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IMDbPro

Larry Parks(1914-1975)

  • Actor
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Larry Parks
An examination of Czech-Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud's career when he began to treat patients diagnosed with hysteria, using the radical technique of hypnosis.
Play trailer2:22
Freud (1962)
2 Videos
63 Photos
When amiable Columbia Pictures actor Larry Parks was entrusted the role of entertainer Al Jolson in the biopic The Jolson Story (1946), his career finally hit the big time. Within a few years, however, his bright new world crumbled courtesy of the House Un-American Activities Committee after the actor admitted under pressure that he was once affiliated with the Communist Party. Although he unwillingly testified in 1951, he was still (unofficially) blacklisted. Never-say-die Larry managed to continue his career in years to come - both here and abroad, on stage and in nightclubs - alongside steadfast wife Betty Garrett. His film career, however, literally came to a standstill and would never be the same again.

Samuel Klausman Lawrence Parks was born in Olathe, Kansas, on December 13, 1914, of German and Irish descent. As a child growing up in Joliet, Illinois, he was plagued by a variety of illnesses, including rheumatic fever, but persevered with physical exercise and sheer strength of will. Majoring in science at the University of Illinois, his plans to become a doctor dissolved when, to the dismay of his parents, he found a passionate sideline in college dramatics.

He began appearing in touring shows, then made the big move to New York, finding initial employment as an usher at Carnegie Hall and a tour guide at Radio City. Following a number of summer stock shows, he made an inauspicious 1937 Broadway debut with a minor role in the Group Theatre's presentation of "Golden Boy". Developing a close-knit relationship with the Group, he was just beginning to build up his resumé in such Broadway outings as "All the Living", "My Heart's in the Highlands" and "Pure in Heart" when he had to return to his Illinois home following the death of his father.

He toiled for a time in Chicago as a Pullman inspector on the New York Central Railroad until the possibility of a film role had him re-setting his acting sights on Los Angeles. Although the film deal fell through, Larry stayed in L.A. and somehow made ends meet working construction. Columbia expressed interest in the fledgling actor and signed him up in 1941 after a favorable screen test. He stayed for nine years. His buildup was slow-moving, taking his first small step with a minor role in Mystery Ship (1941). Time, however, did not increase the tempo or quality of his movies. Either he was oddly cast, such as his role as an Indian opposite exotic Yvonne De Carlo in The Deerslayer (1943), or completely dismissed, as co-star of such obscurities as The Black Parachute (1944), Sergeant Mike (1944) or She's a Sweetheart (1944).

His association with the Group Theatre back in New York led to a chance introduction to musical actress Betty Garrett and the couple married in 1944. Larry had settled by this time in Hollywood but Betty was a hot item on Broadway. MGM finally offered her a contract and she relocated to Los Angeles to join her husband. The couple eventually had two children, one of whom, Andrew Parks, became a fine actor in his own right. Their other son, Garrett Parks, served as composer for the film Diamond Men (2000).

Larry scored an Oscar nomination playing Jolson (which was originally offered to both James Cagney and Danny Thomas), and hoped for equally challenging roles. His hopes were dashed as the studio instead continued casting him haphazardly in mild-mannered comedies and swashbuckling adventures. Other than the box-office sequel Jolson Sings Again (1949), most of Larry's films were hardly worthy of his obvious talent. To compensate somewhat, he managed to find a creative outlet in summer stock, and both he and Betty put together a successful vaudeville act with one tour ending up playing London's Palladium.

Following the completion of Love Is Better Than Ever (1952) with Elizabeth Taylor, the political scandal erupted and erased all of his chances to do film. One of many casualties of Hollywood "blacklisting", he was forced to end his association with Columbia, and he and Betty, whose own career was damaged, traveled to Europe to find work.

He found some TV parts after the controversy died down, and Betty and Larry were a delightful replacement for Judy Holliday and Sydney Chaplin on Broadway in "Bells Are Ringing". During the many meager times, he concentrated on becoming a successful businessman, including building apartment complexes. He made only two more films, last playing a doctor in the Montgomery Clift starrer Freud (1962). By the time he died of a heart attack on April 13, 1975, at age 60, Larry had long faded from view. Betty, however, managed to revitalize her career on TV sitcoms with regular roles on All in the Family (1971), Laverne & Shirley (1976), and roles on numerous other TV series before passing on February 12, 2011.
BornDecember 13, 1914
DiedApril 13, 1975(60)
BornDecember 13, 1914
DiedApril 13, 1975(60)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Nominated for 1 Oscar
    • 1 nomination total

Photos63

Marguerite Chapman and Larry Parks in The Gallant Blade (1948)
Adele Mara, Chester Morris, and Larry Parks in Alias Boston Blackie (1942)
Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, Don Beddoe, Jeff Donnell, Maude Eburne, and Larry Parks in The Boogie Man Will Get You (1942)
Yvonne De Carlo and Larry Parks in The Deerslayer (1943)
Larry Parks in Her Husband's Affairs (1947)
Rita Hayworth and Larry Parks in Down to Earth (1947)
Rita Hayworth and Larry Parks in Down to Earth (1947)
Rita Hayworth and Larry Parks in Down to Earth (1947)
Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, and Larry Parks in The Boogie Man Will Get You (1942)
Rita Hayworth and Larry Parks in Down to Earth (1947)
Marguerite Chapman and Larry Parks in The Gallant Blade (1948)
Larry Parks in Jolson Sings Again (1949)

Known for

Evelyn Keyes and Larry Parks in The Jolson Story (1946)
The Jolson Story
7.2
  • Al Jolson
  • 1946
Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke in 9½ Weeks (1986)
9½ Weeks
5.9
  • Soundtrack("Bread and Butter")
  • 1986
Christina Applegate, Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, David Koechner, and Paul Rudd in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
7.1
  • Soundtrack("Bread & Butter")
  • 2004
Marguerite Chapman and Larry Parks in The Gallant Blade (1948)
The Gallant Blade
5.7
  • Lt. David Picard
  • 1948

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • Montgomery Clift, Susan Kohner, Larry Parks, and Susannah York in Freud (1962)
    Freud
    • Dr. Joseph Breuer
    • 1962
  • Dr. Kildare (1961)
    Dr. Kildare
    • Dr. Steven Waller
    • TV Series
    • 1962
  • Abel Fernandez, Nicholas Georgiade, Paul Picerni, and Robert Stack in The Untouchables (1959)
    The Untouchables
    • George 'Blackie' Dallas
    • TV Series
    • 1961
  • Suspicion (1957)
    Suspicion
    • Dr. Milt Krop
    • TV Series
    • 1958
  • The Ford Television Theatre (1952)
    The Ford Television Theatre
    • Dr. Lancaster
    • Hal Venner
    • Jeff Penland ...
    • TV Series
    • 1954–1957
  • Cross-Up (1954)
    Cross-Up
    • John Desmond
    • 1954
  • Elizabeth Taylor and Larry Parks in Love Is Better Than Ever (1952)
    Love Is Better Than Ever
    • Jud Parker
    • 1952
  • Emergency Wedding (1950)
    Emergency Wedding
    • Peter Judson Kirk Jr.
    • 1950
  • William Demarest, Barbara Hale, and Larry Parks in Jolson Sings Again (1949)
    Jolson Sings Again
    • Al Jolson
    • Larry Parks
    • 1949
  • Marguerite Chapman and Larry Parks in The Gallant Blade (1948)
    The Gallant Blade
    • Lt. David Picard
    • 1948
  • Ellen Drew and Larry Parks in The Swordsman (1948)
    The Swordsman
    • Alexander MacArden - aka Donald Frazer
    • 1948
  • Lucille Ball and Franchot Tone in Her Husband's Affairs (1947)
    Her Husband's Affairs
    • Larry Parks (uncredited)
    • 1947
  • Rita Hayworth in Down to Earth (1947)
    Down to Earth
    • Danny Miller
    • 1947
  • Evelyn Keyes and Larry Parks in The Jolson Story (1946)
    The Jolson Story
    • Al Jolson
    • 1946
  • Jim Bannon, Evelyn Keyes, Willard Parker, Larry Parks, and Forrest Tucker in Renegades (1946)
    Renegades
    • Ben Dembrow
    • Ben Taylor
    • 1946

Soundtrack

  • Seth Green, Mila Kunis, Alex Borstein, and Seth MacFarlane in Family Guy (1999)
    Family Guy
    • writer: "Bread and Butter"
    • TV Series
    • 2021
  • John Malkovich, Steve Carell, Don Lake, Ben Schwartz, Jimmy O. Yang, Tawny Newsome, and Diana Silvers in Space Force (2020)
    Space Force
    • writer: "Bread and Butter" (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 2020
  • Geraldine Hakewill and Joel Jackson in Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries (2019)
    Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries
    • writer: "Bread and Butter"
    • TV Series
    • 2019
  • Beatles (2014)
    Beatles
    • writer: "Bread and Butter"
    • 2014
  • Dancing with the Stars (2005)
    Dancing with the Stars
    • writer: "Bread and Butter"
    • TV Series
    • 2009
  • Christina Applegate, Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, David Koechner, and Paul Rudd in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
    • writer: "Bread & Butter"
    • 2004
  • Hilary Duff in Lizzie McGuire (2001)
    Lizzie McGuire
    • writer: "Bread and Butter"
    • TV Series
    • 2002
  • Simon Birch (1998)
    Simon Birch
    • writer: "Bread and Butter"
    • 1998
  • The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars (1998)
    The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars
    • writer: "Bread and Butter"
    • Video
    • 1998
  • Tohuwabohu (1990)
    Tohuwabohu
    • writer: "Bread and Butter" (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 1994
  • Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke in 9½ Weeks (1986)
    9½ Weeks
    • writer: "Bread and Butter"
    • 1986
  • Shindig! (1964)
    Shindig!
    • writer: "Bread and Butter"
    • writer: "The Birds Are for the Bees"
    • TV Series
    • 1964–1965
  • Hollywood a Go Go (1964)
    Hollywood a Go Go
    • writer: "Bread and Butter"
    • TV Series
    • 1965
  • Peter Adamson, Jean Alexander, Johnny Briggs, Margot Bryant, and Doris Speed in Coronation Street (1960)
    Coronation Street
    • writer: "Bread and Butter" (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 1964
  • William Demarest, Barbara Hale, and Larry Parks in Jolson Sings Again (1949)
    Jolson Sings Again
    • performer: "Carolina in the Morning", "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody", "Is It True What They Say About Dixie?", "For Me and My Gal", "Back in Your Own Backyard", "I'm Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover", "When the Red, Red, Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along", "Give My Regards to Broadway", "Chinatown, My Chinatown", "I'm Just Wild About Harry", "Baby Face", "I Only Have Eyes for You", "Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Goo' Bye!)", "California, Here I Come", "You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)", "Ma Blushin' Rosie", "My Mammy", "Swanee", "The Spaniard That Blighted My Life", "About a Quarter to Nine", "The Anniversary Song", "Waiting for the Robert E. Lee", "April Showers", "Sonny Boy" (uncredited)
    • 1949

Videos2

Trailer
Trailer 2:22
Trailer
Jolson Sings Again
Trailer 1:56
Jolson Sings Again

Personal details

Edit
  • Height
    • 5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
  • Born
    • December 13, 1914
    • Olathe, Kansas, USA
  • Died
    • April 13, 1975
    • Studio City, California, USA(heart attack)
  • Spouse
    • Betty GarrettSeptember 9, 1944 - April 13, 1975 (his death, 2 children)
  • Children
      Garrett Parks
  • Other works
    Stage: Appeared (as "Rafe") in "Beg, Borrow or Steal" on Broadway (1960). Musical. Music by Leon Pober. Lyrics by Bud Freeman. Material by Bud Freeman. Based on a story by Bud Freeman and Marvin Seiger. Music orchestrated by Peter Matz and Hal Hidey. Choreographed by Peter Hamilton. Directed by Billy Matthews. Martin Beck Theatre: 10 Feb 1960-13 Feb 1960 (5 performances). Cast: Richard Armbruster, Charles Arnett, Virginia Barnes, Eddie Bracken (as "Pistol"), Jean Bruno, Claiborne Cary, Colleen Corkrey, Harold Da Silva, Michael Davis, Shelia Dee, David Doyle (as "Blanding"), Jack Drummond, Garold Gardner, Betty Garrett (as "Clara"), Ellen Halpin, Dell Hanley, Tom Hestor, Esther Horrocks, Adriana Keathley, Georgia Kennedy, Fred Kimbrough, Sally Lee, Fran Leone, Bill Linton, Bernice Massi, Biff McGuire, Carmen Morales, Willard Nagel, Estelle Parsons, Betty Rhodes, Karen Sargent, Beti Seay, Lucinda Stevens, Michel Stuart, Roy Stuart, Mary Sullivan, John Tormey, Arthur Whitfield, Keith Willis, Mara Wirt, Richard Woods. Produced by Eddie Bracken, Carroll Masterson and Harris Masterson.
  • Publicity listings
    • 2 Print Biographies
    • 4 Articles

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    His movie career ended in 1951 when he was the first actor to admit that he had belonged to a Communist cell from 1941 to 1945 and was subsequently blacklisted.
  • Quotes
    [to the House Un-American Activities Committee, 1951] I would prefer, if you would allow me, not to mention other people's names. Don't present me with the choice of either being in contempt of this Committee and going to jail or forcing me to really crawl through the mud to be an informer.

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