Al Jolson Podcast

Excerpt of the 23 Jul 1944 broadcast of Your All Time Hit Parade, starring Tommy Dorsey with guest star Al Jolson. Recovering from illness contracted while entertaining the troops in World War II, Al Jolson appeared on just this program during the summer of 1944. Singing two songs, one of which, April Showers, is featured in the podcast, he continued the work he started to maintain the morale of our fighting men and women. Harry von Zell is also featured on this broadcast. The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.

Excerpt of the 16 Jul 1940 broadcast from Arlington Park with Al Jolson. Appearing in Chicago promoting his last Broadway show then in preview, Al Jolson took time to call a race at the track. This is just the race, there is much more in the ten minute program. The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.

Excerpt of the 12 Jul 1937 Tribute to George Gershwin, featuring Al Jolson. This was one of two numbers performed by Al Jolson on a radio tribute broadcast the evening following George Gershwin's death. The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.

Excerpt of the June, 1935, Go Into Your Dance radio promotion starring Al Jolson with Ruby Keeler. This is a brief clip from a ten minute radio promotion for the Jolson - Keeler flick which was then premiering all over the country. Enjoy Jolson singing "Mammy, I'll Sing About You," then listen to the rest of the show on the website, and then watch the movie! The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.

Excerpt of the 04 Jun 1941 Eddie Cantor Program with guest star Al Jolson. Jolie did not sing a lot of songs during this great show, but this tribute to Eddie Cantor's wife is a singular gem. Enjoy it, and all of the material from the show in the full program. The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.

Excerpt of the 15 Jun 1936 Lux Radio Theatre broadcast of Burlesque, featuring Al Jolson and Ruby Keeler. This segment features Al Jolson singing three songs from the program, some comedy scripted between Jolson and Keeler, and even some of Ruby's tap dancing. The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.

Excerpt of the 11 Jun 1937 Hollywood Hotel, featuring Al Jolson and George Jessel. This segment features Jolson singing an earlier version of "Ma Blushin' Rosie," and Jolson and Jessel doing a duet of "Give My Regards To Broadway." The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.

Excerpt of the 06 Jun 1945 Milton Berle Show, featuring Al Jolson with biographical musical vignettes of his life. Having just recovered from the loss of much of a lung, Jolson's appearance between V-E Day and V-J Day was a poignant look at the World's Greatest Entertainer in a fragile time of his life. Listen to his words about racial and ethnic tolerance, so moving from a man often painted as a racist. The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.

Excerpt of the 02 Jun 1947 Lux Radio Theatre, which featured a radio version of the movie "The Jazz Singer," starring Al Jolson, Ludwig Donath, Tamara Shayne, and Gail Patrick. This edited clip features a smattering of dialog from the program, along with Al Jolson singing "Toot, Toot, Tootsie," "Keep Smiling At Trouble," and "I'm Sitting On Top Of The World. The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.

Excerpt of the 26 May 1949 Kraft Music Hall, starring Al Jolson with Groucho Marx. This was Al Jolson's final broadcast as host of the Kraft Music Hall, and it happened to be his birthday as well. He sang the great Cole Porter song, "Why Can't You Behave?" from Kiss Me Kate. With Groucho he engaged in the usual comedy banter, which includes what may be the longest set up for a joke in radio history. The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.

Excerpt of the 19 May 1949 Kraft Music Hall, starring Al Jolson with Dorothy Kirsten. Ms. Kirsten leads the segment with an operatic aria befitting her status with the Metropolitan Opera. Following that, she and Jolson banter about a bit with the subject of opera. Jolson and Kirsten end the segment with a great rendition of "People Will Say We're In Love." The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.

Excerpt of the 12 May 1949 Kraft Music Hall, starring Al Jolson with Victor Moore. Jolson and Moore join in some typical radio comedy, and end the routine in a duet of "Pretty Baby." After that, you can hear Al Jolson solo in the great song from South Pacific, "Some Enchanted Evening." The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.

Excerpt of the 05 May 1949 Kraft Music Hall, starring Al Jolson with Dennis Day. In this edited segment, Dennis Day shows his talent for dialect, and even a little Yiddish, as he paired with Al Jolson in a comdey routine, capped off with a duet of "By The Light Of The Silvery Moon." Al Jolson finished the segment with a rarely heard tribute to Mother's Day, "Remember Mother's Day." The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.

Excerpt of the 28 Apr 1949 Kraft Music Hall, starring Al Jolson with Doris Day. In this edited segment, Al Jolson sings "You'll Always Be Beautiful" and "That Wonderful Girl Of Mine," Doris Day and Al Jolson do a great duet, and there is a comedy segment with Ken Carpenter and Oscar Levant featuring the usual assortment of blown lines and gags. The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.

Excerpt of the 21 Apr 1949 Kraft Music Hall, starring Al Jolson with Jimmy Durante. In this edited segment, Jolson and Durante explore the possibility of a world tour, aided by the acting skills of Oscar Levant. They end the segment with a great version of "Real Piano Player." The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.

Excerpt of the 14 Apr 1949 Kraft Music Hall, starring Al Jolson with Margaret Whiting. The daughter of songwriter Richard Whiting, Margaret joins Al in two duets along with a turn of her own in this edited portion of the broadcast. The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.

Excerpt of the 07 Apr 1949 Kraft Music Hall, starring Al Jolson, singing two classic Jolson numbers and a contemporary song from "Kiss Me Kate." The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.

Excerpt of the 07 Apr 1949 Kraft Music Hall, starring Al Jolson with Groucho Marx. Groucho tries valiantly to sell Al Jolson a baseball team, and the two conclude the segment with a duet of "That Little German Band." The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.

Excerpt of the 30 Mar 1943 Al Jolson Colgate program. Although only part of this show survives, the closing song was this one, dedicated to the American soldier. It is just as meaningful today as it was when performed, during the height of the Second World War. The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.

Excerpt of the 24 Mar 1949 Kraft Music Hall, starring Al Jolson with George Jessel. George Jessel joined Al Jolson and Oscar Levant in a series of jokes and personal recollections, capped by a recreation of an old time minstrel show. The complete broadcast circulates with other Jolson radio shows on the Official Al Jolson Website at www.jolson.org.