AL JOLSON MUSIC: Anniversary Song, Back in Your Own Back Yard, I'd Climb the Highest Mountain if I Knew I'd Find You: Jolson Sheet Music set of 3, plus bonus cover

1. From The Jolson Story, Anniversary Song

The Jolson Story was a 1946 Columbia Pictures Technicolor Production, a musical biography which tells the life story of singer Al Jolson. It was a huge success and was followed up by the 1949 sequel Jolson Sings Again.

It was directed by Alfred E Green and won Academy Awards for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture, and Best Sound Recording (John Livadary). It was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Larry Parks), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (William Demarest), Best Cinematography, Color and Best Film Editing.

Anniversary Song is the title given this piece by Al Jolson, when he and Saul Chaplin adapted it for this film. It is actually Waves of the Danube, written in 1880 by the Romanian composer Ion Ivanovici and still one of the most famous of Romanian songs. Ivanovici is credited on this sheet music.

Condition: This is two pages of music plus cover. It is somewhat frail—the paper is extremely thin. There is a 1" tear to the edge of both sheets, which you can see on the scan. There is a label on the top which will steam off. But the colours are nice and bright and it will look fabulous when framed.

2. Back in Your Own Back Yard

The credits on the sheet say 'By Al Jolson, Billy Rose & Dave Dreyer', but I'll paste this from the Wikipedia entry ('no idea who wrote the entry):

"Officially the credits show it as written by Al Jolson, Billy Rose, and Dave Dreyer; in fact, Billy Rose was exclusively a lyricist, Dreyer a composer, and Al Jolson a performer who was often given credits so he could earn more money. The actual apportionment of the credits would be likely to be music by Dreyer, lyrics by Rose, and possibly some small contribution by Jolson."

Jolson recorded the song in 1928, with the flipside Ol' Man River. He recorded it again in 1947. It was later recorded by Billie Holliday, Patti Page, the Andrews Sisters, Eydie Gorme, Brenda Lee,Vera Lynn, Sammy David Jr and Eddie Fisher. Bing Crosby also used it in his radio show.

It appeared in 4 films:

Say it With Songs, 1929, Al Jolson

That's Right – You're Wrong,1929, Kay Kyser (also with Lucille Ball and Hedda Hopper)

Silver Spurs, 1943, Roy Rogers

Jolson Sings Again, 1949, Larry Parks

This music is 6 pages and is in terrific condition; just minor wear. It's perfectly usable and/or will look great in a frame.

3. 'I'd Climb the Highest Mountain if I Knew I'd Find You', was recorded by Jolson in 1926. It was written by Lew Brown and Sidney Clare and has been recorded by dozens of major performers; it was a hit for the Ink Spots in1949, and Ricky Nelson in 1960.

4 Sheets of music plus covers.

Photo is attached; there is lots of wear at the edges, but it'll look lovely in a frame.

BONUS

Cover Only: DEEP IN MY HEART DEAR from THE STUDENT PRINCE, JOLSON's Theatre 1924.

The Student Prince in Heidelberg is an operetta in four acts with music by Sigmund Romberg with book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. It is based on Wilhelm Meyer-Forster's play Old Heidelberg.

It opened on December 2, 1924, at Jolson's 59th Street Theatre on Broadway. The show was the most successful of Romberg's works, running for 608 performances, the longest-running Broadway show of the 1920s. It was staged by the famed J. C.Huffman, on behalf of the Shuberts.

The operetta was revived twice on Broadway, in 1931 and 1943. Ernst Lubitsch made a silent film of it, starring Ramon Novarro and Norma Shearer.

In 1954, MGM made a biographical musical about Romberg. Deep in My Heart starred Jose Ferrer and Merle Oberon, and featured cameos by nearly every significant singer or dancer on the MGM lot at the time—Cyd Charisse, Rosemary Clooney, Vic Damone, Howard Keel, Gene Kelly, Ann Miller, Jane Powell etc.

Sadly, I only have the covers for this music. Someone, a long time ago, put tape on the edges but a restorer can remove that—it's about to fall off anyway. Once it's cleaned up, it will look lovely in a frame.