O Filme que Fala
2026 · Movie
as Jakie Rabinowitz (archive footage)
Al Jolson
1886-05-26
•
Sredniki, Kovno Governorate, Russian Empire [now Seredžius, Lithuania]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Al Jolson (born Asa Yoelson; May 26, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-born American singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. 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.
Filmography
Gene Kelly - An American in Hollywood
2025 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Sunshine State
2022 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
The Real Charlie Chaplin
2021 · Movie
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Charlie Chaplin, The Genius of Liberty
2020 · Movie
as archive footage
Vito
2011 · Movie
as Self (archive)
No image
The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk
2007 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Vaudeville
1997 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To
1990 · Movie
as (archive footage)
Going Hollywood: The '30s
1984 · Movie
as (archive footage)
Showbiz Goes to War
1982 · Movie
as (archive footage)
Salsa
1976 · Movie
as (archive footage)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
The Legend of Rudolph Valentino
1961 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Screen Snapshots: Memorial to Al Jolson
1952 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Purple Heart Diary
1951 · Movie
as Al Jolson (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Golden Twenties
1950 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Jolson Sings Again
1949 · Movie
as Himself (singing voice) (uncredited)
The Jolson Story
1946 · Movie
as Singing Voice / Al Jolson (uncredited)
Okay for Sound
1946 · Movie
Rhapsody in Blue
1945 · Movie
as Al Jolson
Take It or Leave It
1944 · Movie
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
Show-Business at War
1943 · Movie
as Self
The Voice That Thrilled the World
1943 · Movie
as Self (segment 'The Jazz Singer') (archive footage)
Rose of Washington Square
1939 · Movie
as Ted Cotter
Hollywood Cavalcade
1939 · Movie
as Al Jolson
Swanee River
1939 · Movie
as Edwin P. Christy
Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 8
1939 · Movie
as Al Jolson
Hollywood Handicap
1938 · Movie
as Himself
Screen Snapshots: Series 16, No. 12
1937 · Movie
as Self (uncredited)
A Day at Santa Anita
1937 · Movie
as Al Jolson (uncredited)
The Singing Kid
1936 · Movie
as Al Jackson
Go Into Your Dance
1935 · Movie
as Al Howard
Wonder Bar
1934 · Movie
as Al Wonder
No image
Studio Highlights
1934 · Movie
as Self
Hallelujah, I'm a Bum
1933 · Movie
as Bumper
Mammy
1930 · Movie
as Al Fuller
Big Boy
1930 · Movie
as Gus
Show Girl in Hollywood
1930 · Movie
as Al Jolsen
New York Nights
1929 · Movie
as Al Jolson
Say It with Songs
1929 · Movie
as Joe Lane
The Singing Fool
1928 · Movie
as Al Stone
The Jazz Singer
1927 · Movie
as Jakie Rabinowitz
A Plantation Act
1926 · Movie
as Self
No image
Farina & The Perpetual Shine Machine
· Movie
