Rules: Answers must be e-mailed to Brian@JolsonBlog.com, with “Jolson and Friends Trivia Challenge” in the subject line. Two winners will be selected at random from correct responses and must be received by 12:00 noon (EST) Tuesday, July 31, 2006. Please include your full name and mailing address in your response. Only one response accepted per person per monthly Jolson and Friends Trivia Challenge. These collector edition T-shirts, are provided by AffiniTee LLC, include a vintage color reproduction of a 1928 theatrical program promoting “The Singing Fool” feature film starring the legendary, Al Jolson.

We Want Cantor: Part IV Janet and Brian Gari Interview

 Ziegfeld Follies of 1919
Johnny Dooley, Eddie Cantor, Gus Van, Bert Williams, Joe Schenck, Eddie Dowling and Ray Dooley

Brian Marcus Decker:  I listened to an old radio interview that you and Brian, your son, did with Danny Stiles back in 2001 on the 106^th birthday anniversary of your father.  Janet, you were talking about your visit to the film set of “Kid Millions”, which is actually my favorite Eddie Cantor film.  Could you tell this web community about that experience?

Janet Cantor Gari:  About being on the set?  My father said that my sister Marilyn and I could go on the little elevators that took you to the top of the sodas, and you know, and being in this scene where they’re eating ice cream, which was really cold mashed potatoes and the kids were getting sick all over the place, but Marilyn loved it and I got terrified when I saw how high it went and turned around and went home.

Kid Millions (1934)

Eddie Cantor at his best with a great cast, zany Marx Brothers like plot and spectacular songs including, "When My Ship Comes In", "An Earful of Music", "Your Head on My Shoulder", Mandy", "I Want to be a Minstrel Man", and "Okay Toots".  As Ira Gershwin once said, "Who could ask for anything more".

Brian Marcus Decker:  Eddie Cantor’s early success in vaudeville happened with the Ziegfeld Follies.  In 1917 he was given a tremendous opportunity to work with, be mentored and befriended by the legendary Bert Williams who died just five years later.  Janet, can you give us any insight on the impact of the relationship that your father had with Bert Williams?

Janet Cantor Gari:  Well first of all I think that as somebody that he loved and admired more than almost anyone in his life, next to his grandmother, he’d talked about him a great deal to us and I think we learned early on without even realizing it not to have any prejudices because he felt that Bert Williams, a black man, was far superior to him.

Bert Williams, the legendary comedian, is considered one of the greatest performers in the history of Vaudeville. Booker T. Washington once modestly observed, "Bert Williams has done more for the race than I have. He has smiled his way into people's hearts. I have been obliged to fight my way."

Brian Marcus Decker:  Many performers who started out in vaudeville performed blackface, including Jolson, obviously your father Eddie Cantor, Bert Williams and a younger Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Emmett Miller and even Mae West.  Why does Jolson seem to carry the majority of the negative stigma associated with minstrels today?

Janet Cantor Gari:  I didn’t know that he did.  I … you know, they still get bad comments when a movie of my father was shown when he was in blackface.  People complain about that too.  And, you know, there certainly wasn’t any prejudice involved.  It was part of the minstrel age, which is why Bert Williams, who had light skin blackened up himself.  In fact that’s how they go to know each other.  He was playing Pappy and my father was playing his son.

Special thanks to Liz Carbone for providing some great resource material used for this interview. She is one of the many fabulous people that I met at the May 2006 International Al Jolson Annual Convention in Philadelphia.

Next Week Part V We Want Cantor: Janet and Brian Gari discuss

• Janet, which awards were Eddie and Ida most proud of?

• Brian, what were some of the earliest memories that you had of your grandfather? 

• Brian, did Eddie Cantor once take you to see The Three Stooges at the movies?

• Do you know anything about the origins of where the expressions of “Apostle of Pep” and “Banjo Eyes” come from?

• “‘We want Cantor.  We want Cantor”.  Supposedly originally to do with the vaudeville period and was used to chase off an opening act before Eddie Cantor appeared on the stage.  Is that a true story?

 This is Brian Marcus Decker and thank you for joining us on the Jolson Blog.  This is the first blog dedicated to the legendary life and musical influences of Al Jolson, The Worlds Greatest Entertainer and Friends and don’t forget to visit us weekly at www.JolsonBlog.com .

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