We want Cantor, We want Cantor!

This week we continue with Part VI of our very special 9-part interview with Janet Cantor Gari, the youngest daughter of Eddie Cantor and Brian Gari the grandson of the legendary, “Apostle of Pep”. Janet and Brian will be sharing their stories and special memories about “Banjo Eyes”, Al Jolson, the legendary Bert Williams, Margaret Whiting, Sammy Davis Jr., the upcoming August 2006 Jolson Society Festival on Long Island and their ongoing efforts to keep the memory of Eddie Cantor alive 42 years after his death.

Jolson Way Dedication Ceremony in New York City

The dedication ceremony for Al Jolson Way sign on Broadway in New York City on Friday August 11th, at 2:00 PM by the legendary Winter Garden Theatre (where Jolson re-defined Broadway on March 20^th, 1911 in “La Belle Paree”).

Jolson redefines Broadway (again) with a little help from our friends

Last Chance to Attend Tenth Annual Long Island Jolson Society Festival

Jan Hernstat and the International Al Jolson Society present a “Tribute to Al Jolson” in Oceanside, New York on Saturday, August 12th. Guests include the very special Margaret Whiting, Tony Babino, Janet Cantor Gari, Brian Gari, Richard Grudens and Ed Greenbaum.  

Last chance for reservations, email questions to Jan Hernstat at jolsonvp@optonline.net .




Margaret Whiting & Al Jolson

Mister Tin Pan Alley Returns to New York City

“This young ‘Master of Tin Pan Alley’ will thrill you as he sings and dances with the snap and pizzazz… Jolie would be proud.”—Los Angeles Classic Jazz Festival

Don’t miss the one and only Richard Halpern in a very special musical performance of songs from the 1920s and early 1930s with Richard Danley at the piano on Thursday, August 24th, 2006 at 8:00 PM at the new Joe Franklin's Comedy Club located at 761 Seventh Avenue (50th St.) in New York City. Tickets are $20.00 plus $12.00 food/drink minimum.

 Tickets are available now by calling Steve Garrin at: (212) 541-8106.



“I've Gotta Get Back To New York”

A Tribute to Sybil Jason: Warner Brothers' First Kid Star

Although Sybil Jason’s time in the limelight was relatively brief, she enjoyed a remarkable film career including appearing with Hollywood legends including Al Jolson, Shirley Temple, and Humphrey Bogart. 

In February 1917, a publicity man named Ben Atwell created a newspaper ad for Robinson Caruso Jr. promoting Al Jolson as “The World’s Greatest Entertainer”. Jolson's heavyweight title was more than deserved during his lifetime and even today.

This does not discount the fact that after Jolson’s died in 1950, there were other performers who were referred to as the Worlds Greatest Entertainers. Judy Garland and Sammy Davis Jr. were both extraordinary entertainers who deserve a place among the truly great performers of all time. And like Jolson they were energetic, spirited, and knew how to mesmerize an audience.

But, the similarities to Jolson do not end there.  All three were inspiration to many performers and they were very committed to entertaining US troops during wartime. In addition, Vaudeville was a pivotal part of their early success as performers.

The Gumm Sisters and Judy Garland with Al Jolson and Oscar Levant


Early Success of Frances Ethel Gumm

At an early age she toured the United States performing songs and dances with her older sisters. Frances even at six years old was stealing the show from her older sisters and was performing solo numbers. She was getting billed as "Baby" Gumm. In 1934, Frances was 12 years old and given a new stage name. Judy after the Garland sisters became Judy Garland. Prior to signing her MGM contract in 1935, she had given literally hundreds of live performances on the vaudeville stage and radio.  This included two very special appearances on Jolson’s Lifebuoy and Kraft radio programs. Judy Garland is considered by many to be one of the world’s greatest entertainers.

 

Sammy Davis Jr. energetic, spirited, and knew how to mesmerize an audience

Early Success of Sammy Davis Jr.

Considered a child prodigy, Sammy started performing at the age of three in Vaudeville with his Uncle Will Mastin, his father, Sammy Davis Sr. and his mother, Elvera Sanchez.

Few vaudeville acts in the 1930s survived the competition of motion pictures. During this period, the Mastin troupe became a three-person act featuring Sammy Davis Sr., Will Mastin, and Sammy Davis Jr. By 1940 Sammy Jr. had become the star attraction. For more background on Sammy Davis Jr., refer to We Want Cantor: Part VI Janet and Brian Gari Interview below.

"Sammy Davis Jr. is one of the greatest entertainers that ever lived." - Johnny Carson

"The world's greatest entertainer." - Milton Berle

"A phenomenon like him comes along once in a lifetime." -  George Burns

"The greatest entertainer who ever lived --bar none." - Little Richard said

Upcoming August Jolson and Friends Trivia Challenge

 Two winners will receive a FREE Al Jolson, “The Singing Fool” T-shirt who can correctly answer the upcoming August Jolson and Friends Trivia Challenge.

We Want Cantor: Part VI Janet and Brian Gari Interview

Eddie Cantor mentored and helped launched the careers of Dinah Shore, Lucille Ball, Deana Durbin and Sammy Davis Jr.

Brian Marcus Decker:  Eddie Cantor was also known for helping to launch the careers of a number of performers throughout his career, including Deana Durbin, Dinah Shore, Lucille Ball, and especially Sammy Davis Jr.  Do you want to share with us some of the controversy and significance behind your father extending the booking of Sammy Davis Jr. on the Colgate Comedy Hour?

Brian Gari:  Well, he had seen Sammy Davis Jr. at Ciro’s on the Sunset Strip in California and he was impressed … it was part of the Will Mastin Trio and it was so impressive, the whole act, and especially Sammy himself that he booked them on the Colgate Comedy Hour, and the controversy was that my grandfather pulled out his handkerchief when Sammy was sweating profusely and mopped his brow with the handkerchief and that caused a whole lot of hate mail to arrive, and the phones lit up and it was a very big deal and my grandfather was being threatened by the ad agency, Colgate Palmolive Company and they didn’t want him to continue having a black man on the show.  Obviously they referred to them as colored people in those days, and my grandfather knew that something was wrong because Sammy Davis kind of disappeared at that time.  He got into a movie theater and just stayed in the movie theater all day because he had heard that there was such uproar over him and that relationship on the TV show.  So he disappeared into a movie theater and was afraid to come out because he thought that was the end of his career and my grandfather stood up to the Colgate Palmolive Company and booked Sammy Davis several more times on the show.

Brian Marcus Decker:  That is such a great story.

Brian Gari:  By the way, there’s a very good article about that, or section about that, in a book on Sammy Davis Jr. that’s by, I think his name is Arthur Silber, Jr.  My mother has the book here.  But I just bought the book and it’s on Sammy Davis Jr. and it’s a very, very interesting background to that story.

Brian Marcus Decker:  Janet, Florenz Ziegfeld who was supposed to be a very generous and extravagant person, unlike the Shubert organization.  Did he really give your father a Roll’s Royce as a present?

Janet Cantor Gari:  He may have.  I know that he had a Roll’s Royce in Great Neck when he had a million dollars and was about to retire, which was just a little bit before the crash, and that was the end of the Roll’s Royce and the house and everything else.  But it may have been from Ziegfeld.

Next Part VII We Want Cantor: Janet and Brian Gari discuss

• Brian, both you and your grandfather had special connections to Margaret Whiting.  Can you tell us about this connection?

• Can you illuminate us a little bit on Eddie Cantor’s contributions as a song writer?

This is Brian Marcus Decker and thank you for joining us on the Jolson and Friends 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 at www.JolsonBlog.com . 

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