Jolson Sings Again *** (1949, Larry Parks, Barbara Hale, William Demarest, Ludwig Donath, Bill Goodwin, Tamara Shayne) – Classic Movie Review 11,545

Jolson Sings Again was the highest-grossing film of 1949 and received three Oscar nominations.

Director Henry Levin’s 1949  American musical biographical film Jolson Sings Again stars Larry Parks, who is back re-creating his Oscar-nominated performance as Al Jolson for the rather less amusing but still very entertaining and enjoyable sequel to the 1946 smash hit The Jolson Story, concentrating on his World War Two army-camp shows, loss of a lung and remarriage to wartime nurse Ellen Clark (Barbara Hale).

Also back are William Demarest re-creating his Oscar-nominated performance as Jolson’s agent Steve Martin, Ludwig Donath and Tamara Shayne as his parents, and Bill Goodwin.

His wife having left him, Jolson lives life in the fast lane. But with the beginning of World War Two, he returns to the stage and entertains the troops everywhere from Alaska to Africa. He collapses from exhaustion, but pretty young nurse Ellen Clark rescues him.

The problem is, the best of the tale has already been told, but the film’s value was acknowledged by three Oscar nominations (Best Cinematography, Color for William E Snyder, Best Scoring of a Musical Picture for Morris Stoloff and George Duning, Best Story and Screenplay for Sidney Buchman) and public acclaim: it was still 1949’s biggest grosser.

In an intriguing, possibly unique turn of events, Parks (as Jolson) meets Parks the actor, when in preparation for the film (The Jolson Story) to be made of his life, Jolson meets the actor who is to portray him.

Parks is on good form, Jolson is in good voice on the soundtrack, and the bright, hearty young Hale is an asset as the young nurse, adding warmth to the show.

On the soundtrack, the real Jolson sings more of his standards and the songs are again well mimed by Parks. Jolson Sings Again is worth it alone for the rush of nostalgic old tunes: ‘After You’ve Gone’, ‘I Only Have Eyes for You’, ‘You Made Me Love You’,‘ When the Red Red Robin’, and ‘Back in Your Own Backyard’.

Barbara Hale plays Ellen Clark.

The cast are Larry Parks as Al Jolson / Larry Parks, Barbara Hale as Ellen Clark, William Demarest as Steve Martin, Ludwig Donath as Cantor Yoelson, Bill Goodwin as Tom Baron, Myron McCormick as Ralph Bryant, Tamara Shayne as Moma Yoelson, Eric Wilton as Henry, Gertrude Astor. Peter Brocco, Martin Garralaga, Dick Gordon, David Horsley, Robert Emmett Keane, Jock Mahoney, David Newell, Marjorie Stapp, Virginia Mullen, Helen Mowery, Philip Faulkner Jr, Michael Cisney, Dick Cogan, Ben Erway, Steve Benton, and Joe Gilbert.

Parks and Hale were teamed again in the comedy feature Emergency Wedding (1950).

Parks’s career virtually ended when he admitted to having once been a member of a Communist Party cell, which led to his blacklisting by all Hollywood studios. In 1951, he was summoned to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and eventually gave them the names of his former colleagues. Parks married actress Betty Garrett in 1944 and, after Parks eventually left the film industry, they formed a successful construction business.

Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,545

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