Main Cast: Larry Parks, Barbara Hale, William Demarest, Ludwig Donath, Bill Goodwin
Release Year: 1949
Country: US
Run Time: 96 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Plot
This Technicolor follow-up to Columbia's 1946 blockbuster The Jolson Story again stars Larry Parks as legendary entertainer Al Jolson--and Jolson himself, as Parks' singing voice. The story concentrates on Jolson's tireless activities entertaining the troops during WW II. After VJ day, Jolson finds that his services are no longer required. Fortunately, he stages a spectacular comeback, thanks in great part to the release of The Jolson Story! The film's Pirandellian overtones come to a head when Larry Parks as Jolson meets Larry Parks as Larry Parks. Also returning from The Jolson Story are William Demarest as the title character's manager Steve Martin, Bill Goodwyn as Broadway-producer Tom Baron, and Ludwig Donath and Tamara Shayne as Jolson's old-world parents. Barbara Hale appears as Jolson's wife (his third, though this fact is not dwelled upon), renamed Ellen Clark for the moment, while Myron McCormick plays a composite character based on several Hollywood executives (including, one supposes, Columbia mogul Harry Cohn). Song highlights include "After You've Gone", "You Made Me Love You", "Let Me Sing and I'm Happy", "Sonny Boy", "About a Quarter to Nine", "April Showers", "Back in Your Own Backyard", and, of course, "Mammy". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Walter Holscher - Art Director, Jean Louis - Costume Designer, Henry Levin - Director, William Lyon - Editor, George Duning - Composer (Music Score), Morris W. Stoloff - Composer (Music Score), Morris W. Stoloff - Musical Direction/Supervision, William Snyder - Cinematographer, Sidney Buchman - Producer, William Kiernan - Set Designer, George Cooper - Sound/Sound Designer, Sidney Buchman - Screenwriter
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) trades in the stage for life in the fast lane: women, horses, travel. His father becomes increasingly concerned about his frivolous lifestyle. With the death of his mother 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), 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) to show him there's more to life than "just rushing around".
Reviews
"Jolson Sings Again bids fair to par The Jolson Story grosses and may even top them. In short, a smasheroo of unqualified proportions."[1]:8 "...Jolson's voice is still a formidable, awesome, and grandiously captivating instrument."[2]
"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."[3]:16
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."[4]
In what is probably a cinema first, Jolson, being portrayed by actor Larry Parks, meets an actor who is to portray him in an upcoming film--The Jolson Story, the prequel to Jolson Sings Again--and the actor he meets is Larry Parks, playing himself in a split-screen scene.[4]:116-117
The film was nominated for three Academy Awards: CINEMATOGRAPHY (Color) by William Snyder, MUSIC (Scoring of a Musical Picture) by Morris Stoloff and George Duning, and WRITING (Story and Screenplay) by Sidney Buchman.[4]:118
