It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

We all know that bio-pics of the era weren't very accurate...but that's okay...this is simply an interesting film. It's fairly well known that Jolson wanted to play himself in this film, but thank goodness he wasn't allowed to do so. Not just because he was too old for the part, but also because his ego would have ruined the film. Larry Parks was able to make Al Jolson likable...something Jolson couldn't have done for himself. And by the way, Larry Parks' lip-sinking to the real Jolson singing is simply outstanding. The same can be said for Scotty Beckett as he was playing the young Jolson.Of course, there's a lot of Black face in this film. Get over it. History -- whether pleasant or not -- is still history. And, if you read up on Jolson, you'll find that he was extremely popular with African-Americans of the time, and they flocked to honor him at his funeral. We can't understand it all now. That's not excusing the cultural faux pas (and that's putting it mildly) of Black face, but, the Black face phenomenon may not have been as black and white (no pun intended) as we see it today. Something to think about.Larry Parks was something of a one hit wonder (with the emphasis on "hit"), but his performance here is really one of the greatest performances in any bio-pic.And then there's Jolson. I was only a baby when Jolson died, but I've always thought that Jolson was something special...special unique. I don't imagine many of us would have liked him personally, and his voice was certainly not a traditional vocalist's voice of almost any era. But again, it was unique, and by the time this film was made, a special kind of mellow with high energy.And then there's the supporting cast. William Demarest, not usually one of my favorite character actors (although he's always "okay"). But, this role is more diverse for Demarest and he shines in it. Evelyn Keyes is also excellent as Julie Benson -- an amalgam of Jolson's actual 4 wives. Bill Goodwin is good as another performer and eventual director of a theater. Ludwig Donath is quite charming as Cantor Yoelson, Al's father. Scotty Beckett is excellent as the young Al Jolson. Tamara Shayne is good as Al's mother.Although the film pretends Jolson had only one wife (he actually married 4 times), they way they handle the rigors of show business and the effect it had on Jolson's marriages. Quite cleverly done.To be honest, aside from Larry Parks' off-color front tooth, which I found rather distracting, there's not much to criticize here (other than the typical bio-pic white wash), and much to praise. Back then, it was so popular that it revived Jolson's seriously flagging career just a few years before his death. BTW, if you have a chance, listen to the Bing Crosby - Al Jolson radio performances which are on DVD...quite fun and memorable.

Spectacularly Camp,grossly sentimentalised and and completely irresistible biopic of a man who was so unregenerately "Showbiz" that he really did believe his own publicity,thought his wonderful,tuneful but essentially trivial songs enhanced the lives of his audience,and that his eminence in his own field gave him rein to ride roughshod over other people,women in particular.Nothing like a modern rock star then. After Chaplin,Jolson was the next Megastar.Unlike Chaplin,you didn't have to go out of your house to come under his spell.The rise of Radio and gramophone recordings coincided with the burgeoning of Jolson's career. "The Jolson Story" is Hollywood escapism at its highest level.With superb production values,a memorable soundtrack and exemplary performances,it was just the stuff American moviegoers needed after the end of World War Two. Young viewers who may have difficulty with Al Jolson's OTT persona might be better off approaching the movie in a spirit of post - modern irony . In a far more innocent age he was regarded as just as exciting and "now" as any foul - mouthed misogynist who may strut his brief hour on the stage in 2008. From the era when "The Varsity Drag" meant something totally different, Jolson's naif optimism shines through the grey years of the first Great Depression. The movie was made in the first flush of American Post - War optimism,when where the Yanks led the whole world was sure to follow. Soon enough Cold War paranoia set in and wonderfully silly big budget musicals gradually became a thing of the past.For those of us to whom the terms "Hollywood" and "real - life" were determinedly antithetical,it was a sad moment."The Jolson Story" represents the summit of "Entertainment for Entertainment's sake" movies.Put the DVD in your player,forget for a little while that you can't afford to pay the electric bill and eat every day,forget the Hoodies waiting to mug you in the stairwell on your way to buy the groceries,that the credit - crunch has reduced your life savings to a few measly quid and return to the days when the world was safer,warmer and in glorious technicolor .

A musical biopic of Al Jolson which stars Larry Parks. Parks got an Oscar nomination as did William Demarest who plays Jolson's mentor. Parks is excellent as Jolson. He has a real sense of enthusiasm and his eyes are expressive. You can see why he became a legendary entertainer. Jolson was the star of The Jazz Singer, the first "talkie." The black face is disturbing, but it was a popular form of entertainment. You hear Jolson's singing of hits like Mammy.One of the main selling points of the movie is not only Parks performance but the all of the scenes that led to Jolson becoming an entertainer. You see scenes from his youth and his family life. The actor who portrays the young Jolson is very good.

The Jolson Story is one of the best movies ever made. Even though some of it is fiction, I enjoy watching it over and over again (as well as Jolson Sings Again). Larry Parks did a marvelous rendition of Al Jolson. He was an excellent actor who died much too early, but he left us with his wonderful acting. My favorite song in the movie, Jolson Sings Again, is "Sonny Boy", although I like all the songs! Scotty Beckett is a very good young Al Jolson. William Demarest was one of my favorite actors and was excellent in his part as Al Jolson's partner and then Manager. Bill Goodwin was great, and Ludwig Donath and Tamara Shayne were fine, also.