The World's Greatest Minstrel

Miriam Nelson (wife of Gene) was originally hired just to choreograph the ‘Liza’ number for Evelyn Keyes in ‘The Jolson Story’.

‘The story point was told to me of Evelyn dancing down only a few stairs on a high staircase, almost falling and then being given the courage to go on when she hears Jolson singing out from the audience. I was given the record of Jolson singing and put on the sound stage with the stairs, which were then in two sections. I was assured that I would never have to have them one on top of the other, going all the way up. By ‘movie magic they would make it appear as if the stairs reached the ceiling’.

‘I rehearsed all alone for four weeks and then Harry Cohn asked me if I’d stand in for Evelyn and of course I said yes. The studio didn’t want to risk her important neck in this possibly dangerous number. Evelyn would end up doing only a few shots in it: striking a dance pose at the top, the one of fear and the bow at the end where she blows a kiss to Jolson in the audience.