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Jolson and his Friends
Within the more than fifty years of
his career, Al Jolson met and hobnobbed with many well-known
personalities, whether they were from the entertainment field or
elsewhere.
During the decades of the thirties and
forties, Al Jolson was the star of five different radio programs,
both on CBS and NBC. Without doubt, his last radio broadcast
program, "Kraft Music Hall," was his finest.
Jolson was the star of his own
radio program over a period of sixteen years. During this time, many
well-known (and lesser known) stars from radio, stage and screen
appeared.
Below is a display of photographs
of those who appeared on his radio broadcasts, prefaced by others
with whom
he appeared with publicly and whom he supported, e.g. Presidents Harding
and Coolidge.
You will also find photographs of
Jolson with studio head Jack Warner, Daryll F. Zanuck, as well as
other notables, such as Irving Berlin, Bing Crosby and other stars of the
"silver
screen". |
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JOLSON AND THE PRESIDENTS
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Jolson
supported Republican Harding in his race for the White House,
partially out of personal friendships, but also because the
Party's platform included the desire for the U.S. to stay out
of European affairs, which was to Jolson's liking. Jolson also
accepted the presidency of the "Harding and Coolidge
Theatrical League."
Jolson even
collaborated on a less-than-spectacular song about Harding,
entitled "Hardin, You're the Man for Us."
left: Jolson here appears with
Warren G. Harding in 1920.
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In Oct 1924, Jolson was invited
to the White House to have breakfast with Calvin Coolidge.
There, on the White House lawn, he introduced a new song for
his campaign entitled "Keep Cool with Coolidge."
As Vice-President, Coolidge
had succeeded to the presidency upon the death of President
Harding in 1923.
Coolidge was elected in his own right as President in Nov
1924.
left: Jolson appearing at the White House with
President Calvin Coolidge in 1924. |
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Jolson starred in the first
full-length Hollywood feature film with sound. The production
of this film was supported by the Warner Bros. studio which
was run by the Warner brothers, namely Sam and Jack Warner.
Most of the films that Jolson would star in would come out of
the Warner Bros. studios.
Zanuck was an Academy-award
winning producer, writer, actor and director who had moved
into a management position at Warner Bros. in 1929.
The first Academy Awards was held in that same year. A special
Oscar was presented to production head Zanuck, which he
accepted on behalf of Warner Bros. for "producing 'The Jazz
Singer,' the pioneer outstanding talking picture, which has
revolutionized the industry." He dedicated this special Oscar
to Sam Warner, Jack's brother, who passed away the day
before "The Jazz Singer" premiered.
left:
all photos are of Al Jolson with studio boss Jack Warner (left) and Daryll
F. Zanuck (right), 1929. |
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JOLSON AND ASSOCIATES
1929
Daryll F. Zanuck (far
left), Irving Berlin (next to Zanuck),
Al Jolson (next to Berlin), Jack Warner (next to Jolson) et
al. |
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JOLSON AND THE FILM STARS
1929left to
right: Al Jolson, Mary Pickford, Ronald Coleman, Gloria
Swanson,
Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin (front row), Samuel
Goldwyn (back row), Eddie
Cantor (front row),
the names of the other men in the back row are unknown. |
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Bob Hope
1948 |
Paul Whiteman
1938 |
Walter Winchell
1945 |
Bing Crosby
at the Races
cir late 1930s |
Martha Raye
1940 |
George Jessel
1935 |
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Ed "Archie" Gardner
1948 |
Jimmy Durante
cir 1947-9 |
Ezio Pinza
1948 |
Frankie Laine
1949 |
Andrew Sisters
1949 |
Dennis Day
1949 |
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Dick Powell & Rudy Vallee
1935 |
Eddie Cantor & Jimmy Durante
1935 |
J. Edgar Hoover
1947 |
Jimmy Walker
1946 |
Ethel Merman & Martha Raye
1939 |
Irving Berlin
on a golf course
1932 |
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Milena Miller
1947 |
Edgar G. Robinson
1947 |
Eddie Arnold
cir 1947-9 |
Judy Garland
1948 |
Clifton Webb
1948 |
Roy Rogers &
Dale Evans
1949 |
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Groucho Marx & Oscar Levant
1948 |
Jack Benny &
Phil Harris
194? |
Eddie Cantor, George Burns &
Gracie Allen
1948 |
William Bendix
et al
cir 1947 |
Bing Crosby &
Oscar Levant
cir 1947-8 |
Oscar Levant &
Lou Bring
cir 1947-9 |
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Read about Al
Jolson's friend George Jessel
here. |
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