Jolson Sings Again (1949)

In this sequel to The Jolson Story, we pick up the singer's career just as he has returned to the stage after a premature retirement. But his wife has left him and the appeal of the ... See full summary »

Director:

Henry Levin

Writer:

Sidney Buchman

Stars:

Larry Parks, Barbara Hale, William Demarest

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Larry Parks	...	Al Jolson / Larry Parks
Barbara Hale	...	Ellen Clark
William Demarest	...	Steve Martin
Ludwig Donath	...	Cantor Yoelson
Bill Goodwin	...	Tom Baron
Myron McCormick	...	Ralph Bryant
Tamara Shayne	...	Moma Yoelson
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ray Carnay	...	Cantor Yoelson (singing voice)

Storyline

In this sequel to The Jolson Story, we pick up the singer's career just as he has returned to the stage after a premature retirement. But his wife has left him and the appeal of the spotlight isn't what it used to be. This time Jolson trades in the stage for life in the fast lane: women, horses, travel. It takes the death of Moma Yoelson and World War II to bring Jolson back to earth - and to the stage. Once again teamed with manager Steve Martin, Jolson travels the world entertaining troops everywhere from Alaska to Africa. When he finally collapses from exhaustion it takes young, pretty nurse Ellen Clark to show him there's more to life than "just rushing around".

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Plot Keywords:

singer | travel | troops | nurse | manager | 

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Genres:

Biography | Music

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Details

Official Sites:

Jolson site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 August 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Eterna Canção

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sidney Buchman Enterprises, Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to an interview with Ray Henderson, one of the composers of "Sonny Boy", the song was written as a satire. They were tired of Al Jolson's "Mammy"-type songs and wanted to write one so syrupy and sentimental that he wouldn't sing it. He heard it, loved it, changed a few of the lyrics and made it his signature tune.

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Goofs

The headline "Forced By Weather To Cut Radio Programs" appears first next to a story about Al Jolson going overseas to entertain the troops and then again, several years later, next to an article about Jolson's successful return to show business.

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Quotes

Ellen Clark: [leaving room] My! We'll soon be smart as pigs!

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Connections

Follows The Jolson Story (1946)

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Soundtracks

Carolina in the Morning
(uncredited)
Music by Walter Donaldson
Lyrics by Gus Kahn
Performed by Larry Parks (dubbed by Al Jolson)

User Reviews

The Continuing Jolson Saga

Jolson Sings Again was a film that was almost demanded to be made by the general public. The Jolson Story had generated a comeback for Al Jolson and he was in the word of one of his hit songs, 'sitting on top of the world' in 1949.

He was going on all cylinders in 1949. Jolie hadn't commercially recorded since 1932. He had done a record of Swanee and April Showers in 1945 that went nowhere. But with the success of The Jolson Story, Decca signed him to a long term deal and he was prolifically recording all his old songs and new contemporary material besides. You should hear his Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific, but not in Jolson Sings Again unfortunately.

Jolson had also replaced Bing Crosby after a couple of interim hosts as star of radio's Kraft Music Hall as Crosby changed sponsors first from Philco Radio to Chesterfield. They guested on each other's programs and those shows are priceless. In fact Bing is mentioned in Jolson Sings Again, but Harry Cohn couldn't get Paramount to part with him for an appearance.

Larry Parks continues his lipsynching to over a dozen Jolson standards and returning from the first film with him are William Demarest, Bill Goodwin, Ludwig Donath, and Tamara Shayne. And this one in bringing Jolson's life up to date stuck closer to the facts than The Jolson Story.

Barbara Hale plays Jolson's fourth wife Erle Galbraith renamed Ellen Clark for the film. I guess Harry Cohn figured he had to since he'd renamed Ruby Keeler, Julie Benson in the first film. It is true she was an army nurse and she met Jolie as a patient there when he collapsed on a USO tour during World War II.

If you liked the first film and Al Jolson in general, no reason you won't like this one.