Larry Parks (December 13, 1914, Olathe, Kansas – April 13, 1975, Studio City, California), was an American stage and movie actor. His career was virtually ended when he admitted to having once been a member of a Communist party cell, an admission that led to his blacklisting by all Hollywood studios.

Parks grew up in Joliet, Illinois, and graduated from Joliet Township High School in 1932. He attended the University of Illinois as a pre-med student, and played in stock companies for a few years before signing a movie contract with Columbia Pictures in 1941. Like most Columbia contract players, he played supporting roles in important films, and larger roles in B pictures. When Columbia was preparing a screen biography of Al Jolson, many big-name stars were considered for the title role, but resident contractee Larry Parks was reportedly the first actor to be interviewed. Despite bearing little physical resemblance to Jolson, who was very much alive at the time, Parks impressed the producers and won the role. At the age 31 his convincing performance in The Jolson Story (1946) earned him a "Best Actor" Academy Award nomination. The real Jolson was tapped to provide the singing. The film was a big box office success.

Now that Parks was a full-fledged star, Columbia kept him busy in elaborate productions (including a couple of costume epics) until he appeared in the sequel, Jolson Sings Again (1949), which was another huge boxoffice hit. His co-star in the film, Barbara Hale, teamed with him again in the comedy feature Emergency Wedding.

In 1951 Larry Parks was summoned to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee, under threat of being blacklisted in the movie industry, but he begged not to be forced to testify. He eventually did so in tears, only to be blacklisted anyway. Larry Parks eventually gave up the names of his former colleagues and submitted to the HUAC. Following his admission before the committee, Columbia Pictures dropped him, and a romantic comedy he made for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was shelved for three years. Parks made only a few more films, but continued to make out a living acting on the stage and doing occasional television programs. He last appeared, in a major role, in the John Huston film Freud (1962).

Parks died of a heart attack at the age of 60. He was married to actress Betty Garrett in 1944. Her career also faced turmoil as a result of her marriage to Parks, but she nevertheless remained steadfast in her marriage vows, remaining his wife until his passing. Together they had two sons, actor Andrew Parks and composer Garrett Parks. He was also the godfather to actor Jeff Bridges.

When amiable Columbia Studios actor Larry Parks was entrusted the role of entertainer Al Jolson in the biopic Jolson Story, The (1946), his career finally hit the big time. Within a few years, however, his bright new world crumbled courtesy of the House Un-American Activities Committee after the actor admitted under pressure that he was once affiliated with the Communist Party. Although he unwillingly testified in 1951, he was still (unofficially) blacklisted. Never-say-die, Larry managed to continue his career in years to come - both here and abroad, on stage and in nightclubs - alongside steadfast wife Betty Garrett. His film career, however, literally came to a standstill and would never be the same again. Samuel Klausman Lawrence Parks was born in Kansas on December 13, 1914 of German and Irish descent. As a child growing up in Joliet, Illinois, he was plagued by a number of illnesses, including rheumatic fever, but persevered with physical exercise and sheer strength of mind. Majoring in science at the University of Illinois, his plans to become a doctor dissolved when, to the dismay of his parents, he found a passionate sideline in college dramatics. He began appearing in touring shows, then made the big move to New York, finding initial employment as an usher at Carnegie Hall and tour guide at Radio City. Following a number of summer stock shows, he made an inauspicious 1937 Broadway debut with a minor role in the Group Theatre's presentation of "Golden Boy". Developing a close-knit relationship with the Group, he was just beginning to build up his resumé in such Broadway outings as "All the Living", "My Heart's in the Highlands" and "Pure in Heart" when he felt compelled to return to his Illinois home following the death of his father. He toiled for a time in Chicago as a Pullman inspector on the New York Central Railroad until the possibility of a film role had him re-setting his acting sights on Los Angeles. Although the film deal fell through, Larry remained and somehow made ends meet working construction. Columbia expressed interest in the fledgling actor and signed him up in 1941 after a favorable screen test. He stayed for nine years. His buildup was slow-moving, taking his first small step with a minor role in Mystery Ship (1941). Time, however, did not increase the tempo or quality of his movies. Either he was oddly cast, such as his role as an Indian opposite exotic Yvonne De Carlo in Deerslayer, The (1943) or completely dismissed as co-star of such obscurities as Black Parachute, The (1944) or Sergeant Mike (1944) or She's a Sweetheart (1944). His association with the Group Theatre while back in New York had led to a chance introduction to musical actress Betty Garrett and the couple married in 1944. Larry had settled by this time in Hollywood but Betty was a hot item on Broadway. MGM finally offered her a contract and she relocated to Los Angeles to join her husband. The couple eventually had two children, one of whom, Andrew Parks (I), became a fine actor in his own right. Their other son, Garrett Parks served as composer for the film Diamond Men (2000). After Larry scored an Oscar nomination playing Jolson (which was originally offered to both James Cagney and Danny Thomas (I)), he hoped for equally challenging roles. His hopes were eventually dashed as the studio instead continued casting him haphazardly in mild-mannered comedies and swashbuckling adventures. Other than the box-office sequel Jolson Sings Again (1949), most of Larry's films were hardly worthy of his clear-cut talent. To compensate somewhat, he managed to find a creative outlet in summer stock, and both he and Betty put together a successful vaudeville act with one tour ending up playing London's Palladium. Following the completion of Love Is Better Than Ever (1952) with Elizabeth Taylor (I), the political scandal erupted and erased all of his chances to do film. One of many casualties of the Hollywood "blacklisting", he was forced to end his association with Columbia, and he and Betty, whose own career was damaged, traveled all the way to Europe to find work. He found some TV parts after the controversy died down, and Betty and Larry were a delightful replacement for Judy Holliday and Sydney Chaplin on Broadway in "Bells Are Ringing". During the many meager times, he concentrated on becoming a successful businessman which included building apartment complexes. He filmed only twice more, last playing a doctor in the Montgomery Clift starrer Freud (1962). By the time he died of a heart attack on April 13, 1975 at age 60, Larry had long faded from view. The irrepressible Betty, however, managed to revitalize her career on TV sitcoms with regular roles on "All in the Family" and "Laverne and Shirley" and continues to this day, at age 80+, to be an ingratiating presence on the singing stage.