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Al Jolson's second film, this movie features Davey Lee, with the immortal song "Sonny Boy." The DVD includes a special extra, helping to introduce the movie. |
Davey Lee made a comeback appearance in Al Jolson's third film, answering to "Little Pal." |
While we don't have the recently restored Technicolor sequences, the original trailer for this film is included on the DVD. |
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Al Jolson's only film played entirely in blackface, save the special ending, many feel that this film shows Jolson the closest to his stage performance. |
Along with a young Dick Powell, this movie includes the controversial "Goin' To Heaven on a Mule" sequence. The original trailer is on the DVD as well. |
The only movie Mr. and Mrs. Jolson made together, it is a delight as Al Jolson sings and Ruby Keeler dances. The original trailer is included on the DVD. |
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Al Jolson's great performance with costar Sybil Jason is not to be missed. This DVD includes the trailer for the movie, and the famous I Love To Sing-a cartoon featuring Owl Jolson. |
Billed after Tyrone Power and Alice Faye, Al Jolson stole the show of this film based on the life of Fanny Brice. Never before available, included in this DVD are Jolson's deleted scenes, and alternate audio takes specially produced for this DVD. |
Al Jolson appears in a cameo, but what a cameo, in this story about the birth of talkies. |
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With Al Jolson playing the legendary minstrel E.P.Christy, and Don Ameche as songwriter Stephen Foster, this film paints an affectionate, if fictionalized, biography of the composer of "Oh Susannah," "Camptown Races," and, of course, "Old Folks At Home," which provides the title for this movie, Swanee River. |
This film biography of George Gershwin, starring Robert Alda, is highlighted with the cameo of Al Jolson singing Gershwin's first, and greatest, hit, "Swanee." The DVD includes the original trailer, and even a cartoon! |
This extraordinary DVD is a beautiful compilation of every song performed by Al Jolson in every motion picture in which he appeared. With songs from A Plantation Act to the Jolson appearance with "Swanee" in The Jolson Story, this is almost three hours of The World's Greatest Entertainer singing his movie hits. A must have for Jolson collectors, this is also a great gift to highlight Jolson's film career.
Films included are: A Plantation Act, The Jazz Singer, The Singing Fool, Say It With Songs, Mammy, Big Boy, Wonder Bar, Go Into Your Dance, The Singing Kid, Rose of Washington Square, Hollywood Cavalcade, Swanee River, Rhapsody in Blue, and even Jolson's "Swanee" from The Jolson Story, presented as never before.
Each film can be played as a chapter, or the entire collection can be viewed continuously. Running time for the collection is two hours and forty-nine minutes. This DVD is offered exclusively by the International Al Jolson Society.
Within the tracks of this DVD, Jolson on Celluloid, are images of Al Jolson spanning almost forty years of his life. Including footage never before widely available to collectors, as well as videos specially prepared for this collection, it allows a unique view of an aspect of Al Jolson not seen in his feature film appearances.
There are clips of a young Al Jolson in front of an acoustic recording horn, and the mature man, billed as "The World's Greatest Entertainer," on his final tour before his favorite audience. Included are rare clips from battlefields during World War II and the Korean War, as well as several short films featuring Al Jolson.
Among the more than twenty segments are the Screen Test footage, shot by Jolson during the making of the film biography of his life, film of the Soldier Field program in Chicago during August, 1949, and home movies shot at the Jolsons' Encino home, featuring Al, Erle, Asa Jr., and Alicia.
There is also newsreel coverage of Al Jolson's funeral, as well as tributes done in his honor after his passing.
Each of these clips is presented in the best possible quality. While several of them were shot without sound, audio tracks have been added to suggest the flavor of the original program. Perhaps the best way to describe this DVD would be to paraphrase Jolson's famous catch phrase: Until you've watched this disc, you ain't seen nothin' yet!
On one DVD you can get two of the most significant Jolson Documentaries. The Hollywood and the Stars series from the early 1960s featured Joseph Cotton narrating the story of Jolson's life, told through film clips and story in an episode called "The Immortal Jolson." Although it took its title from the Pearl Sieben book, the information is part fact and part legend, folded into a half hour of black and white television from some 40 years ago.
Also included on the DVD is the British produced South Bank Show, which features Michael Freedland, who himself has written a Jolson biography, as narrator, and many more clips and legends. This show, which runs almost an hour, also includes interviews with Irving Caesar and others who knew Jolson and worked with him, as well as more modern stars who speak of their feelings for the man.
This DVD is certainly an important part of the Jolson history, and belongs in any Jolson fan's collection.
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