The Jolson Story (1946) - film review

The son of an immigrant Jewish cantor, Asa Yoelson would rather spend his hours in burlesque theatres than at the synagogue learning to be a good Jew.  When vaudevillian Steve Martin invites Asa to join him in his act, having heard him sing, the boy can hardly believe his good fortune.  Unfortunately, his father has other ideas and refuses to let Asa pursue such a disreputable career.  Undeterred, Asa runs away from home and begins a successful partnership with Steve.  Several years later, Asa is offered work with a minstrels troupe and reluctantly parts with his friend and mentor.  One evening, Asa comes across a jazz band and is so mesmerised by what he hears that he misses his show.  He immediately gets an idea for a new act, but his manager is not interested.  A theatre manager on Broadway is more enthusiastic, however, and young Asa gets his big break.  The Al Jolson legend has just been born...

Whilst it may play fast and loose with the actuality to the extent that it is virtually a work of fiction, The Jolson Story still manages to be one of Hollywood’s better attempts at a musical biography, thanks to its impressive production values and  a spellbinding central performance from Larry Parks.  This was Parks’ big breakthrough role and he throws everything he has into his superlative imitation of the man who is often cited as the greatest entertainer of the Twentieth Century.

Jolson not only provided the singing voice for Parks  but also spent many hours coaching the actor to replicate his mannerisms to perfection.  Parks was nominated for an Oscar but was cruelly denied the award.  1947 was an exceptionally competitive year for the Oscars and Parks was up against James Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life and Laurence Olivier in Henry V.  The award went to Fredric March for his work on The Best Years of Our Lives.  The Jolson Story was rewarded with two Oscar wins, in the Best Sound and Best Music categories.

This is a film which no fan of Al Jolson can miss and for non-fans it is still a highly entertaining piece of escapism, despite the abundance of clichés.  It includes 25 of Jolson’s numbers, including such all-time hits as You Made Me Love You and My Mammy, whilst shedding some light on the great man himself.  Particularly revealing is the film’s depiction of the conflict between Jolson’s personal and professional life.  There is a poignant reminder of the downside to the celebrity as we see that a star may end up living not for himself but merely to please those who adulate him.

Admittedly, a lot of the less wholesome aspects of Jolson’s life are subtly airbrushed out of the picture.  There’s hardly a hint of the performer’s well-known monomaniacal tendencies and no mention whatever of his first two short-lived marriages. Ruby Keeler, Jolson’s third wife, refused to give permission for her name to be used, so she was renamed Julie Benson in the film.  The Jolson Story is hence by no means an accurate biography, but rather a rags to riches fairytale of the kind that Jolson’s followers would like to believe was true.  And who wants to see all the imperfections in a man’s character anyway?  This is a heartwarming tribute to a performer who was loved the world over and who gave everything to his art, even at the risk of personal happiness.   The Al Jolson story continued in the same vein in the equally enjoyable sequel Jolson Sings Again (1949), in which Larry Parks reprises the role for which he is best remembered.

© filmsdefrance.com 2009

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