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Jolson 101

Jolson's Musicals on Stage and Screen

Compiled by John Kenrick

(Copyright 2003)

Flyer for BomboA flyer for Jolson's Winter Garden hit Bombo, which kept him busy from Sept. 1921 though May 1924.

Unlike other stage and screen stars, Jolson performed exclusively in musicals. This list includes every Stage (in black) or Screen (in brown) musical Al Jolson appeared in. For a comprehensive listing of Jolson's thousands of vaudeville, screen, and radio performances, see Herbert G. Goldman's Jolson: The Legend Comes to Life (Oxford University Press, NY, 1988).


1908-1909

Stage: Lew Dockstader's Minstrels
National Tour
Role: Endman
(August 1908 - Dec. 1909)
Jolson sang solos, told jokes and appeared in skits

1911

Stage: La Belle Paree
The Winter Garden, New York
Role: Erastus Sparkler
(March 20, 1911 - 104 perfs.)
(Toured July - Nov. 1911)

Stage: Vera Violetta
The Winter Garden, New York
Role: Claude, a waiter
(Nov. 20, 1911 - 112 perfs.)

1912

Stage: A Night With the Pierrots
and The Whirl of Society
The Winter Garden, New York
Roles: The Humpback and Gus, a butler
(March 5, 1912 - 136 perfs.)
(Toured Sept. 1912 - Jan. 1913)

1913

Stage: The Honeymoon Express
The Winter Garden, New York
Role: Gus, a butler
(Feb. 6, 1913 - 156 perfs.)
(Toured Sept. 1913 - April 1914)

1914-1915

Stage: Dancing Around
The Winter Garden, New York
Role: Gus, a man of many parts
(Oct. 10, 1914 - 145 perfs.)
(Toured Feb. 1915 - Dec. 1915)

1916-1917

Stage: Robinson Crusoe, Jr.
The Winter Garden, New York
Role: Gus Jackson
(Feb. 17, 1916 - 139 perfs.)
(Toured Aug. 1916 - Nov. 1917)

1918-1919

Stage: Sinbad
The Winter Garden, New York
Role: Gus
(Feb. 14, 1918 - 164 perfs.)
(Toured Mar. 1919 - June 1921)

1921-1924

Stage: Bombo
Jolson's 59th Street Theatre, New York
Role: Gus
(Oct. 6, 1921 - 213 perfs.)
(Toured April 1922 - May 1924)

1925-1927

Stage: Big Boy
Winter Garden, New York
Role: Gus
(Jan. 7, 1925 - 48 perfs.)
(Aug. 24, 1925 - 120 perfs.)
(Toured Dec. 1925 - July 1927)

1926

Film: Plantation Act
Warner Brothers
Jolson appeared in this one reel talkie singing several of his standards, including "Rock-a-bye Your Baby."

1927

Film: The Jazz Singer
Warner Brothers
Role: Jack Robin

1928

Film: The Singing Fool
Warner Brothers
Role: Al Stone

1929

Film: Say It With Songs
Warner Brothers
Role: Joe Lane

1930

Film: Mammy
Warner Brothers
Role: Al Fuller

1930

Film: Big Boy
Warner Brothers
Role: Gus

1931-1932

Stage: The Wonder Bar
Nora Bayes Theatre, New York
Role: Monsieur Al Wonder
(Mar. 17, 1931 - 86 perfs.)
(Toured Sept. 1931 - April 1932)

1933

Film: Hallelujah, I'm a Bum
United Artists
Role: Bumper

1934

Film: Wonder Bar
Warner Brothers
Role: Al Wonder

1935

Film: Go Into Your Dance
Warner Brothers
Role: Al Howard

1936

Film: The Singing Kid
Warner Brothers
Role: Al Jackson

1939

Film: Rose of Washington Square
20th Century Fox
Role: Ted Cotter

1939

Film: Hollywood Cavalcade
20th Century Fox
Role: Himself

1939

Film: Swanee River
20th Century Fox
Role: E.P. Christy

1940-1941

Stage: Hold On To Your Hats
Shubert Theatre, New York
Role: The Lone Rider
(Sept. 11 1940 - 158 perfs.)
(Toured Aug. - Nov. 1941)

1945

Film: Rhapsody in Blue
Warner Brothers
Role: Himself

1945

Film: The Jolson Story
Columbia
Role: Himself (Voice only)
Note: Jolson does appear as himself in one brief long shot during the song "Swanee" -- but the rest of the visual performance is by actor Larry Parks.

1945

Film: Jolson Sings Again
Columbia
Role: Himself (Voice only)
Note: Again, Larry Parks provided the body & the acting -- with very entertaining results.

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