The career of Larry Parks reached its zenith with a Best Actor nomination for the title role in the popular biopic, “The Jolson Story,” in 1946.
Parks played Al Jolson, the cantor's son who became a legendary entertianer. Up until then, he was mostly cast in B-movies. Parks got the part after JimmyCagney and other actors turned it down.
But his career plummeted when he was forced to admit to past membership in the Communist Party. Officially, Parks was never blacklisted, but Columbia didn' renew his contract and other studios didn't hire him.
His last screen role was in John Huston's “Freud,” in 1962. He died in 1975.
Oscar Context
The Best Actor winner in 1946 was Fredric March for Wyler's “The Best Years of Our Lives,” which swept most of the Oscars.