Jolson 101
Jolson's Musicals on Stage and Screen
Compiled by John Kenrick
(Copyright 2003)
A 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.