November 2012 Auction Ends Thursday, November 15th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/15/2012
Giant wooden advertisement from Al Jolson's final stage show, ''Hold On To Your Hats''. Substantial mixed media sign announces the show times for the 6, 7 and 8 November 1940 performances at the Shubert Theater in New York. Deemed ''The World's Greatest Entertainer'', Jolson pioneered a style of performing unprecedented in Western culture, combining a highly energetic, melodramatic stage presence with an engaging two-way dynamic with the crowd. His proprietary brand of entertaining not only captivated audiences in the 1920's and '30's, but authored a new paradigm that revolutionized every field in show business and laid the groundwork for rock and roll. Jolson started his career singing and dancing in the circus and in New York theaters, touring successfully as a vaudeville act in blackface makeup. He was propelled to fame as one of the most popular acts on Broadway in the 1920's. In 1927 he accepted a role in the very first nationally distributed feature-length ''talkie'' film, ''The Jazz Singer.'' A string of film credits followed with ''A Singing Fool,'' ''Hallelujah, I'm a Tramp,'' ''Wonder Bar'' and ''The Singing Kid.'' Jolson returned to the stage to star in the last show of his life, ''Hold On To Your Hats.'' Financed with $100,000 of his own money, the musical comedy opened in June of 1940 and ran until February of 1941. Jolson starred opposite Bert Gorton, Martha Raye and for the first month, ex-wife Ruby Keeler. Layout of this advertisement consists of a colorized photograph of Jolson in costume, mounted to a sheet of painted wood and surrounded by wooden carvings of Jolson's name and the show's title painted in red. Hand-painted blue lettering advertises show times: ''Thur - Fri - Sat / Nov. 6th 7th & 8th / Matinee Saturday''. Hand-painted text beneath Jolson's photo reads: ''World's Greatest Entertainer in His Greatest Musical Extravaganza''. Housed behind glass in a deep green wood frame, likely the original frame, to an overall size of 33'' x 64.5''. Light staining along bottom edge with mild foxing to the right edge. Green frame shows a couple of white paint smudges, scattered nicks, a shallow chipped area to the right above center and an abrasion to upper left corner, else near fine overall. A significant piece of grand proportions, commensurate with Jolson himself.
Original 1940 Advertisement for Al Jolson's Last Ever Stage Show, ''Hold On To Your Hats'' -- Measures 33'' x 64.5''
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