The Jolson Story

My grandmother has always had the same affinity to watch movies as I do. In fact she is the one who has introduced me to many of my favorites including Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Steel Magnolias (1989), and Schindler’s List (1993). So when she suggested (and even purchased) The Jolson Story (1946) for me to watch, I should have popped it right into the DVD player and given it a try. But for some reason, I kept putting this one off. I finally watched it for the first time late last semester and I fell in love with it.

The Jolson Story (1946) DVD Cover
The Jolson Story (1946) DVD Cover

The Jolson Story (1946) is a biopic (or Biographic Picture) about the life of Asa Yoelson (Scotty Beckett), a young Jewish boy who has a superior talent for singing. He finds himself an act with a man named Steve Martin (William Demarest) who trains the young Yoelson in the ways of show business. As his career takes off, he changes his name to Al Jolson (Larry Parks) but also begins to make demands for himself. It’s not that he is conceited, but he’s ambitious in an industry that hadn’t seen much change in the time that it has existed.

Al rose from the ranks of vaudeville to Minstrel shows until he finally made it on Broadway bringing with him a new style of music: Jazz, and new ideas like tours and stage runways.

The Real Al Jolson
The Real Al Jolson

I don’t know what it is with Early Hollywood and biopics-or me and biopics for that matter. There is a fair amount of irony in my love of biopics because often they aren’t really all that true. But they are fun to watch and they are always success stories because there wouldn’t be much need for them otherwise.

It’s also worth mentioning that The Jolson Story is technically a musical and I love musicals about as much as I love film. And this movie isn’t just about Al Jolson, it also covers some major shifts in the history of the theatre. Odds are that not many people have ever heard of a Minstrel Show or how Jazz became a style of music on Broadway.

There are two reasons why The Jolson Story is such an interesting film for a film major. The first is because of the historical aspects of the film. The most important of these would be the Minstrel shows. So a bit of history for those of you who don’t know. The Minstrel shows or Minstrelsys began in the 1830’s. They were variety shows where a majority of the cast were white actors preforming in black face. Today they are considered horridly racist but for over 100 years, these shows were very popular.

Larry Parks in Blackface as Al Jolson
Larry Parks in Blackface as Al Jolson

A fun fact about Mistrels is that they would often involve a dance called a “Cake Walk”. This was the white actors’ way of making fun of the way that African Americans’ often danced. The funny part is that the dance that they were emulating was actually the African Americans making fun of the “stick-up-the-butt” way that the white people walked and danced. Therefore, it was white people making fun of themselves and they didn’t even know.

There is another important historical aspect of Jolson’s life in this movie is also a very important moment in film history. When Hollywood wanted a star to test out their new invention, the talking picture, they asked the most influential star on Broadway: Al Jolson. That moment in time is so important to the history of film and the reason why this film is possible.

The second reason that this film is so interesting is that it utilizes a Hollywood technique that you really can’t argue with in this film. That technique is lip-dubbing. Now, there is no doubt in my mind that Larry Parks had a lovely voice but there is only one man in the world that could sing in the distinct style of Al Jolson, and that is Al Jolson.

Larry Parks as Al Jolson
Larry Parks as Al Jolson

So when they wanted to make a movie about his life, they asked the real Al Jolson to sing his own songs. Had he not been so old at the time, he probably would have played himself (he auditioned for it). Usually I would be against lip-dubbing as a practice but this film really gives the audience the ability to hear the beautiful voice of a true Broadway and Hollywood legend. What more could you ask for?

Now, just as an obvious disclaimer, not everything this film says about Jolson is true. Hardly any Hollywood Biopics are even close to being true. However, this film is among the ranks of films that, although partially untrue, contains a fair amount of truth about the life and work of a real legend.

Suggestions This Week: Mostly True Hollywood Biopics

The Jolson Story* (1946)

Till the Clouds Roll By* (1946)

My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Chaplin (1992)

Lincoln (2012)

*Musicals

2 thoughts on “The Jolson Story”

  1. From a film perspective, my argument would be that it’s called the entertainment industry for a reason. There are a lot of independent filmmakers that will value story and truth over entertainment and they often produce beautiful films but I often wonder if they are really achieving anything if no one wants to see their film. I certainly hope that no person goes to see a movie and assumes everything in the film is true because it says that it is based on a true story. That would by horrifically misleading and they would probably end up having a lot of issues with a lot of films. Should a film completely change the story and pass it off as truth (The Blind Side)? Maybe not. But if the audience is looking for absolute reality, they are not going to find it among the Hollywood elite.

  2. I found your post this week really interesting because, while I do like to watch movies, I often don’t know about the history of film making itself. I have come to notice, however, that many of Hollywood’s portrayal of real life events, is often inaccurate. Sometimes they are minor inconsistencies and other times they are major events that are left out or changed in order for the film to becoming more appealing to the target audience. So my question to you, as a film major, is which is more important; telling the story completely as it happened, or altering certain facts to make the film more entertaining for the audience?

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