Simultaneously one of the finest and MOST NEGLECTED musicals of Hollywood's "Golden Era." One can only attribute this to the current atmosphere of political correctness that so erodes truth and learning in our society. No one (or very few, at least) are willing or able to understand what blackface really meant and how it was used and who used it. It is a sad situation and has lead to almost complete amnesia that pervades our time regarding Al Jolson and this fabulous film biography.
Great songs sung by a master showman. No special effects beyond the dubbing of Jolson's voice by Larry Parks. No explosions, rapes, bloodletting. No morphing, shape-shifting aliens. No loud, tuneless music. No rap "songs" extoling attitude and misogyny. Imagine a world like this one and you have "The Jolson Story." If you are under 45 you probably don't know what this means.
Great songs sung by a master showman. No special effects beyond the dubbing of Jolson's voice by Larry Parks. No explosions, rapes, bloodletting. No morphing, shape-shifting aliens. No loud, tuneless music. No rap "songs" extoling attitude and misogyny. Imagine a world like this one and you have "The Jolson Story." If you are under 45 you probably don't know what this means.