to direction and production values. I remember fondly enjoying this film as a young boy, and after watching on TV in 2013, it still managed to entertain. Kudos to the great William Demarest as Jolson's mentor and manager. But by far the only sad moment in this story was the REAL one, when Parks' burgeoning career was destroyed utterly by our version of The Spanish inquisition, the Joseph McCarthy era of fear and loathing in Los Angeles. May we never live to see such an abomination of what made this country great again.

calvinnme This movie started the wave of biopics that began after WWII. Larry Parks doesn't look the least bit like Al Jolson. For that matter, the script doesn't look much like Jolson's life either. However, the film is very entertaining with a few ironies for the classic film buff. When Parks is on stage, you really get a taste of Jolson in his prime. Al Jolson actually tutored Parks in how to move and interact with the audience using his own style, and it comes across well, even if it is obvious that you are hearing Jolson's voice during the performances and that this voice does not match Larry Parks' speaking voice at all.Jolson's life story has been sanitized here to keep in line with the values of the post-war motion picture production code, right down to extending the life of Jolson's mother an extra forty years - she died when Al was ten. Also, the movie has Jolson playing the career-absorbed bachelor until he meets his wife Julie Benson (code for Ruby Keeler) when he is in his forties. Yes, Al was career-absorbed, but he still went through two marriages and two divorces before he ever got to Ruby Keeler.Two very interesting points of the film involve the insertion of the fictional character Steve Martin that allegedly got Al into show business and also the choice of director. The first interesting point is that fictional character Steve Martin is played by William Demarest, who actually had a bit part in 1927's "The Jazz Singer". You'll see him sharing a plate of eggs with Al at Coffee Dan's just minutes before Al bursts into song in "Toot Toot Tootsie". Demarest was a bit player over at Warner's during the beginning of his career. He had no real association with Al Jolson that I know of. The second interesting point is the choice of director - Alfred E. Green. Mr. Green was among that group of directors that ground out the early talkies for Warner Bros during the time that Jolson was a star at that studio. However, he never directed any of the eight motion pictures that Al Jolson starred in for Warners. There were four directors that Jolson worked with over at Warner Brothers that were still alive when this film was made, but for some reason none of them got the job.At any rate, the movie is very entertaining and well-paced with great renditions of Jolson's acts and songs. For the unvarnished truth about Jolson's life, try to find a copy of the documentary "The Real Al Jolson Story" made in 1986 and originally telecast by Bravo, back when they really were dedicated to the performing arts and before they became so concerned with Top Chefs and Flipping Out - you know, the same kind of stuff you can find on 50 other channels.

Niv-1 A musical biopic of Al Jolson which stars Larry Parks. Parks got an Oscar nomination as did William Demarest who plays Jolson's mentor. Parks is excellent as Jolson. He has a real sense of enthusiasm and his eyes are expressive. You can see why he became a legendary entertainer. Jolson was the star of The Jazz Singer, the first "talkie." The black face is disturbing, but it was a popular form of entertainment. You hear Jolson's singing of hits like Mammy.One of the main selling points of the movie is not only Parks performance but the all of the scenes that led to Jolson becoming an entertainer. You see scenes from his youth and his family life. The actor who portrays the young Jolson is very good.