 Larry Parks (qv), who had played Al Jolson (qv) in  _Jolson Story, The (1946)_ (qv) and  _Jolson Sings Again (1949)_ (qv), was signed from Columbia by Warner  Brothers to reprise his role of Jolson in this movie. However he was  blacklisted for being a communist in late 1951, and shooting  commenced on January 1952, so Warner Brothers replaced the character  of Jolson with that of Jimmy Durante (qv).