Al Jolson (1886–1950)

Al Jolson (born 1886 as Asa Yoelson in Srednik, Lithuania), was the most successful entertainer in the first half of the twentieth century. Today, he is mainly known for his role in the first talking picture The Jazz Singer produced by Warner Bros. in 1927. Before that film was made, Jolson had already owned Broadway for more than two decades. His song Sonny Boy, the theme song of the talkie The Singing Fool (1928), became the first song of a movie to sell over a million copies. Jolson remained a world icon until he passed away in 1950, shortly before the invention of TV. For his contributions to American soldiers during WWII and the Korean War, a trip that eventually cost him his life, George Marshall, Secretary of State, awarded him with the Medal of Merit, the greatest American award for civilians. Being the star of stage, screen, and radio, he shaped the American popular culture as well as the music industry as we know it today. Jolson influenced numerous artists including Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson, and Rod Stewart.

 

Our recent film work on Al Jolson (for details, please go to "Projects"):

Upcoming AJ-Images Magazine

Preview of our upcoming AJ-Images Magazine Issue #1 | 2010.   It will feature various articles and interviews about Al Jolson and his times. We will provide a huge amount of background information from our research activities for our feature Jolson documentary that otherwise would be lost.   Download (draft)

 

 

 

Al Jolson's "Sonny Boy" in German

This version of "The Singing Fool's" (1928) theme song was sung by Heinz Maria Lins in the 1950s. A great thanks to the saxophonist and organist Markus Emanuel Zaja who found this version and forwarded it to us!

Here's a translated excerpt from the description as it appears on the LP cover:

Sonny Boy
sung by: Heinz Maria Lins
Orchestra: Wilfried Krüger

"One of the first American talkies that were seen around the world was 'The Singing Fool', produced in 1928, which elated the German audience under the title 'Der singende Narr'. Al Jolson played the starring role. Everybody had tears in his eyes when the singer had to sing the favorite song to his dangerously ill son. There were only a few people then who didn't see this heartrending film! More than 300 000 people had watched it only in Berlin. Not to mention the huge success in record selling - it was almost 12 million records that landed upon turntables in a little while."

The meaning of the German lyrics differ slightly from the original English lyrics. In German, "Sonny Boy" is more a general lullaby than a farewell song sung by a heartbroken father.

Here's the translation of the German lyrics:

Sleep and have sweet dreams, Sonny Boy!
Close your eyes, Sonny Boy!
Put your hands silently in mine
Sleep and have sweet dreams, Sonny Boy!

Bright stars are gleaming in the distance
Gleaming for you, Sonny Boy!
Bells are ringing, thousand birds are singing
Singing for you, Sonny Boy!

But only one heart will always beat for you
And that is my heart
Who loves you as much as I do?
Oh, believe me!
More than my life I want to give you
You are my happiness, Sonny Boy!

But only one heart will always beat for you
And that is my heart
Who loves you as much as I do?
Oh, believe me!
More than my life I want to give you
You are my happiness, Sonny Boy!

Al Jolson and Jazz Music

"The International Jew", an anti-Semitic four volume set of pamphlets published by Henry Ford in the early 1920s, contained a list that was supposed to describe the Jewish influence in American life and culture.
Prof. Marjorie Garber from Harvard University talked about that list in a course on Shakespeare (originally in spring 2007). While summing up those nonsense points, the students start to laugh when Henry Ford talked about Jazz Music being Jewish music.

Prof. Garber then briefly explains to the Harvard students that there once was a different understanding of Jazz and an artist called Al Jolson...

Some Jolson finds

Here is a picture of the Ufa movie palace at "Bahnhof Zoo" in Berlin. It must be from late 1929. You can see the letters of "The Singing Fool", an even more successful talkie made by Warner Bros. following "The Jazz Singer". You can also see Fritz Lang's last silent film "Frau im Mond" ("Woman in the Moon"). It was one of the last German silent films.
Photo source: Klaus Kreimeier (1992), Die Ufa Story, Mnchen: Hanser

Here you can see a telegram sent by Al Jolson to his cousin Ida Hesselson in February 1909. She had invited him to her wedding. Though Jolson does not mention her by name, he also sends regards from his first wife Henrietta.

Here you can read a translated article from the German History Museum in Berlin.

Al Jolson and the Talkies during the Weimar Republic in Germany

October 6, 2007:
We are celebrating the 80th Anniversary of talking pictures. "The Jazz Singer" had its premiere on October 6th, 1927 in New York City.

The Singing Fool (Der singende Narr): Premiere on June 3, 1929 in Berlin

In Germany not "The Jazz Singer" but "The Singing Fool" was the first shown Jolson film. Ironically, some of the sequences with dialogue were later cut out and replaced by intertitles. Even the voices were later synchronized. Jolson's voice was spoken by Wolfgang Ziffer, the actor who later provided his voice for "C-3PO" in "Star Wars".

The Jazz Singer (Der Jazzsänger): Premiere on November 26, 1929 in Berlin

Later the voices were also synchronized. Wolfgang Ziffer was again the voice for Jolson.

Click on the videos below to hear and see the synchronized scenes from "The Jazz Singer"!

The Singing Fool (Der singende Narr):

Order of translation: above, left, right.

above: Kieler Neueste Nachrichten, Thursday, January 30, 1930 (!)

left: The world's greatest sound and talking picture

right: Adolescents are admitted

Translation:

If you want to see and hear an artist with international reputation, then visit the sound and talking film theatre
"Kammer-Lichtspiele".

Al Jolson achieves a "smash hit" every day

with his "Sonny Boy"

in "The Singing Fool" - "Der singende Narr"

Translation:

There are only a few days left

to see and hear the

world's greatest talking picture.

Every evening

Al Jolson

raises unprecedented cheers

in cinemas in Kiel

with his heartrending rendition of

"Sonny Boy".

Translation:

If you don't want to miss

a great experience of seeing and hearing an artist with international reputation like

Al Jolson,

then you must hurry.

The successful talking picture "The Singing Fool" - Der singende Narr

"Sonny Boy"

only runs

today, tomorrow and Thursday

The Jazz Singer (Der Jazzsänger):

Translation:

Kammer-Lichtspiele

Every day non-stop screenings from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m.

May 7, 1930: Debut performance!

Al Jolson sings and talks

in "The Jazz Singer"

Al Jolson, the "Singing Fool", in his new talkie

together with May Mc Avoy

Al Jolson sings and talks in the successful talkie

"The Jazz Singer"
with May Mc Avoy

Börsen-Kurier Berlin:

This time Al Jolson's elocution

leaves an even stronger impression than it does

in "The Singing Fool". His charm, his temper,

his personal performance abilities, seem to be so intuitively,

and its sound reproduction so vividly,

as if he were incarnately standing in front of us.

Every day non-stop screenings from 11 a.m.

until 11 p.m. Sunday starting at 4 p.m.