Jump to content

Larry Parks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Larry Sparks.

Larry Parks
Parks in 1950
Born
Samuel Lawrence Klusman Parks

(1914-12-13)December 13, 1914
Olathe, Kansas, U.S.
DiedApril 13, 1975(1975-04-13) (aged 60)
Studio City, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
Years active1941–1975
Spouse
​
(m. 1944)​
Children2, including Andrew Parks

Samuel Lawrence Klusman Parks (December 13, 1914 – April 13, 1975) was an American stage and film actor.[1] His career arced from bit player and supporting roles to top billing, before it virtually ended when he admitted to having been a member of a Communist Party cell, which led to his blacklisting by all Hollywood studios.[2] His best known role was Al Jolson, whom he portrayed in two films: The Jolson Story (1946) and Jolson Sings Again (1949).

Life and career

[edit]

Parks was born in Olathe, Kansas, the son of Nellie (Klusman) and Frank H. Parks. He was raised in his mother's religion of Judaism.[3] He grew up in Joliet, Illinois, and graduated from Joliet Township High School in 1932.

He attended the University of Illinois as a pre-med student,[4] and played in stock companies for some years.[5]

He traveled to Hollywood at John Garfield's suggestion, for a role in a Warner Bros. production of Mama Ravioli. Although the movie was cancelled, Parks did sign a contract with Columbia Pictures in 1941.[6]

Supporting player

[edit]

As with most Columbia contract players, Parks received supporting roles in high-budget films and more substantial roles in B pictures.[7]

In supporting roles

[edit]

1941:

1942:

1943:

1944:

Leading man

[edit]

By 1944 Parks broke into lead and featured player roles:

In November 1944 Columbia was preparing a screen biography of Al Jolson, and Larry Parks was the first actor tested for The Story of Jolson, as the project was then titled. Then the studio considered or tested dozens of other candidates -- including James Cagney and Danny Thomas, both of whom declined -- until, as Parks recalled, "someone said 'Let's test that first guy again.' I had the dubious honor of making the first and last tests for the role."[9] Parks impressed the producers and won the role. At the age of 31, his performance in The Jolson Story (1946) earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.[10][11]

Parks received superior notices for his performance. Showmen's Trade Review: "Parks is a tremendously effective actor in this role. He must have worked almost endlessly to effect so perfectly the Jolson speech and the Jolson mannerism (in minute detail) in putting over the songs."[12] Box Office Digest: "The outstanding facet of The Jolson Story is one Larry Parks. Jolson's voice on the soundtrack supplies some 15 of his most memorable songs. From there on this youngster Larry Parks takes up the chore of giving us Jolson physically. The result is uncanny and impressive. Before the end the stuttering critics were wondering whether Jolson could have played Jolson as well. That's sumpin."[13] Arthur Beach of the National Board of Review: "Larry Parks is a prettier Al than Al. He is also an astonishingly capable mimic. Mr. Parks' skill and the magic of movie technique have made possible an astounding fusion of two people to create a memorable portrait. Even Al Jolson should be pleased with The Jolson Story."[14] Columbia's president Harry Cohn rewarded Parks with a cash bonus and a new Ford convertible.[15]

Stardom

[edit]
Parks with Teresa Wright in The Happiest Day, a 1954 Ford Theatre presentation.

Now that Parks was a full-fledged star, Columbia kept him busy in elaborate productions. He appeared opposite the studio's biggest star, Rita Hayworth, in Down to Earth (1947), a musical sequel to Columbia's 1941 fantasy Here Comes Mr. Jordan. Exhibitors voted him one of America's biggest boxoffice stars, ranking at #15.[16] Columbia tried to mold him into a dashing, romantic leading man by casting him in two swashbucklers, The Swordsman (1948) and The Gallant Blade (1948, filmed in Cinecolor).

Parks tried to break his contract with Columbia in 1948. Modern Screen, publishing an interview with Parks, explained the situation: "Larry's battle with his studio has nothing to do with money. What he's wrangling about concerns a contract signed before, not after, The Jolson Story. Larry says he has a year to go on his contract. Columbia says he has five. He's up for a suit for declaratory relief. That's lawyer language, but it means a verdict to clear Larry's studio future. If he wins, he'll go right back to work for another year and then call his own shots. If he loses, he'll be Mister Columbia for five more terms."[17] Federal judge William Carey Mathes heard the case and sympathized with Parks but ruled against him. Trade publisher Pete Harrison commented on the outcome: "[A] practice that was condemned by Judge Mathes in no uncertain terms is the one by which a company, at a time when only a short period remains on a rising star's contract, insists that the star sign a new term contract, using as a blackjack the threat to assign the star to minor roles in "B" pictures for the remainder of the existing contract if he or she should refuse to sign the new contract. Parks claimed that such coercive methods had been employed by Columbia to obtain his signature on a new contract and, from the evidence, Judge Mathes found that it had been obtained by undue influence, indicating that he might have ruled in Parks' favor had he not waited too long to file the suit."[18]

He remained on the Columbia payroll and starred in Jolson Sings Again (1949), another huge boxoffice hit earning Parks another set of rave reviews. Showmen's Trade Review: "Larry Parks, who scored a triumph in his original role of the singer, seems even more assured and more at home in the role in this follow-up film; he doesn't perform Jolson, he IS Jolson [capitalization theirs]."[19] Thomas M. Pryor of The New York Times wrote, "The vitality of the Jolson voice is suitably matched in the physical representation provided by Larry Parks, who by now comes close to perfection in aping the vigorous expression with which Jolson tackles a song."[20] His co-star in the film, Barbara Hale, teamed with him again in the comedy feature Emergency Wedding (1950).

In 1950 he and his wife Betty Garrett announced plans to make their own film Stakeout.[21] British exhibitors voted him the 9th-most popular star in the United Kingdom.[citation needed]

Blacklisting

[edit]

In 1948 Parks had criticized the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).[22] In 1951, Parks was summoned to appear before the HUAC under threat of being blacklisted in the movie industry, but he begged not to be forced to testify. He eventually did so in tears,[23] only to be blacklisted anyway. Parks eventually gave up the names of his former colleagues to the committee.[24]

Following his admission before the committee, Columbia Pictures released him from his contract, although it had four years to run, and Parks had been set to star in the film Small Wonder (which later became The First Time starring Robert Cummings). At the time, Parks' fee was $75,000 a film.[25][26] A romantic comedy he made for MGM, Love Is Better Than Ever, was shelved until 1953.

He made a TV film for The Ford Television Theatre in 1953[27] and starred in the British film Tiger by the Tail (1955) in England.

He continued to squeeze out a living acting on the stage and doing occasional television programs.[28] His last appearance in a major role was in the John Huston film, Freud (1962).[29]

Later career

[edit]

Parks eventually left the film industry and formed a successful construction business. Eventually, he and his wife Betty Garrett owned many apartment buildings scattered throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Rather than sell them upon completion, Parks decided to retain ownership and collect rents as a landlord, a decision that proved to be extremely profitable. During that period, the couple occasionally performed in Las Vegas showrooms, summer stock productions, and touring companies of Broadway shows.[30]

Personal life

[edit]

Parks married actress Betty Garrett in 1944. She starred in Hollywood films such as On the Town and on television as Archie Bunker's neighbor Irene Lorenzo on All in the Family and as landlady Edna Babish on Laverne and Shirley. Her career also faced turmoil as a result of her marriage to Parks, and the two spent much of the 1950s doing theatre and musical variety shows. Together, they had two sons, actor Andrew Parks and composer Garrett Parks. Larry Parks was also godfather to actor Jeff Bridges.[31][32][33]

A Democrat, Parks supported Adlai Stevenson's campaign in the 1952 presidential election.[34]

Parks died of a heart attack in 1975 at the age of 60.

Filmography

[edit]
Parks in 1947

Television

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Died: April 13, 1975 (April 13, 1975). "Larry Parks". Explore.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ McClelland, Deke; McClelland, Doug (1987). Blackface to Blacklist: Al Jolson, Larry Parks, and "the Jolson Story" (9780810819658): Doug McClelland: Books. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0810819651.
  3. ^ "FamilySearch.org". Familysearch.org. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  4. ^ "Illinois Alumni Magazine | UIAA | Illinois Alumni". UIAA. March 21, 1951. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
  5. ^ "Right At His Peak". The Voice. Vol. 21, no. 20. Tasmania, Australia. May 15, 1948. p. 4. Retrieved October 10, 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "Larry Parks' Rise to Fame". The Advocate. Tasmania, Australia. March 17, 1950. p. 18. Retrieved October 10, 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "A Star is Born: Larry Parks as Al Jolson | A Tribute to Al Jolson". Jolsonville.com. February 13, 2011. Archived from the original on February 7, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
  8. ^ "Handsome Larry Parks Achieves Stardom". Lachlander and Condobolin and Western Districts Recorder. New South Wales, Australia. June 30, 1947. p. 1. Retrieved October 10, 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ Larry Parks to Dorothy O'Leary, "The Parks Story", Screenland, Mar. 1947, p. 46.
  10. ^ Ebert, Roger (August 25, 1968). "Interview with Larry Parks | Interviews". Roger Ebert. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
  11. ^ "The Jolson Story". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
  12. ^ Showmen's Trade Review, Sept. 21, 1946, p. 33.
  13. ^ Box Office Digest, Sept. 28, 1946, p. 5.
  14. ^ Arthur Beach, New Movies: The National Board of Review Magazine, Nov.-Dec. 1946, pp. 5-6.
  15. ^ Dorothy O'Leary, Screenland.
  16. ^ "Bing's Lucky Number: Pa Crosby Dons 4th B.O. Crown" By Richard L. Coe. The Washington Post January 3, 1948: 12.
  17. ^ Kirtley Baskette, Modern Screen, Jan. 1948, p. 78.
  18. ^ Pete Harrison, Harrison's Reports, "Columbia Wins the Larry Parks Case", Mar. 20, 1948, p. 48.
  19. ^ Showmen's Trade Review, Aug. 13, 1949, p. 14.
  20. ^ Thomas M. Pryor, The New York Times, August 18, 1949, p. 16.
  21. ^ "Larry Parks plans to finance his own movie". The Sun. No. 12, 534 (LATE FINAL EXTRA ed.). Sydney, Australia. March 30, 1950. p. 35. Retrieved October 10, 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. ^ "Larry Parks Hits Hard At Red-Baiters". Tribune. No. 401. New South Wales, Australia. March 17, 1948. p. 5. Retrieved October 10, 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  23. ^ "Larry Parks Commended For Truth". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. No. 23, 236. New South Wales. March 24, 1951. p. 3. Retrieved October 10, 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  24. ^ Silverman, Stephen M. Dancing on the Ceiling: Stanley Donen and his Movies. Alfred A. Knopf. 1996. p. 140.
  25. ^ "LARRY PARKS ON THE "OUTER"". The Northern Miner. Queensland. March 26, 1951. p. 3. Retrieved October 10, 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  26. ^ "LARRY PARKS QUITS STUDIO". The News. Vol. 56, no. 8, 657. Adelaide. May 8, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved October 10, 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  27. ^ "Larry Parks on job again 'Paid for my mistakes'". Sunday Mail. Queensland, Australia. November 8, 1953. p. 25. Retrieved October 10, 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  28. ^ Cullen, Frank; Hackman, Florence; McNeilly, Donald (2007). Vaudeville old & new: an encyclopedia of variety performances in America. Psychology Press. ISBN 9780415938532 – via Google Books.
  29. ^ "Freud". Explore.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
  30. ^ Garrett, Betty; Rapoport, Ron (1998). Betty Garrett and Other Songs: A Life on Stage and Screen. Lanham, Maryland: Madison Books. pp. 125–152, 169–171. ISBN 1-56833-098-7.
  31. ^ "Biography for Larry Parks". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
  32. ^ "Betty Garrett". The Telegraph. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
  33. ^ Rampell, Ed (April 18, 2011). "Bridges brothers honor Hollywood "Red" Betty Garrett". peoplesworld. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
  34. ^ Motion Picture and Television Magazine, November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Larry_Parks&oldid=1288298620"