Evening star., 1950-10-24
Continued From First Page

Allied troops. He had two.
hour chat with Gen. Macarthur
in Tokyo.
President Truman and Gen
Macarthur talked privately fol
just an hour on Wake Island &
week ago Sunday in their historic
get-acquainted meeting.
2 Friends With Him.
With Mr.. Jolson were two ole
friends, Song Writer Harry AXIS
and Martin Fried, Aps accom-.
panist and arranger. They hac
come with him from Southern
California for a scheduled gues1
star spot on a Bing Crosby radio
show, to have been recorded here
tonight.
Mr.. Akst telephoned Mr.. Jol-
sons fourth wife, Erie Galbraith
whom he married in 1945. She
was at Encino, Calf.
Mr.. Jolson was riding the crest
of popularity wave for the Sec
ond time in an entertainment
career that began in 1899. His
popularity with the troops was
unsurpassed. In World War II
he travelled to Europe, Africa
India and the Pacific. entertaining
GIs for the USO.
AZ Shows in 16 Days.
On his return from Korea
where he gave AZ shows in 16 days
he said:
Know what it feels like to be
back? I'm going to look up my
income tax and see if I paid
enough. Those guys are wonder
ful! This is a much tougher wal
than the last one, believe me-"
He entertained GIs at the front
when the American beachhead ir
Korea was at its smallest anc
under constant attack.
Il was singing up there fol
some guys and there was lot O.
noise" he related.
so says to an officer, why
don't you tell those kids of your.
outside to stop shooting off those
rif1es?'
"'Those aren't our kids he tole
mel"
/ Mr.. Jolson skyrocketed to fam,
on Broadway with his singing O.
Nanny" An unabashed senti.
mentalist, he sang the song or
bended knee in the black-fac,
makeup he started using when 6
member of the Lew Dockstadel
Minstrels.
! The first of the singers two ca
reers was at peak in 1927, wher
he starred in the first talking pic.
ture, THE Jazz Singer"
RevOlutionized Industry.
This film which reyolutionizee
the motion picture industry. par.
alleled the story of Mr.. Jolson'.
own life-the son of a cantor wht
LETT home to seek a stage career
Although Mr.. Jolson was gen.
orally credited with making thu
first talking picture he actually
spoke but one line of dialogue ir
The Jazz Singer" Otherwise
his voice was heard in song. Mr.
Jolson, himself, could never re-
member the historic line. Some
recalled he said Come on Ma
listen to this" and others con-
tended it was How do you like
this. Mammal" Whatever the
line was. it proved that screer
stars could talk. For the heroe,
and heroines whose voices were
inadequate that line spelled the
beginning of the end of then
careers.
During the 30s his career was
temporarily in eclipse and the
public all but forgot the man whe
had made famous such songs as
California, Here I Come" Sonny
Boy" "Swanee" and "Rockabye
MY BABY With a Dixie Melody"
Returned to Popularity.
/ But he proved immensely popu.
lar with the GIs during Worle
War II, and he zoomed back t.
popularity after 1.-THE Jolsor
Story" a motion picture based or
his life, was released. He didn',
appear in the film, but his voice
sang the old songs on the sounc
track and he eclipsed the star
Larry Parks, in popularity.
/ Mr.. Jolson was born in what
was then st. Petersburg, Russia
His father. Moses Reuben Yoelson
cantor in synagogue, brought
his family to this country wher
Al-who had been christened Asa
was a small boy.
The family spent some time ir
NeWburgh, N. Y, and then came
to Washington, where the eide,
Yoelson was cantor and rabbi at
the Talmud Torah CONGREGATION
465 E street S.W.. and later as
sisted in services at Tifereth
Israel Congregation, Fourteenth
and Euclid streets NV.
| Young Al ran with a tough gang
IN Southwest Washington. It was