"Camptown Races" sung by Al Jolson

J

I eat Mr. Foster's songs for lunch.

Definitely the BEST performer of all time

It was quite common in both the the US and UK stage Music Hall to refer to all North Africans as Ethiopians, separating them from the then country of Abyssinia. Terms have changed completely now, many Minstrel Shows were billed this way to sound more serious than the the other more derogatory descriptions so objected too these days.

Great stuff and cheerful, I love the facial expressions.

@Lancastrian83 Larry Parks played Jolson in both biographical films but for just one scene Jolson took over and performed the song Swanee in a long shot on the runway.

This song is so funny!

@Lancastrian83 The film was Swanee River and apart from a cameo appearance it was Jolson's last film role before he appeared as himself in the George Gershwin biopic. Ethiopia was called Abyssinia at one point in its history but I think (not sure) that at the time of the Christie Minstrels it was known as Ethiopia

Much funnier in Blazing Saddles!