Al Jolson (1886–1950)

Actor | Composer | Additional Crew

Al Jolson was known in the industry as "The World's Greatest Entertainer," for well over 40 years. ...

Born: May 26, 1886
Died: October 23, 1950 (age 64)

Photos

Filmography

Known For

The Jazz Singer Jakie Rabinowitz (1927)
King Kong Soundtrack (2005)
Payback Soundtrack (1999)
Known For

Time Bandits Soundtrack (1981)
Soundtrack

Mank (2020)
Lovecraft Country (2020)
Rose Matafeo: Horndog (2020)
The High Note (2020)
Brotherhood (2019)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2018)
Mystery Science Theater 3000 (2018)
Gotti (2018)
La Bolduc (2018)
The Death Switch (2018)
Planet California (2018)
The Leftovers (2017)
Huell's California Adventures: National Parks (2017)
Huell's California Adventures: Huell and Louie Hit the Road (2017)
Z: The Beginning of Everything (2017)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015)
Another (2014)
BioShock Infinite (2013)
The Oohs (2012)
Just 45 Minutes from Broadway (2012)
Finnish Blood Swedish Heart (2012)
Boardwalk Empire (2010-2011)
Showboaters (2011)
The Rite (2011)
Carsex (2010)
Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood (2010)
The Sons of Tennessee Williams (2010)
Robert Williams Mr. Bitchin' (2010)
Lennon Naked (2010)
Marmaduke (2010)
California's Gold (1999-2010)
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression (2009)
Agnes Moorehead Is God! (2008)
Leatherheads (2008)
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1920s: The Dawn of the Hollywood Musical (2008)
American Masters (1997-2007)
The Brothers Warner (2007)
Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)
Cold Case (2007)
The O.C. (2003-2007)
King Kong (2005)
The White Countess (2005)
Late Night with Conan O'Brien (2003-2005)
The Aviator (2004)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (2004)
Hollywood's Magical Island: Catalina (2003)
The Saddest Music in the World (2003)
Deutschland sucht den Superstar (2003)
A Guy Thing (2003)
Sinatra: The Classic Duets (2002)
One Night with Robbie Williams (2001)
I Love Lucy's 50th Anniversary Special (2001)
The Cat's Meow (2001)
Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (2001)
Bamboozled (2000)
When Brendan Met Trudy (2000)
Sweet and Lowdown (1999)
The Last September (1999)
Payback (1999)
The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (1998)
Hidden Hollywood: Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Film Vaults (1997)
Bogus (1996)
Richard III (1995)
Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
The Long Day Closes (1992)
Here's Looking at You, Warner Bros. (1991)
Palabras de mujer (1990)
Jacob's Ladder (1990)
Avalon (1990)
Goodfellas (1990)
Screen One (1989)
Roger & Me (1989)
It's a Living (1988)
Red Dwarf (1988)
Family Ties (1987)
Miami Vice (1987)
The Brave Little Toaster (1987)
The Singing Detective (1986)
Mr. Belvedere (1986)
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo (1985)
Phar Lap (1983)
The Benny Hill Show (1983)
Hooray for Hollywood (1982)
It Came from Hollywood (1982)
The Last Horror Film (1982)
Toto (1982)
M*A*S*H (1981-1982)
Time Bandits (1981)
Cannon and Ball (1980)
Falling in Love Again (1980)
The Ninth Configuration (1980)
Jack Frost (1979)
De Mike Burstyn show (1979)
Supertrain (1979)
Once Upon a Time... Man (1978)
The Muppet Show (1977-1978)
All in the Family (1976-1978)
Philadelphia, Here I Come! (1977)
Kinky Tricks (1977)
The Brady Bunch Variety Hour (1977)
All You Need Is Love (1977)
Upstairs, Downstairs (1975)
Brother Can You Spare a Dime (1975)
Funny Lady (1975)
The Waltons (1974)
California Split (1974)
The Best of Benny Hill (1974)
The Graham Kennedy Show (1972-1973)
The Dean Martin Show (1971)
Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special (1970)
33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee (1969)
The Wrecking Crew (1968)
The Ed Sullivan Show (1968)
Star! (1968)
The Anniversary (1968)
Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967)
Bandstand (1967)
The Silencers (1966)
Shindig! (1964-1965)
The Addams Family (1965)
Sex and the Single Girl (1964)
Hollywood and the Stars (1963)
The Jimmy Dean Show (1963)
Meet Sammy Davis Jr. 1 (1963)
The Arthur Haynes Show (1963)
The Jack Benny Program (1957-1962)
A Majority of One (1961)
Sing Along with Mitch (1961)
Hollywood: The Golden Years (1961)
Susan Slade (1961)
NDR Jazz Workshops (1960)
The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960)
Ice Palace (1960)
Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall (1959)
The Eddie Fisher Show (1959)
The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show (1959)
The Steve Allen Plymouth Show (1958)
Studio One (1958)
The Frank Sinatra Show (1958)
The Helen Morgan Story (1957)
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (1957)
The Wings of Eagles (1957)
La joie de vivre (1956)
The Benny Goodman Story (1956)
Name That Tune (1954)
The Danny Thomas Show (1953)
The Milton Berle Show (1953)
Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder (1952)
The Story of Will Rogers (1952)
With a Song in My Heart (1952)
On Moonlight Bay (1951)
The Idiot (1951)
Bushy Hare (1950)
Chain Lightning (1950)
Feudin' Rhythm (1949)
Stray Dog (1949)
Jolson Sings Again (1949)
The Great Gatsby (1949)
You're My Everything (1949)
Curtain Razor (1949)
Elizabeth of Ladymead (1948)
I Surrender Dear (1948)
Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin' (1948)
Nothing But the Tooth (1948)
Blondie's Anniversary (1947)
The Egg and I (1947)
Blondie Knows Best (1946)
Margie (1946)
The Jolson Story (1946)
Okay for Sound (1946)
Blondie's Lucky Day (1946)
Rhapsody in Blue (1945)
She's a Sweetheart (1944)
The Impatient Years (1944)
Swooner Crooner (1944)
The Voice That Thrilled the World (1943)
Silver Spurs (1943)
Show-Business at War (1943)
Cairo (1942)
Minstrel Days (1941)
Hold That Ghost (1941)
Hullabaloo (1940)
King of the Lumberjacks (1940)
Africa Squeaks (1940)
Swanee River (1939)
That's Right - You're Wrong (1939)
Hollywood Cavalcade (1939)
The Movies March On (1939)
Believe It or Else (1939)
Rose of Washington Square (1939)
Jerry Livingston and His Talk of the Town Music (1939)
Sweethearts (1938)
You're an Education (1938)
Torchy Blane in Panama (1938)
The Kid Comes Back (1938)
The Goldwyn Follies (1938)
Swing Your Lady (1938)
The Candid Camera Story (Very Candid) of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures 1937 Convention (1937)
Hollywood Hotel (1937)
You're Only Young Once (1937)
Thoroughbreds Don't Cry (1937)
There Goes the Groom (1937)
Community Sing: Series 2, No. 1 (1937)
Bring on the Girls (1937)
After the Thin Man (1936)
The Singing Kid (1936)
Love on a Bet (1936)
Pirate Party on Catalina Isle (1935)
Music Is Magic (1935)
The Payoff (1935)
Here Comes the Band (1935)
Buddy Steps Out (1935)
Go Into Your Dance (1935)
Evelyn Prentice (1934)
Wonder Bar (1934)
March of the Movies (1933)
Advice to the Forlorn (1933)
Melody Cruise (1933)
Hallelujah I'm a Bum (1933)
Big City Blues (1932)
Mr. Robinson Crusoe (1932)
Big Boy (1930)
Mammy (1930)
New York Nights (1929)
Little Miss Everybody (1929)
The Song Writers' Revue (1929)
Horace Heidt and His Californians (1929)
Say It with Songs (1929)
Blackmail (1929)
The Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929)
Jack White with the Montrealers (1929)
Pigskin Troubles (1929)
Lucky Boy (1929)
The Singing Fool (1928)
A Breath of Broadway (1928)
Down South (1928)
The Jazz Singer (1927)
Soundtrack

A Plantation Act (1926)
Actor

Jolson Sings Again Al Jolson (1949)
Rhapsody in Blue Al Jolson (1945)
Swanee River Edwin P. Christy (1939)
Hollywood Cavalcade Al Jolson - Recreation of 'The Jazz Singer' Scene (1939)
Rose of Washington Square Ted Cotter (1939)
Hollywood Handicap Al Jolson (1938)
Screen Snapshots Series 16, No. 12 Al Jolson (1937)
A Day at Santa Anita Al Jolson (1937)
The Singing Kid Al Jackson (1936)
Go Into Your Dance Al Howard (1935)
Wonder Bar Al Wonder (1934)
Hallelujah I'm a Bum Bumper (1933)
Big Boy Gus (1930)
Show Girl in Hollywood Al Jolson - Cameo Appearance at Premiere (1930)
Mammy Al Fuller (1930)
New York Nights Al Jolson - Cameo (1929)
Say It with Songs Joe Lane (1929)
The Singing Fool Al Stone (1928)
The Jazz Singer Jakie Rabinowitz (1927)
Actor

Mammy's Boy Al (1923)
Archive footage

Rendez-vous with Maurice Chevalier (2021)
Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies (2020)
Charlie Chaplin, le génie de la liberté (2020)
Hollywood's Stories (2019)
The Movies (2019)
Amazing World of Radio (2018)
The Best of Hollywood (2017)
L'arrivée du parlant (2017)
How to Win the US Presidency (2016)
Welcome to the Basement (2014)
Life Itself (2014)
Vito (2011)
Al Jolson Entertaining American Troops (2009)
Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me (2009)
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression (2009)
Paul Merton Looks at Alfred Hitchcock (2009)
1929: The Great Crash (2009)
Al Jolson and The Jazz Singer (2008)
Warner at War (2008)
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Documentaries (2008)
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical Treasure (2008)
A Look at Al Jolson (2007)
The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk (2007)
City Confidential (2007)
Great Performances (1999-2005)
Broadway: The American Musical (2004)
Biography (1995-2001)
Walk on By: The Story of Popular Song (2001)
The Sweet Science (1999)
Classified X (1998)
The Canadians (1998)
Mary Pickford: A Life on Film (1997)
American Masters (1997)
Hidden Hollywood: Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Film Vaults (1997)
L'Oeil du cyclone (1992)
Goodfellas (1990)
Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home to (1990)
Talking Pictures (1988)
KTLA at 40: A Celebration of Los Angeles Television (1986)
Going Hollywood: The '30s (1984)
Almonds and Raisins (1984)
Moviestar Cartoons (1983)
Showbiz Goes to War (1982)
Nostalgia Greats (1982)
Hooray for Hollywood (1982)
Hollywood (1980)
Bob Hope's Overseas Christmas Tours: Around the World with the Troops - 1941-1972 (1980)
Hollywood on Parade (1978)
The Jazz Singer (1977)
All You Need Is Love (1977)
Salsa (1976)
Brother Can You Spare a Dime (1975)
The All Talking, All Singing, All Dancing Show (1973)
Film Night (1970-1971)
Hollywood and the Stars (1963-1964)
Hollywood: The Golden Years (1961)
The Legend of Rudolph Valentino (1961)
The Twentieth Century (1959)
The Jackie Gleason Show (1957)
I Never Forget a Face (1956)
Screen Snapshots: Ramblin' Round Hollywood (1955)
Screen Snapshots: The Great Al Jolson (1955)
The Ford 50th Anniversary Show (1953)
Screen Snapshots: Memorial to Al Jolson (1952)
The Story of Will Rogers (1952)
Purple Heart Diary (1951)
Screen Snapshots: Hollywood Memories (1951)
The Naughty Twenties (1951)
Fifty Years Before Your Eyes (1950)
The Golden Twenties (1950)
Let's Go to the Movies (1949)
Screen Snapshots: Photoplay Gold Medal Awards (1948)
Okay for Sound (1946)
Wilson (1944)
Take It or Leave It (1944)
The Voice That Thrilled the World (1943)
Minstrel Days (1941)
Screen Snapshots Series 18, No. 12 (1939)
Archive footage

The Movies March On (1939)
Broadway Highlights No. 1 (1935)
Additional Crew

The Jolson Story (1946)
Composer

Clarinet (2005)

Awards

3 wins.

Did You Know

Trivia

Adopted children (with Erle): Asa Jr (b. 1948), Alicia (b. 1949) Adopted son (with Ruby): Al Jr (b. 1935).

I'll tell you when I'm going to play the Palace. That's when Eddie Cantor and George Burns and Groucho Marx and Jack Benny are on the bill. I'm going to buy out the whole house, and sit in the middle of the orchestra and say, 'Slaves, entertain the ...