Larry Parks, the amiable Columbia Pictures actor, was entrusted with the role of entertainer Al Jolson in the biopic The Jolson Story (1946),which catapulted his career to new heights. However, his bright new world crumbled a few years later due to the House Un-American Activities Committee, after he admitted under pressure that he was once affiliated with the Communist Party.
Born Samuel Klausman Lawrence Parks on December 13, 1914, in Olathe, Kansas, of German and Irish descent, Larry grew up in Joliet, Illinois, where he was plagued by various illnesses, including rheumatic fever. He persevered with physical exercise and sheer strength of will, majoring in science at the University of Illinois.
Larry's plans to become a doctor dissolved when he discovered a passion for college dramatics. He began appearing in touring shows, made the big move to New York, and found initial employment as an usher at Carnegie Hall and a tour guide at Radio City. He made his Broadway debut in 1937 with a minor role in the Group Theatre's presentation of "Golden Boy".
Developing a close-knit relationship with the Group, Larry built up his resume in Broadway outings such as "All the Living", "My Heart's in the Highlands" and "Pure in Heart". He had to return to his Illinois home following the death of his father and toiled for a time in Chicago as a Pullman inspector on the New York Central Railroad.
Larry reset his acting sights on Los Angeles and somehow made ends meet working construction. Columbia expressed interest in the fledgling actor and signed him up in 1941 after a favorable screen test. He stayed for nine years, taking his first small step with a minor role in Mystery Ship (1941).
Time did not increase the tempo or quality of his movies, with Larry being oddly cast or completely dismissed in films such as The Deerslayer (1943),The Black Parachute (1944),Sergeant Mike (1944),and She's a Sweetheart (1944). His association with the Group Theatre led to a chance introduction to musical actress Betty Garrett, and the couple married in 1944.
Larry scored an Oscar nomination playing Jolson, hoping for equally challenging roles. However, his hopes were dashed as the studio continued casting him haphazardly in mild-mannered comedies and swashbuckling adventures. He found a creative outlet in summer stock and both he and Betty put together a successful vaudeville act with one tour ending up playing London's Palladium.
Following the completion of Love Is Better Than Ever (1952) with Elizabeth Taylor, the political scandal erupted and erased all of his chances to do film. One of many casualties of Hollywood "blacklisting", Larry was forced to end his association with Columbia, and he and Betty traveled to Europe to find work.
He found some TV parts after the controversy died down, and Betty and Larry were a delightful replacement for Judy Holliday and Sydney Chaplin on Broadway in "Bells Are Ringing". During the many meager times, Larry concentrated on becoming a successful businessman, including building apartment complexes. He made only two more films, last playing a doctor in the Montgomery Clift starrer Freud (1962).
By the time he died of a heart attack on April 13, 1975, at age 60, Larry had long faded from view. Betty, however, managed to revitalize her career on TV sitcoms with regular roles on All in the Family (1971),Laverne & Shirley (1976),and roles on numerous other TV series before passing on February 12, 2011.
