Avalon (Al Jolson song)
The song was included in the biographical films "The Jolson Story" (1946) and "The Benny Goodman Story" (1956), and is also being noodled by Sam (Dooley Wilson) at the piano right before he plays "As Time Goes By" in the movie "Casablanca" (1942). The song was played in the background in the 1932 movie "You Said a Mouthful" which starred Joe E. Brown. It also appears in the 1944 movie adaptation of "Janie". Al Jolson recorded it for "Rose of Washington Square" (1939); although it was cut from the finished film, the audio recording survives. It can also be heard in "The Helen Morgan Story" (1957) where it is performed by Ann Blyth (dubbed by Gogi Grant) with chorus girls
It appears in "It's a Wonderful Life" ( 1946). It is playing in the background in the party scene about 35 minutes into the film, where George Bailey's mother urges George to pay a visit to Mary Hatch. The song is played during the opening credits of Peter Bogdanovich's "The Cat's Meow" (2001), a film about an ill-fated 1924 voyage along the California coast aboard a yacht belonging to William Randolph Hearst.
Film appearances
Jolson's recording rose to number two on the charts in 1921. Originally, only Rose and Jolson were credited, and DeSylva's name was added later.