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Larry Parks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused withLarry 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, includingAndrew 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 aCommunist Partycell, which led to hisblacklistingby allHollywoodstudios.[2]His best known role wasAl Jolson,whom he portrayed in two films:The Jolson Story(1946) andJolson Sings Again(1949).

Life and career

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

He attended theUniversity of Illinoisas a pre-med student,[4]and played instock companiesfor some years.[5]

He traveled to Hollywood atJohn Garfield's suggestion, for a role in aWarner Bros.production ofMama Ravioli.Although the movie was cancelled, Parks did sign a contract withColumbia Picturesin 1941.[6]

Supporting player

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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

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1941:

1942:

1943:

1944:

Leading man

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By 1944 Parks broke into lead and featured player roles:

When Columbia was preparing a screen biography of Al Jolson, many big-name stars were considered for the title role, includingJames CagneyandDanny Thomas(both of whom turned it down), but resident contractee Larry Parks was reportedly the first actor to be interviewed. Parks impressed the producers and won the role. At the age of 31, his performance inThe Jolson Story(1946) earned him anAcademy Awardnomination for Best Actor.[9][10]

Stardom

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Parks withTeresa WrightinThe Happiest Day,a 1954Ford Theatrepresentation.

Now that Parks was a fully-fledged star, Columbia kept him busy in elaborate productions. He appeared opposite the studio's biggest star,Rita Hayworth,inDown to Earth(1947). That year, exhibitors voted him the 15th-biggest star in the US.[11]

Then, he made some swashbucklers,The Swordsman(1948) andThe Gallant Blade(1948). Parks tried to break his contract with Columbia in 1948, but was unsuccessful.[12]That year he criticised theHouse Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).[13]

He madeJolson Sings Again(1949), which was another huge box-office hit.[14]His co-star in the film,Barbara Hale,teamed with him again in the comedy featureEmergency Wedding(1950). In 1950 he and his wife announced plans to make their own filmStakeout.[15]British exhibitors voted him the 9th-most popular star in the UK.[citation needed]

Blacklisting

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In 1951, Parks was summoned to appear before theHUACunder threat of being blacklisted in the movie industry, but he begged not to be forced to testify. He eventually did so in tears,[16]only to be blacklisted anyway. Parks eventually gave up the names of his former colleagues to the committee.[17]

Following his admission before the committee,Columbia Picturesdropped him from his contract, although it had four years to run, and Parks had been set to star in the filmSmall Wonder(which later becameThe First Time). At the time, Parks' fee was $75,000 a film.[18][19]A romantic comedy he made forMGM,Love Is Better Than Ever,was shelved for a year.[20]

He made a TV film forThe Ford Television Theatrein 1953[21]and starred in the British filmTiger by the Tail(1955) in England.

He continued to squeeze out a living acting on the stage and doing occasional television programs.[22]His last appearance in a major role was in theJohn Hustonfilm,Freud(1962).[23]

Later career

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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 inLas Vegasshowrooms,summer stockproductions, and touring companies of Broadway shows.[24]

Personal life

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Parks married actressBetty Garrettin 1944. She starred in Hollywood films such asOn the Townand on television asArchie Bunker's neighbor Irene Lorenzo onAll in the Familyand as landlady Edna Babish onLaverne 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, actorAndrew Parksand composer Garrett Parks. Larry Parks was also godfather to actorJeff Bridges.[25][26][27]

ADemocrat,he supportedAdlai Stevenson's campaign in the1952 presidential election.[28]

Parks died of aheart attackin 1975 at the age of 60.

Filmography

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Parks in 1947

Television

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References

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  1. ^Died: April 13, 1975 (April 13, 1975)."Larry Parks".Explore.bfi.org.uk. Archived fromthe originalon July 23, 2012.RetrievedApril 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.ISBN0810819651.
  3. ^"FamilySearch.org".Familysearch.org.RetrievedJanuary 23,2022.
  4. ^"Illinois Alumni Magazine | UIAA | Illinois Alumni".UIAA. March 21, 1951. Archived fromthe originalon September 5, 2015.RetrievedApril 13,2014.
  5. ^"Right At His Peak".The Voice.Vol. 21, no. 20. Tasmania, Australia. May 15, 1948. p. 4.RetrievedOctober 10,2017– via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^"Larry Parks' Rise to Fame".The Advocate.Tasmania, Australia. March 17, 1950. p. 18.RetrievedOctober 10,2017– via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^"A Star is Born: Larry Parks as Al Jolson | A Tribute to Al Jolson".Jolsonville. February 13, 2011. Archived fromthe originalon February 7, 2015.RetrievedApril 13,2014.
  8. ^"Handsome Larry Parks Achieves Stardom".Lachlander and Condobolin and Western Districts Recorder.New South Wales, Australia. June 30, 1947. p. 1.RetrievedOctober 10,2017– via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^Ebert, Roger (August 25, 1968)."Interview with Larry Parks | Interviews".Roger Ebert.RetrievedApril 13,2014.
  10. ^"The Jolson Story".Tcm.RetrievedApril 13,2014.
  11. ^"Bing's Lucky Number: Pa Crosby Dons 4th B.O. Crown" By Richard L. Coe.The Washington PostJanuary 3, 1948: 12.
  12. ^"Variety (March 1948)".New York, NY: Variety Publishing Company. January 23, 1948.RetrievedJanuary 23,2022– via Internet Archive.
  13. ^"Larry Parks Hits Hard At Red-Baiters".Tribune.No. 401. New South Wales, Australia. March 17, 1948. p. 5.RetrievedOctober 10,2017– via National Library of Australia.
  14. ^T. M. P. (August 18, 1949)."Movie Review – Jolson Sings Again – THE SCREEN IN REVIEW; ' Jolson Sings Again,' in Opening at Loew's State, Calls for Some Lusty Cheering".NYTimes.RetrievedApril 13,2014.
  15. ^"Larry Parks plans to finance his own movie".The Sun.No. 12, 534 (LATE FINAL EXTRA ed.). Sydney, Australia. March 30, 1950. p. 35.RetrievedOctober 10,2017– via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^"Larry Parks Commended For Truth".Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate.No. 23, 236. New South Wales. March 24, 1951. p. 3.RetrievedOctober 10,2017– via National Library of Australia.
  17. ^Silverman, Stephen M.Dancing on the Ceiling: Stanley Donen and his Movies.Alfred A. Knopf. 1996. p. 140.
  18. ^"LARRY PARKS ON THE" OUTER "".The Northern Miner.Queensland. March 26, 1951. p. 3.RetrievedOctober 10,2017– via National Library of Australia.
  19. ^"LARRY PARKS QUITS STUDIO".The News.Vol. 56, no. 8, 657. Adelaide. May 8, 1951. p. 2.RetrievedOctober 10,2017– via National Library of Australia.
  20. ^Love Is Better Than Everat theAFI Catalog of Feature Films
  21. ^"Larry Parks on job again 'Paid for my mistakes'".Sunday Mail.Queensland, Australia. November 8, 1953. p. 25.RetrievedOctober 10,2017– via National Library of Australia.
  22. ^Cullen, Frank; Hackman, Florence; McNeilly, Donald (2007).Vaudeville old & new: an encyclopedia of variety performances in America.Psychology Press.ISBN9780415938532– via Google Books.
  23. ^"Freud".Explore.bfi.org.uk. Archived fromthe originalon July 13, 2012.RetrievedApril 13,2014.
  24. ^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.ISBN1-56833-098-7.
  25. ^"Biography for Larry Parks".Tcm.RetrievedApril 13,2014.
  26. ^"Betty Garrett".The Telegraph.RetrievedApril 13,2014.
  27. ^Rampell, Ed (April 18, 2011)."Bridges brothers honor Hollywood" Red "Betty Garrett".peoplesworld.RetrievedApril 13,2014.
  28. ^Motion Picture and Television Magazine,November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers
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