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Rating:  - give that man a spotlight !!!
The Jolson Story is the first in what is essentially a two part biopic of the life and times of Al Jolson. Unfortunately, the story has been changed quite a bit from what the reality was for Jolson. However, the convincing acting is incredible and the plot moves along at a very good pace.
We see the movie begin with young Asa Yoelson (who changed his name to Al Jolson) coming very late for his father's synagogue service because he was singing in a burlesque theater. Of course, Asa Yoelson gets quite a punishment from his parents, Cantor Yoelson and Mrs. Yoelson (Ludwig Donath and Tamara Shayne, respectively). Eventually Asa runs away from home to join up with a vaudevillian named Steve Martin (William Demarest) and Asa gets his start in show business and a name change along the way. We also see Jolson constantly moving up the ladder and getting more and more of the spotlight especially after he leaves Steve Martin and joins Lew Dockstader's show. We then see Al move to the Winter Garden Theater where he loves his audience and they love him for living them.
Al eventually hires Steve Martin to be his manager and proceeds to tackle show business with a manic fit that never seems to stop. After every triumph, Al wants more. He falls in love and marries Julie Benson (Evelyn Keyes) although in real life Jolson was never married to anyone named Julie Benson. He was in fact married to four women including Ruby Keeler; and for some reason I can't figure out there is no mention of Ruby Keeler in this movie. There's also some doubt that Al Jolson's father was actually a Cantor in a synagogue.
What will happen after Al marries Julie Benson--a woman who wants to live life at a slower pace in the country? How will Al and his wife reconcile their differences? He wants to entertain and tour in big cities; she wants to the simple, quiet life. No spoilers here--watch the movie to find out the answers to these questions and more!
The DVD offers few extras; but with a film this good, you can overlook the lack of extras and even, to some extent, the discrepancies between Al Jolson's real life and the biopic. I guess Hollywood in 1946 wanted to "sanitize" Al Jolson's story especially since he was still living at the time this film was released. However, I'm disappointed in the discrepancies between Jolson's real life and the life story told in this movie. I will give four stars to The Jolson Story on DVD.
Even with its flaws, I still highly recommend this for people who want to know about one of America's greatest entertainers ever. It has been said time and again that Al Jolson was one of the first to be able to reach out to his adoring audiences and make every last person feel that he was truly singing to them and them alone. Al Jolson deserves to be remembered much, much more than he is; and this movie is a great way for us to remember the remarkable talents of this man.
Rating:  - One of the best!
Sometime in 1946 I remember standing in line with my Aunt Dixie at the Paramount Theater in Marion, Indiana, waiting to see one of the more enjoyable musical bio flicks of a major entertainer ever produced for the silver screen. We saw it twice that week. I would do it again today in a heartbeat. The vocals of Al Jolson are infectious and addictive, the songs memorable and Larry Parks needs only to be remembered for this characterization to have a place among Hollywood's fine performances. No one could have equalled his effort and complete command of the Jolson personna. His performance is magnificent, and the support of Evelyn Keyes, William Demarest, Bill Goodman, etc. is superlative. I'm not one to quibble on facts and figures when entertainment is the objective. I highly recommend this Columbia masterpiece.
Rating: - You like old movies...you haven't lived till you see this one!
Like anothers, I've also seen this movie many times in the early 60's as a kid growing up in Newark N.J. I used to run around the house singing the songs! I never forgot how much I enjoyed this movie! I bought a used tape of this movie (vhs) about 10 plus years back and have watch it another 30-50 times...I even work on my computer and listen to it! I just like it, it works for me ....I hope someone reads this and decides to watch it for the first time. But you have to watch it ten to twenty times till you can just the club! Maybe it reminds me of my own childhood. I hope to receive my dvd that I just ordered from [...] by my 55th birthday,just weeks away. This movie always entertains me, yet you may not even like it, I hope you do! I imagine if you haven't seen it you wouldn't buy it! If you watched this in the pass you can easily get hooked(addicted). You haven't seen nothing yet ! Have a good life!
Rating: - You ain't heard nothing yet
I think the Jolson Story should be required viewing ... the energy, vitality of the Jolson voice can transform a cloudy day to pure sunshine. Just a great movie..outstanding acting by Larry Parks and of course the Jolson voice...you'll find yourself singing in the shower for weeks afterwards. A five star, must see.
Rating: - The Jolson Story
A superior musical of the 1940s. The film has held up well over 60 years. I first watched it when I was in grade school, then most recently at the age of 52, and I was surprised at how solid it remains. Like most biopics of its day, it plays fast and loose with the facts, but the story is entertaining and the production values very high. Lost of wonderful details and a great cast. Parks (oscar nomination) cannot convey the dynamic charisma reported about the live performances of the man he portrays, but then, Jolson himself could not do that on film, either. Still, Parks gives it his all, and lip sinchs magnificently. Terrific character actors fill in all the gaps. Still a great film.
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