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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ม.ค. 2021
- Al Jolson was one of the most famous entertainers in the first half of the 20th century. While mostly dominating the theatre, he also ventured into film, TV and other mediums. His modern recognition nowadays is his main role in the first talkie film The Jazz Singer (1927). Considered the King of Broadway; much like Elvis is the King of Rock and Roll or MJ as the King of Pop. However, unlike the examples stated, his legacy seemed to have swept under the rug. Why?
Colour Version here: • Al Jolson: A Superstar...
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The world's greatest entertainer he was definitely not racist helped a lot of black entertainers he was a minstrel he didn't need a microphone to project his voice he had a vibration like no other other top performers came to watch him perform on Sundays when they had a day off Al performed all the time
Jolson was the Elvis of the 20s. Probably an even greater success, all things considered.
Jolson was the first superstar well before anyone else; he was virtually the story of entertainment itself.
You did a fine job young man. Thanks for bringing Al Jolson to the attention to those who may have never heard of him. He was a great entertainer .
Love Al Jolson and never thought of racist profile with him just admired his singing voice the most! first heard him age five in the Jolson story my dad took me in Germany.
People should hear him sing.
I was so happy to find this. You, as a young man of this generation, have done a wonderful job of telling the truth. When the woke mob of "cancel culture" call him racist, it makes my blood boil. He was never a racist, when he found that black people couldn't go to a certain cafe, he went with this black friends and said if they wont serve us I'll punch someone on the nose. Al means so much to me. My parents played his music. His voice and his dancing is thrilling, he absolutely paved the way for the greats who followed.
Excellent! God bless you!
He was the world’s Greatest Entertainer. 👍
Note: I completely forgot to mention that Al was Jewish which explains why I talked about Jews at 7:35. His upbringing was very Jewish that his father was a rabbi and a cantor.
Nicely done. The first time I heard Jolson was in 1946 when as a youngster I saw the Jolson Story. I've been hooked on him ever since. I should say that no one that I knew thought of Jolson as a racist. He was just an awesome performer who made you feel good.
For those interested in Al Jolson, two movies were made about his life. And although not totally accurate, for the most part it was. Larry Parks played Al Jolson. 'The Jolson Story' was made in 1946, with Al Jolson doing all the singing, and Larry Parks lip syncing. The sequel 'Jolson Sings Again' was made in 1949, just one year before Jolson's death and was equally successful. 'The Jolson Story'
film was a tremendous financial success, and won Academy Awards for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture (Morris Stoloff), and Best Sound Recording (John Livadary). It was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Larry Parks), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (William Demarest), Best Cinematography, Color (Joseph Walker) and Best Film Editing (William A. Lyon).The film was also entered into the 1947 Cannes Film Festival.
It made $7.6 million in 1946! Not bad for an old washed up singer. It introduced Jolson to a whole new younger audience who were kids then but are now in their 70's and 80s and older.
Here is the links to watch 'The Jolson Story' and 'Jolson Sings Again' for free on TH-cam.
'The Jolson Story'
th-cam.com/video/cRCv2eEQfDo/w-d-xo.html
'Jolson Sings Again'
th-cam.com/video/r8cFskATpBw/w-d-xo.html
Jolson was the greatest entertainer of modern times!! Terrific and artfully done video!
He created modern times he gave me a life beyond my dreams God bless him
Love you too hearing from you is hevingly he turned myself and artist singer musician sculpture around a creator first degree bar none the wiser people know about him the less shall come to know of the king...
Nice video, nice to see younger people doing a video on Al
Let's put it this way, there have been thousands of great singers and performers, and then you have LEGENDS. For example; Bing Crosby, Judy Garland,, Nat King Cole, The Rolling Stones are GREAT. But they don't quite make it to 'LEGENDARY'.
Here are the acts I considered LEGENDARY. And there's not that many.
AL JOLSON,
FRANK SINATRA,
CHUCK BERRY,
ELVIS PRESLEY,
THE BEATLES
and
MICHAEL JACKSON.
No women? What about the recently deceased Tina Turner?
Absolutely agree with this. Knowing his story as a working class Polish Jew and his good reputation in the black community, of the time (which was earned by through his consistent friendships with + professional support for black artists).. His legacy deserves a re-appraisal. It's entirely possible to abhor blackface minstrel performances (by non-black folks) and also see Jolson as a positive figure. I'd love to see a biopic about him.
You can watch Larry Parks who was blacklisted play him!
Larry did a great job.
I liked your open, well-rounded approach to this controversial artist. We have to take such beautiful care in assessing the meaning of another person's life: knowing that people are complex, contradictory, full of clashing elements. No one is pure or flawless. An appreciation of historical context is an absolute must, but too many people are so quick to lacerating judgment. (An even better -- and more tragic -- example more recently is what has happened to Lillian Gish -- the mother of film.) I'm a bleeding heart liberal, even to the left of FDR perhaps, but too many activists these days lack a deep knowledge of history, culture, and psychology. More understanding, curiosity, and gentleness is the answer.
Controversial?
Why on earth is he controversial? He 'blacked up' so did Judy Garland at MGM, that was the thing of the time, right or wrong. There is nothing controversial about him at all. He was an entertainer and even if he was alive today he should not have to explain himself to anyone about 'blacking up' or defend himself from people presuming that he must therefore be a racist. It is other people who have the problem not him. History is just that, history, it's the past, its gone. We learn from it, not apologise for it. He has nothing to apologise for.
@@varietyguy He's so hugely controversial that chances are almost certain that you couldn't build a university course around him today. The students would rebel, the Dean would call you in to explain yourself, and the media would be all over this. If you went to college decades ago you wouldn't understand: everything has changed dramatically.
99% of people under the age of 30 wouldn't know who Bogart & Bacall are.
This is very good and well researched!! MORE MORE PLEASE??
Thank you for the informative video. I'm glad people know of him, but I also fear what could happen if the mainstream were to get ahold of him.
What do you mean, what would happen?
Really good! I like your theory about Jolson performing in blackface it is got meReally good! I like your theory about Jolson performing in blackface it is got me thinking a lotReally good! I like your theory about Jolson performing in blackface it is got me thinking a lot.
I am into All forms of earlyEntertainment Which includes minstrel shows And black face performers. I've been a fan of jokes and since I was Very little from playing his records.
Nice job all the way around!
You're title about The jazz singer being approved for all ages in the UK is interesting, because the people in UK or not so hung up with blackface performersThe jazz singer being approved for all ages in the UK is interesting, because the people in UK or not so hung up with blackface performers.
Also on the final statement about The Jazz Singer in the U.K. Your country wasn't a racist country like the U.S. was and STILL is. The U.K. didn't have discrimination and segregation. Blacks weren't hosed and lynched. That's why when The Beatles first toured the U.S. down south, they were SHOCKED to see a rope at one of their scheduled performances, separating blacks from whites. When they saw that, especially John Lennon, they were appalled. They said they would NOT perform unless the rope was taken down and black kids could sit with white kids. Well that caused a big fight between the racist promoter and The Beatles. He threatened to sue them if they didn't perform. But they held firm to their feelings and said go ahead and sue, we are not going to play if the rope stays.
Guess what?
THE ROPE CAME DOWN!
The greedy promoter had already sold the tickets, and he stood to lose a lot of money if he had to cancel and return all the money. Either way, the point is, The Beatles played to a crowd of kids black and white mixed.
True story.
True Legends
some of his work has dated - yes - blackface - if you can forgive me for using the word - but he had one of the great voices of the last century - therefore can not be ignored - discussed, yes, criticized, but not forgotten - my favorite Jolson film is - Halluala I'm a bum (Tramp) in Britain - the dialogue is often in rhyme and thankfully no one is in blackface - historically it was for a time an accepted part of the entertainment industry - that Jolson hung on to for far too long - actors from minority races were treated badly when it came to casting in pre-war Hollywood - but Al Jolson is an important figure in American showbusiness history - a man of his time - an entertainer who could not perform today as he did in the 1920s, but we must not ignore history - perhaps play a record and hear that voice -
His legacy has NOT been swept under any rug, he is one of the most influential entertainers of the whole of the 20th century not just first half. It's only wokeness and cancel culture which sets out to try and make us feel ashamed of our past all the time and political correctness gone mad. Life is hard, so wear a helmet if someone is always going to be offended by everything and everyone, or go and live in a cave and wrap yourself up in cotton wool. Jolson has got nothing to apologise for and why on earth should he.
Exactly!!
Through the magic of digital technology 2 LEGENDS who never met. Sing a duet together.
ELVIS PRESLEY and AL JOLSON!
Simply magnificent!
th-cam.com/video/y73L2rjZPmQ/w-d-xo.html
The first busker to be the people's king
African American music was part of American culture way before Al Jolson. Even Blacks wore black face on stage. Conversely some of the early jazz combos were integrated but the record buyers didn't know because there was no picture
@varietyguy
0 seconds ago
King of Blackface performers was a lofty title during the first half of the 20th Century.
I’m an American White nationalist and race realist who loves Al Jolson so I’m not bothered by the Blackface.
Why should Jolson remain cancelled?
Minstrel blackface started to integrate the performers and their traditions on the great stages of this country.
It was against the law in most
places for the interracial mingling
.Blackface was a disguise and also a mask that helped the comic actors be expressive.
There was no racist or degrading aspect to this tradition.
Unfortunately, whilst negative reviews of Jolson continue to give a totally unbiased opinion of him concerning blackface and in doing so totally ignore circa 1920's show business - as a whole - this will remain the sad situation.
You speak about Jolson as though you grew up under a rock! C’mon, man. What’s up with that?
Parabéns.
Frank Sinatra was named Entertainer of the century!
This has certainly been researched, and presented with, although from a now young generation perspective, at least in a considered and balanced way. The only aspect that IS OVER EMPHASISED, AND TOO FINER POINT ON IT IS the INFERENCE. THAT BLACKFACE/ is the sole reason. Al Jolson is not well known today/ FPRGOTTEN/ RELEGATED TO HISTORY ETC!! All though there has been protest, and some limitation of performing blackface. it has over the now 73 years of Al's passing/ restricted little the showing on TV and Cinema, the internet of his movies, clips etc or the selling of them, nor has it had very little negative effect on stills of it on records/ cd's/ or any other means of all his audio work that has been offered since 1950. It of course is not just entirely of the presence of Black Face why in reality Al Jolson actually has not been forgotten, or not heard of, as SUGGESTED HERE! but basically his on going appeal/ particularly a unique one of a kind voice, that gives a special impact to most every thing he sings, in blackface or not. The reason why his work is not as exposed, promoted, advertised, presented as is the likes of frank Sinatra/ Bing Crosby/Dean Martin/ Perry Como/ Judy Garland/ and others considered also in the all, or older, type Entertainment genre, is first and foremost he dates back further than all of these, so the shareholders/ the people in the boardrooms etc FEARING THIER CONTEMOPORARY IMAGE, and it's market! AVOID HIM, BEST THEY CAN, plus there is less good quality product of his to present/ compared to these others who lived into a more technically advantaged age. It is actually incredible how the interest in him has remained constant over the past 73 years/ with all the different idols that have come along and so much has changed technically, and just the way humanity perceives things generally, even more so when you consider he had a career dating back for some 50 odd years before he passed. There is not too many others with a similar record.. All though his older work/ dating back to the 1910's is somewhat archiac and is limited to historian type interest, his later work/ particularly after WW2 is still quite up to date, and most listenable
I don’t think that Jolson invented blackface. It had been around in vaudeville for years and years. You seem to give the impression that Al J. invented it. Your “moralizing” comes across as predictable and petty.
Nice vid. Not totally accurate for the most part. You could never know the real man (not many could). First off he was the biggest egomaniac of that era, he was also a very cruel man. Yes, he was the a great entertainer and I love to watch his movies (although he was a terrible actor) and listen to his recordings. Milton Berle put it best "to see Jolson as a performer, I'd walk to the end of the Earth, to see him as a man, I wouldn't cross the street". Read his brothers book "Mistah Jolson" to get a better idea (and Harry was a loving brother)! Or watch the many documentaries on TH-cam. Did you know that when he became famous, he wouldn't sing a composers song unless they put him down as one of the composers? Jolson couldn't compose, it was just greed. So a starving composer had to list him on top! And the whole prejudiced thing means nothing because Jolson was only interested in one person , Jolson. At his funeral, George Jessel (who was suppose to be in the first talkie) did his eulogy and you can hear it here. But he later stated, that he was talking about the performer, not the man. As a performer he was the King, as a man, he was not liked.
I love the background music, "Mother of Mine". A great song by a great performer. (I'll leave it at that)!
For his day he was no Jimmy saville nor Michael Jackson no Rolf Harris and unbeknownst I shook the hand of the last person sad isn't it he and his ego may have been a musical instrumental force not overly abused you try to walk in his shoes a gambling man who loved to look you in the face and could blessing's upon him.