This week in Will County history.
Joliet-raised Actor Larry Parks Died April 13, 1975
Samuel Lawrence Klusman Parks (December 13, 1914 – April 13, 1975) was an American actor known for his role as Al Jolson in The Jolson Story (1946) and Jolson Sings Again (1949). Raised in Joliet, Illinois, Parks graduated from Joliet Township High School before starting his acting career in stock companies and later moving to Hollywood. Despite achieving success in film, his career was disrupted by blacklisting after he admitted to past Communist Party membership. Parks returned to Joliet periodically throughout his life. He died of a heart attack in 1975 at the age of 60.
