When Jolson Was King [Paperback]

Richard Grudens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 10, 2006

Here is the quintessential Al Jolson tribute from the pen of author/music historian Richard Grudens, documenting the story of Al Jolson's colorful rise to fame in the first half of the 20th century while earning the title of The Worlds' Greatest Entertainer. This wonderful career is told in stories and photos ( over 200) from the immortals of show business that include Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Frankie Laine, Kathryn Crosby, Patty Andrews, Connie Haines, Jack Benny, Fred Allen, Lee and Jake Shubert, Eddie Cantor, George Jessel, Joe Franklin, Sybil Jason, Beverly Roberts, Richard Rodgers, Milton Berle, George Burns, George Gershwin, Walter Winchell, Davey Lee, Rudy Wissler, Irving Berlin, Tony Babino and others who interpolated Jolson's life before, during and after.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Richard Grudens unveils the wondrous sights and sounds of Jolson including his family, counterparts, supporters, employers, musicians and songwriters. --Frankie Laine, legendary vocalist

Richard Grudens is the musical historian of our time. We owe him a debt that can never be repayed. --Kathryn Crosby-Mrs. Bing Crosby

Read about Al Jolson who began it all for every singer, including Crosby, Sinatra, Como, Laine, Torme, and myself. --Jerry Vale-legendary vocalist

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Celebrity Profiles Publishing (March 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976387727
• ISBN-13: 978-0976387725
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,679,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jolson still King, March 28, 2006

By 

Anthony DiFlorio III "ADF3" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When Jolson Was King (Paperback)

Even the seasoned Jolson fan who has read all of the biographies and discographies of their idol will find this engaging portrait of the incomparable Jolson. Richard Grudens patented profiling give a well-rounded view of Jolson as seen by those who knew him and were influenced by him. This book could also be subtitled "Jolson for Dummies" as it illustrated the appeal that Jolson still holds for fans worldwide who weren't even born when he departed this earth in 1950. Grudens goes further than other authors by capturing the legacy of Jolson.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique look at a unique entertainer, March 26, 2006

By 

Marc I. Leavey "webmaster www.jolson.org" (Baltimore, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When Jolson Was King (Paperback)

There have been several biographies written of Al Jolson, the World's Greatest Entertainer, but none has the point of view of Richard Grudens' new book. This 300 page text looks at various facets of Jolson's personality and fame, with sections devoted to Jolson's personal and professional history, and commentaries from those that knew and worked with him. Anyone interested in the first superstar, who was the first and only person to have two film biographies made of his life while he was alive, should add this book to their collection.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Look elsewhere for Jolson fiction, April 10, 2006

By 

Richard Grudens - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When Jolson Was King (Paperback)

I am the author and can understand why the last reviewer, who expected something different, was disappointed. My point of view was to provide a novice's guide to Jolson and his times, not the detailed day by day life story. The book contains many facets of Jolson' career including those around him, his competition, employers, and comments from those he inspired enough to form their own careers, the issue of minstrel, blackface performers, fabled stories of the famed Friar's Club,a chapter of the infamouos Shubert Brothers, and chapters covering Jolson's experiences in film, radio and his extensive USO travels. Covered too are vignettes of the theaters in which Jolson performed, and of those great theatrical competitors like the Barrymore's and where they were voicing their talents while Jolson was pulling them in at the Winter Garden,and a full feature on Jolson's films from the first talkie, The Jazz Singer to his famed bio-pics The Jolson Story and Jolson Sings Again. Included too are full acknowledgments of the songwriters who provided the great songs for Jolson to perform, as well as a treatise of vaudeville and burlesque of the times. As Kathryn Crosby, Mrs. Bing Crosby, commented on the book today, " The book is encylopedic. In addition to Jolson, it offers insights into the lives of four generations of leading entertainers, writers, and producers. We are also vouchsafed milestones in the development of the cinema, radio and television."