Larry Parks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Larry Parks
Parks in 1950
Born	Samuel Lawrence Klusman Parks (1914-12-13)December 13, 1914 Olathe, Kansas, U.S.
Died	April 13, 1975(1975-04-13) (aged 60) Studio City, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor singer
Years active	1941–1975
Spouse(s)	Betty Garrett ​ (m. 1944)​
Children	2, including Andrew Parks

Larry Parks (born Samuel Lawrence Klusman Parks; December 13, 1914 – April 13, 1975) was an American actor who worked in movies and on stage. He started his career playing small parts, then moved on to bigger roles. However, his career almost ended when he admitted to being part of a group with certain political ideas. This led to him being blacklisted by Hollywood studios, meaning they wouldn't hire him.

Larry Parks is best known for playing the famous singer Al Jolson in two movies: The Jolson Story (1946) and Jolson Sings Again (1949).

Life and Career in Hollywood

Larry Parks was born in Olathe, Kansas. He grew up in Joliet, Illinois, and finished high school there in 1932. He went to the University of Illinois to study medicine, but he also acted in local theater groups for several years.

A fellow actor, John Garfield, suggested Larry go to Hollywood. In 1941, Larry signed a contract with Columbia Pictures, a big movie studio.

Early Roles

Like many actors with a studio contract, Larry Parks often played supporting roles in big movies. He also had more important parts in smaller, less expensive films.

Some of his early movies included Mystery Ship (1941), You Belong to Me (1941), and Blondie Goes to College (1942). He appeared in many films each year, often playing different characters.

Becoming a Leading Actor

By 1944, Larry Parks started getting lead roles in movies. Some of these included The Black Parachute (1944) and Counter-Attack (1945).

When Columbia Pictures decided to make a movie about the life of singer Al Jolson, many famous actors were considered. But Larry Parks impressed the producers and won the main role. He was 31 years old. His performance in The Jolson Story (1946) was so good that he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. This is one of the highest honors in the movie industry.

Life as a Star

Parks with Teresa Wright in The Happiest Day, a 1954 TV show.

After The Jolson Story, Larry Parks became a big star. Columbia Pictures kept him busy with many exciting movies. He even starred alongside Rita Hayworth, one of the studio's biggest stars, in Down to Earth (1947). In 1947, movie theater owners voted him the 15th most popular star in the United States.

He then made adventure films like The Swordsman (1948) and The Gallant Blade (1948). In 1949, he made Jolson Sings Again, which was another huge hit. His co-star in that film, Barbara Hale, also worked with him in the comedy Emergency Wedding (1950). By 1950, British moviegoers voted him the 9th most popular star in the UK.

The Blacklist Period

In 1951, Larry Parks was asked to appear before a special committee in Hollywood called the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). This committee was investigating people in the movie industry who were thought to have certain political beliefs. Larry Parks was very worried and didn't want to testify, but he eventually did. He admitted that he had once been part of a group that held certain political ideas.

After his testimony, Columbia Pictures ended his movie contract, even though it was supposed to last for four more years. At that time, Larry Parks was earning $75,000 for each film. Another movie he made, Love Is Better Than Ever, was not released right away.

He continued to act on stage and in occasional television shows. He also starred in a British film called Tiger by the Tail (1955). His last major film role was in the movie Freud (1962).

Later Career and Business

Larry Parks eventually left the movie industry and started a very successful construction business. He and his wife, Betty Garrett, bought and managed many apartment buildings in the Los Angeles area. Instead of selling the buildings after they were finished, Larry decided to keep them and collect rent, which turned out to be a very smart and profitable decision.

During this time, Larry and Betty sometimes performed together in live shows in Las Vegas, in summer theater productions, and in touring Broadway plays.

Personal Life

Larry Parks married actress Betty Garrett in 1944. Betty Garrett was also a well-known actress, appearing in Hollywood films like On the Town and on popular TV shows like All in the Family and Laverne and Shirley. Her career also faced challenges because of her marriage to Larry Parks during the blacklist period.

Larry and Betty had two sons: Andrew Parks, who became an actor, and Garrett Parks, who became a composer. Larry Parks was also the godfather to actor Jeff Bridges.

Larry Parks was a supporter of the Democratic Party. He supported Adlai Stevenson II in the 1952 presidential election.

Larry Parks passed away from a heart attack in 1975 when he was 60 years old.

Images for kids

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  Larry Parks in 1947

See also

In Spanish: Larry Parks para niños