The Music... The Magic... The Times... of America's Greatest Entertainer.
At the turn of the 20th century, young Asa Yoelson decides to go against the wishes of his cantor father and pursue a career in show business. Gradually working his way up through the vaudeville ranks, Asa — now calling himself Al Jolson — joins a blackface minstrel troupe and soon builds a reputation as a consummate performer. But as his career grows in size, so does his ego, resulting in battles in business as well as in his personal life.
The Jolson Story (1946) is a drama and music film directed by Alfred E. Green, released on October 10, 1946 with a runtime of 2h 8m. It stars Larry Parks, Evelyn Keyes, William Demarest and Bill Goodwin. Viewers rate it 6.8 out of 10 across 18 ratings.
Larry Parks
as Al Jolson
Evelyn Keyes
as Julie Benson
William Demarest
as Steve Martin
Bill Goodwin
as Tom Baron
Ludwig Donath
as Cantor Yoelson
Scotty Beckett
as Asa Yoelson
Tamara Shayne
as Mrs. Yoelson
Jo-Carroll Dennison
as Ann Murray
John Alexander
as Lew Dockstader
Ernest Cossart
as Father McGee
Lilian Bond
as Woman (uncredited)
Frank Baker
as Audience Member (uncredited)
Directed by Alfred E. Green, written by Harry Chandlee, Andrew Solt and Stephen Longstreet, produced by Sidney Skolsky and Sidney Buchman.
Average viewer score of 6.8/10 from 18 ratings.
I can’t say I knew much about Al Jolson aside from his “Mammy”, and I’m not sure I really know that much more now. Larry Parks does, however, deliver quite engagingly as the young Jewish lad who was spotted by “Steve” (William Demarest) and in spite of strong objection from his father (Ludwig Donath) takes to the boards. He is a talented lad, no doubt about that, and so is quickly offered bigger and better parts…
Reviewed on June 5, 2025
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The Jolson Story (1946) is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of The Jolson Story (1946) includes Larry Parks, Evelyn Keyes, William Demarest, Bill Goodwin and Ludwig Donath. The film was directed by Alfred E. Green. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Jolson Story was released on October 10, 1946 and runs for 2h 8m.
The Jolson Story (1946) holds an average rating of 6.8 out of 10 from 18 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama and music films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
