Evening star., 1947-12-28
By Lorry Perks
HOLLYWOOD

HOLLYWOOD.
For about year now, people have
been exercised over the problem Of
where Jolson ends and Larry Parks
begins. It's reached the stage where
it seems necessary to explain how 1t
feels not to be Al Jolson.
For IL months. folks have been
pestering AL by calling him Larry.
Half his fan mail is dropped in my
chute at the studio. Every time I
have the misfortune Of being in
vited to one of those shindigs where
guests are all supposed to be the
life of the party, I'm supposed to go
down ons my knees and sing
Nanny"
When al this started it created
a blur in my consciousness COM
parable to combat fatigue There
was a tendency to wonder who that
was in the mirror and to break it on
occasion. I contemplated growing
beard and practiced talking out of
the corner of my mouth. At one
time, I seriously considered picking
up a case of laryngitis in order to
develop a husky voice and notice
able drawl. in sharp contrast to AIS
clipped speech, and became so OBJ
noxious that my wife threatened to
leave.
Forever Grateful.
At time when I should have
been sitting on top of the world, I
found myself confounded with an
other personality Even to this day,
producers think in terms of Larry
Parks when casting a player to i'm
personate a well-known character.
George Jessel was latest on the list.
Don't get me wrong. shall be
forever grateful for having been
given the chance to portray one of
the greatest entertainers show busi-
ness ever has known. for motion
pictures. Prior to The Jolson
Story" I was king of the B-hive
(and you know kings standing in
apiaries). After more than 80 pic
lures. I still was able to walk along
the street and keep a sharp point
on my pencil. If I was asked for an
autograph. I sometimes had to re-
member how I signed my name
The films in which I appeared
were unimportant. and so was I
With release of The Jolson Sorry
I was swept along in wave which
covered the country. Just as AL was
returned to his proper prominence,
so was lifted into the limelight.
A Freak Pegasus.
It was fun for a while but I soon
discovered that the public didn't look
at me as Larry Parks, but as Al
Jolson That's why 1 am glad OF
this opportunity to lay my cards on
the table for a brief invasion of the
characters private life, ambitions
and misdemeanors.
When Hollywood first hit me be-
tween the eyes, I was the perfect
equivalent Of youngster with a
burning ambition to be somebody in
pictures. I studied every book on
drama ever published, read Shake
speare and Ibsen for recreation, and
never lost an opportunity of seeing
a proved artists in action I still
study as hard as ever for. to myself
have vet to arrive, am riding on
a freak Pegasus.
When I hit the jackpot and almost
national notoriety (the word being
used advisedly), I became a hybrid
sort of chap-sometimes Jolson
; sometimes Parks, never completely
myself.
When I finally felt my feet on the
ground again I took quick and
thorough inventory, realized that ]
would have to live the rest of my
life under the name bequeathed by
my parents and would lie under a
stone with my name craven on it.
Realization and returning sanity
made it imperative that I make the
Larry Parks stick in public con-
sciousness. I had been around
long enough to know that good
stories and top production are an
actors bread and butter, that the
box office figures are the final pay
off.
AS Larry Parks I talked to Colum-
bias head men. They played bal,
admirably and worked with Rita
Hayworth in my next trip to the
: cinematic post in Down to Earth.
Then I was starred in The Swords
man." in which I was fortunate
enough to have Ellen Drew as my
y teammate.
Right now I'm anxious to get bach
| in front of the cameras, although
I must admit to having spent the
: happiest weeks of my life since my
l wife Betty returned from Broadway
Anyway, always shall be in All:
debt. He's great guy, the great.
1 est, even If he did consign me tt
the Department of Utter Confusion,
: (Released by North American Newspaper