Jolson Sings Again (1949)

You know, I actually thought that we were going to get through Jolson Sings Again without having to see Larry Parks in blackface playing Al Jolson in blackface. Nope. Jolson Sings Again takes a really weird turn and for act three takes us into the making of the film The Jolson Story, which, like this movie, starred Larry Parks lipsynching to Al Jolson. It's a strange meta-movie third act. Jolson Sings Again is the sequel to that 1946 film, and we watch the effect of the film's smash success on the real Jolson... played by Larry Parks. It's kind of cool but also strange. Parks is excellent, as he was in the original film, and actually Jolson sounds wonderful. He's in great voice. I even liked the script for the first two acts of the film. But Jolson Sings Again stumbles in its final sequences, especially when we just watch Jolson watching clips of The Jolson Story for at least ten minutes – maybe more!