Born Asa Yoelson, legendary entertainer Al Jolson and his family left Russia when he was a child. The son of a cantor, he first sang in a synagogue. His first show business job was with a circus, which he ran away from home to join; in 1906 he became a black-faced cafe and vaudeville entertainer. After he began working on the New York stage in 1909, he rose to stardom, and was considered by many to be the greatest entertaining talent of his time. In 1923 he was signed by D.W. Griffith to appear in Mammy's Boy, but the film was never made. Three years later he sang three songs in an experimental sound short, April Showers (1926). The following year Jolson became immortal when he starred in The Jazz Singer, the world's first talkie (though most of the sound was background music), in which he spoke several sentences including the famous line "You ain't heard nothin' yet." He next appeared in the part-talkie The Singing Fool (1928), which grossed more money than any film until Gone with the Wind (1939). Through the mid-'30s he starred in a number of formula musicals, but changing public tastes led to a gradual decline in his popularity. After Jolson received some attention for singing for troops in World War II, his life was the subject of the film The Jolson Story (1946), in which he dubbed the songs for star Larry Parks. The film was a great box office success, resulting in a sequel, Jolson Sings Again (1949). From 1928-39 he was married to actress Ruby Keeler, with whom he appeared in Go Into Your Dance (1935). He went on to entertain troops in Korea, shortly after which he died of a heart attack.
| Title | Year | Editors' Rating | User Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1920s
Archival Appearance |
2009 | |||
|
Hidden Hollywood: Treasures From The 20th Century Fox Vaults
Archival Appearance |
1997 | |||
|
Jacob's Ladder
Featured Music |
1990 | |||
| 1976 | ||||
|
The Immortal Jolson
Archival Appearance |
1963 | |||
|
Jolson Sings Again
Voice |
1949 | |||
|
The Jolson Story
Actor |
1946 | |||
|
Rhapsody in Blue
Actor |
1945 | |||
|
Hollywood Cavalcade
Actor |
1939 | |||
| 1939 | ||||
|
Swanee River
Actor |
1939 | |||
|
The Movies March On
Archival Appearance |
1939 | |||
|
The Singing Kid
Actor |
1936 | |||
|
Go into Your Dance
Actor |
1935 | |||
|
Wonder Bar
Actor |
1934 | |||
|
Hallelujah, I'm a Bum
Actor |
1933 | |||
|
The Heart of New York
Actor |
1932 | |||
|
Big Boy
Actor |
1930 | |||
|
Mammy
Actor |
1930 | |||
|
New York Nights
Songwriter |
1929 | |||
|
Say It with Songs
Actor |
1929 | |||
|
Sonny Boy
Actor, Songwriter |
1929 | |||
|
The Singing Fool
Actor |
1928 | |||
|
The Jazz Singer
Actor |
1927 | |||
| NOT YET RELEASED |

