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Al Jolson‌

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1886-05-26

Popularity

star0.7

Al Jolson

Sredniki, Kovno Governorate, Russian Empire [now Seredzius, Lithuania]

Al Jolson

Sredniki, Kovno Governorate, Russian Empire [now Seredzius, Lithuania]

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1886-05-26

Popularity

star0.7

Biography

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Al Jolson (May 26, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian singer, comedian and actor. In his heyday, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer".He was born in the Russian Empire (the part of which is now in Lithuania) and emigrated to America at the age of five with his Jewish parents. His performing style was brash and extroverted, and he popularized a large number of songs that benefited from his "shamelessly sentimental, melodramatic approach". Numerous well-known singers were influenced by his music, including Bing Crosby Judy Garland, rock and country entertainer Jerry Lee Lewis, and Bob Dylan, who once referred to him as "somebody whose life I can feel". Broadway critic Gilbert Seldes compared him to "the Great God Pan," claiming that Jolson represented "the concentration of our national health and gaiety." In the 1930s, he was America's most famous and highest paid entertainer. Between 1911 and 1928, Jolson had nine sell-out Winter Garden shows in a row, more than 80 hit records, and 16 national and international tours. Although he's best remembered today as the star in the first (full length) talking movie, The Jazz Singer in 1927, he later starred in a series of successful musical films throughout the 1930s. After a period of inactivity, his stardom returned with the 1946 Oscar-winning biographical film, The Jolson Story. Larry Parks played Jolson with the songs dubbed in with Jolson’s real voice. A sequel, Jolson Sings Again, was released in 1949, and was nominated for three Oscars. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Jolson became the first star to entertain troops overseas during World War II, and again in 1950 became the first star to perform for G.I.s in Korea, doing 42 shows in 16 days. He died just weeks after returning to the U.S., partly due to the physical exertion of performing. Defense Secretary George Marshall afterward awarded the Medal of Merit to Jolson's family. He enjoyed performing in blackface makeup – a theatrical convention since the mid-19th century. With his unique and dynamic style of singing black music, like jazz and blues, he was later credited with single-handedly introducing African-American music to white audiences. As early as 1911 he became known for fighting against anti-black discrimination on Broadway. Jolson's well-known theatrics and his promotion of equality on Broadway helped pave the way for many black performers, playwrights, and songwriters, including Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and Ethel Waters. Description above from the Wikipedia article Al Jolson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Movie Credits

The Jazz Singer

The Jazz Singer‌
star6.1
calendar 1927

Rhapsody in Blue

Rhapsody in Blue‌
star6.4
calendar 1945

Rose of Washington Square

Rose of Washington Square‌
star5.7
calendar 1939

Hollywood and the Stars

Hollywood and the Stars‌
star0.0
calendar 1964

Showbiz Goes to War

Showbiz Goes to War‌
star10.0
calendar 1982

Hollywood Handicap

Hollywood Handicap‌
star4.5
calendar 1938

Hollywood Cavalcade

Hollywood Cavalcade‌
star5.1
calendar 1939

Mammy

Mammy‌
star4.7
calendar 1930

The Legend of Rudolph Valentino

The Legend of Rudolph Valentino‌
star0.0
calendar 1961

Hallelujah, I'm a Bum

Hallelujah, I'm a Bum‌
star7.5
calendar 1933

Wonder Bar

Wonder Bar‌
star6.2
calendar 1934

Swanee River

Swanee River‌
star0.0
calendar 1939

The Singing Kid

The Singing Kid‌
star4.0
calendar 1936

New York Nights

New York Nights‌
star4.8
calendar 1929

Big Boy

Big Boy‌
star4.0
calendar 1930

The Singing Fool

The Singing Fool‌
star5.0
calendar 1928

A Plantation Act

A Plantation Act‌
star3.6
calendar 1926

Say It with Songs

Say It with Songs‌
star5.0
calendar 1929

Go Into Your Dance

Go Into Your Dance‌
star7.5
calendar 1935

Going Hollywood: The '30s

Going Hollywood: The '30s‌
star10.0
calendar 1984

Show Girl in Hollywood

Show Girl in Hollywood‌
star5.6
calendar 1930

Screen Snapshots: Series 16, No. 12

Screen Snapshots: Series 16, No. 12‌
star5.0
calendar 1937

The Golden Twenties

The Golden Twenties‌
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calendar 1950

The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk

The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk‌
star7.0
calendar 2007

Screen Snapshots: Memorial to Al Jolson

Screen Snapshots: Memorial to Al Jolson‌
star0.0
calendar 1952

The Jolson Story

The Jolson Story‌
star6.7
calendar 1946

Jolson Sings Again

Jolson Sings Again‌
star6.0
calendar 1949

Show-Business at War

Show-Business at War‌
star7.0
calendar 1943

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?‌
star5.7
calendar 1975

Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To

Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To‌
star9.0
calendar 1990

Take It or Leave It

Take It or Leave It‌
star4.0
calendar 1944

Okay for Sound

Okay for Sound‌
star5.0
calendar 1946

Salsa

Salsa‌
star0.0
calendar 1976

The Voice That Thrilled the World

The Voice That Thrilled the World‌
star5.3
calendar 1943

A Day at Santa Anita

A Day at Santa Anita‌
star5.0
calendar 1937

Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8

Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8‌
star4.0
calendar 1939

Studio Highlights

Studio Highlights‌
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calendar 1934

Purple Heart Diary

Purple Heart Diary‌
star0.0
calendar 1951

Tv Credits

Startime

Startime‌
star6.0
calendar 1959

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Alfred Hitchcock Presents‌
star7.7
calendar 1955