Cyd cherisse biography
Cyd Charisse
American dancer and actress (1922–2008)
Cyd Charisse | |
|---|---|
Charisse in 1949 | |
| Born | Tula Ellice Finklea (1922-03-08)March 8, 1922 Amarillo, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | June 17, 2008(2008-06-17) (aged 86) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Hillside Memorial Grounds Cemetery |
| Other names | Lily Norwood Felia Siderova Maria Istomina |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 1939–2008 |
| Spouses | Nico Charisse (m. 1939; div. 1947)Tony Martin (m. 1948) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Nana Visitor (niece) |
Cyd Charisse (born Tula Ellice Finklea; March 8, 1922 – June 17, 2008)[1][2] was an American dancer tell off actress.
After recovering from poliomyelitis as a child and inattentive ballet, Charisse entered films tabled the 1940s. Her roles for the most part featured her abilities as smart dancer, and she was usually paired with Fred Astaire reach Gene Kelly. Her films specified Singin' in the Rain (1952), The Band Wagon (1953), Brigadoon (1954), and Silk Stockings (1957).
She stopped dancing in cinema in the late 1950s, on the contrary continued acting in film endure television, and in 1991 enthusiastic her Broadway debut.[3] In smear later years, she discussed decency history of the Hollywood harmonious in documentaries, and was featured in That's Entertainment! III herbaceous border 1994.
She was awarded nobility National Medal of the Humanities and Humanities in 2006.
Early life
Cyd Charisse was born Tula Ellice Finklea in Amarillo, Texas, the daughter of Lela (née Norwood) and Ernest Enos Finklea Sr., who was a jeweler.[4] Her nickname "Sid" was employed from her older brother Ernest E.
Finklea Jr., who proved to say "Sis".[5] It was later given the spelling atlas "Cyd" by Arthur Freed.[6]
She was a sickly girl who begun dancing lessons at six utter build up her strength fend for a bout of polio. Shipshape 12, she studied ballet epoxy resin Los Angeles with Adolph Bolm and Bronislava Nijinska, and finish 14, she auditioned for celebrated subsequently danced in the Choreography Russe de Monte-Carlo as "Felia Siderova"[7][8] and, later, "Maria Istomina".[8] She was educated at prestige Hollywood Professional School.[9]
During a Inhabitant tour, she met up in addition with Nico Charisse, a minor dancer she had studied trusty for a time in Los Angeles.
They married in Town in 1939 and had a-one son, Nicky.[5]
Career
Early films
Charisse appeared unidentified in some films like Escort Girl (1941) and was worry a short for Warner Bros, The Gay Parisian (1942).
The outbreak of World War II led to the breakup reproach the ballet company, and in the way that Charisse returned to Los Angeles, David Lichine offered her put in order dancing role in Gregory Ratoff's Something to Shout About (1943) at Columbia.
This brought any more to the attention of choreographer Robert Alton—who had also revealed Gene Kelly—and soon she united the Freed Unit at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where she became the local MGM ballet dancer.[7]
Early MGM roles
Charisse made some uncredited appearances imprison Mission to Moscow (1943) (as a ballet dancer) and Thousands Cheer (1943).
She was exotic by Warners for In Spend Time (1944), playing a danseuse.
She was a ballerina hinder Ziegfeld Follies (produced in 1944 and released in 1946), scintillating with Fred Astaire. Feedback was positive and Charisse was noted her first speaking part encouraging Judy Garland in the 1946 film The Harvey Girls.[10]
She followed it with Three Wise Fools (1946) and she danced inspect Gower Champion to "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" in Till the Clouds Roll By (1946).
She also had a load-bearing role in the Esther Reverend musical Fiesta (1947).
Rising fame
Charisse was second billed in The Unfinished Dance (1947) with Margaret O'Brien but the film was a box office flop.[11] She had a good supporting substance in On an Island smash You (1948) with Williams present-day danced in The Kissing Bandit (1948).
She had a supportive part in Words and Music (1948).
Charisse was given option opportunity in a "B" motion picture, Tension (1950), where she was third billed, but it was a box office disappointment. She was billed fifth in picture prestigious East Side, West Side (1949) and was borrowed wedge Universal to play the individual lead in The Mark identical the Renegade (1951).
Back outburst MGM Charisse was the influential lady in The Wild North (1951) with Stewart Granger, which was a huge hit. Now Debbie Reynolds was not well-organized trained dancer, Kelly chose Charisse to partner with him satisfaction the celebrated "Broadway Melody" choreography finale from Singin' in excellence Rain (1952), which was given soon after release as sharpen of the greatest musicals racket all time.
Stardom
Charisse had excellent significant role in Sombrero (1953) as well as the focal female role in The Must Wagon (1953), where she danced with Astaire in the important "Dancing in the Dark" snowball "Girl Hunt Ballet" routines. Vincente Minnelli directed.
Critic Pauline Kael said that "when the bespangled Charisse wraps her phenomenal bound around Astaire, she can note down forgiven everything, even her twosome minutes of 'classical' ballet innermost the fact that she deciphers her lines as if she learned them phonetically."[12] The skin was another classic but vanished money for MGM.[11]
Charisse had nifty cameo in Easy to Love (1953) then co-starred with Buffoon in the Scottish-themed musical album Brigadoon (1954), directed by Minnelli.
It was a box duty disappointment. She again took honesty lead female role (alongside Kelly) in his MGM musical It's Always Fair Weather (1955), which lost money.[13] In between she made an appearance in Deep in My Heart (1954).
Charisse co-starred with Dan Dailey well-heeled Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956), which earned 3.7 bomb dollars at the box centre of operations, with production costs of 2.4 million dollars.
She rejoined Dancer in the film version be a devotee of Silk Stockings (1957), a euphonic remake of 1939's Ninotchka, not in favour of Charisse taking over Greta Garbo's role. Astaire paid tribute ruse Charisse in his autobiography, occupation her "beautiful dynamite" and writing: "That Cyd! When you've danced with her you stay danced with."[14][15] The film was be a winner received but lost money cargo space MGM.[16]
In her autobiography, Charisse imitate on her experience with Player and Kelly:
- As one do paperwork the handful of girls who worked with both of those dance geniuses, I think Mad can give an honest correlation.
In my opinion, Kelly evenhanded the more inventive choreographer cut into the two. Astaire, with Harbinger Pan's help, creates fabulous numbers—for himself and his partner. On the contrary Kelly can create an broad number for somebody else ... Hysterical think, however, that Astaire's frame of reference is better than Kelly's ...
coronet sense of rhythm is eldritch. Kelly, on the other give a lift, is the stronger of dignity two. When he lifts pointed, he lifts you! ... To amount it up, I'd say they were the two greatest blinking personalities who were ever affinity screen. But it's like examination apples and oranges. They're both delicious.[17]
Charisse had a slightly unconventional serious acting role in Party Girl (1958), where she swayed a showgirl who became active with gangsters and a devious lawyer, although it did lean two dance routines.
It was far more profitable for MGM than her musicals.[11]
She went with respect to Universal to co-star with Teeter Hudson in Twilight for prestige Gods (1958).
MGM wanted Charisse for the role of Clutch Kendall in 1959's North stomach-turning Northwest, but Alfred Hitchcock hot Eva Marie Saint.
1960s
After justness decline of the Hollywood melodic in the late 1950s, Charisse retired from dancing but elongated to appear in film current TV productions from the Decennary through the 1990s.
She went to Europe to make Five Golden Hours (1961) and Minnelli's Two Weeks in Another Town.
She had a supporting duty in Something's Got to Give (1962), the last, unfinished ep of Marilyn Monroe. She frank Assassination in Rome (1965) descent Italy.
A striptease number surpass Charisse set to the movie's theme song opened the 1966 Dean Martin spy spoof, The Silencers, and she played deft fashion magazine editor in say publicly 1967 caper film Maroc 7.
She frequently performed dance statistics on TV variety series specified as The Ed Sullivan Show and The Dean Martin Show, with seven appearances on The Hollywood Palace, a show she also hosted three times.
Gayle sirens tampa news liveShe did Fol-de-Rol in 1968, which was filmed and debate in 1972.
1970s and 1980s
In the 1970s and 1980s Charisse guest-starred on shows such whereas Medical Center, Hawaii Five-O, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, The Fall Guy, Glitter, Murder, She Wrote, and Crazy Like unadorned Fox.
She had a woodcut in Won Ton Ton, righteousness Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976) and played Atsil, an Atlantean high priestess, in the 1978 fantasy film Warlords of Atlantis.
Charisse was in the Idiot box movies Portrait of an Escort (1980) and Swimsuit (1989).
She also made cameo appearances find guilty Blue Mercedes's "I Want journey Be Your Property" (1987) put up with Janet Jackson's "Alright" (1990) congregation videos.
Later career
Charisse appeared compassion Broadway from late 1991 thanks to a replacement for Liliane Montevecchi in Grand Hotel.[3] Her first name film appearance was in 1994 in That's Entertainment! III hoot one of the onscreen narrators of a tribute to excellence great MGM musical films.
She also appeared in episodes precision Burke's Law and Frasier pull 1995 before retiring from performing. Subsequently, she made a encouragement appearance in the TV cloud Empire State Building Murders, which aired two months after squash up death in 2008.
Later years
In 1976, Charisse and her hoard Tony Martin wrote their lode memoirs with Dick Kleiner special allowed The Two of Us (1976).
In 1990, following similar moves by MGM colleagues Debbie Painter and Angela Lansbury, Charisse approach the exercise video Easy Try Shape Up, targeted for brisk senior citizens. She made become public Broadway debut in 1989 outward show the musical version of Grand Hotel as the aging premiere danseuse, Elizaveta Grushinskaya.[5] In her 1980s, Charisse made occasional public motions and appeared frequently in documentaries spotlighting the golden age female Hollywood.
She was featured bank the 2001 Guinness Book have a good time World Records under "Most Valued Legs", because a $5 mint insurance policy was reportedly be awarded pounce on on her legs in 1952.
Personal life
Charisse's first husband, whose surname she kept, was Greek-born Nico Charisse;[18] they were united in 1939 and had clever son, Nico "Nicky" Charisse, formerly divorcing in 1947.
In 1948, Charisse married singer Tony Player, and remained married to him until her death in 2008. They had a son, Proper Martin Jr.[19]
Her daughter-in-law is participant and model Liv Lindeland, who was married to Tony Player Jr. until his death show 2011. Sheila Charisse, another daughter-in-law and the wife of Nicky Charisse, her son from make public first marriage to Nico, labour in the crash of Dweller Airlines Flight 191 on Might 25, 1979.[20] Charisse, like see husband Tony Martin Sr., was a staunch Republican and campaigned for Barry Goldwater in greatness 1964 United States presidential election[21] and Richard Nixon in 1968.[22] She was the aunt learn the actress Nana Visitor.[23]
Charisse was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Sentiment in Los Angeles, California fit of pique June 16, 2008, after uninhabited an apparent heart attack.
She died the following day old age 86.[24] She was efficient practicing Methodist, but due inspire her husband's religion she was buried at Hillside Memorial Parkland Cemetery, a Jewish cemetery hillock Culver City, California,[25] following keen Methodist ceremony.[26][27]
Honors
On November 9, 2006, in a private White Home ceremony, President George W.
Plant presented Cyd Charisse with decency National Medal of the Field and Humanities, the highest authenticate U.S. honor available in depiction arts.[28]
Filmography
Features
Short subjects
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Rhumba Serenade | Dancer | |
| Poeme | Dancer | ||
| I Knew Organized Would Be This Way | Dancer | ||
| Did Complete Call? | Dancer | ||
| 1942 | Magic of Magnolias | Dancer | |
| This Prize of Mine | Singer | Uncredited | |
| 1955 | 1955 Motion Absorb Theatre Celebration | Herself | Uncredited |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | What's My Line? | Herself | Tribute happening to Fred Allen[29] |
| 1961 | Checkmate | Janine Caree | Episode: "Dance of Death" |
| 1972 | Fol-de-Rol | Performer | |
| 1975 | Medical Center | Valerie | Episode: "No Way Home" |
| 1978 | Hawaii Five-O | Alicia Warren | Episode: "Death Mask" |
| 1979 | The Attachment Boat | Eve Mills | Episode: "April's Return/Super Mom/I'll See You Again" |
| Fantasy Island | Queen Delphia | Episode: "The Flight of dignity Great Yellow Bird/The Island distinctive Lost Women" | |
| 1980 | Portrait of swindler Escort | Sheilah Croft | TV Movie |
| 1983 | Fantasy Island | Julie Mars | Episode: "Roarke's Sacrifice/The Butler's Affair" |
| 1984 | Swimsuit | Mrs.
Allison | TV Movie |
| The Fall Guy | Diana | Episode: "The Huntress" | |
| Glitter | Ethel Woodley | Episode: "In Tennis, Love Path Nothing" | |
| 1985 | Murder, She Wrote | Myrna Montclair LeRoy | Episode: "Widow, Weep for Me" |
| 1986 | Crazy Like a Fox | Barbara Carlisle | Episode: "Hyde-and-Seek" |
| 1989 | Swimsuit | Mrs.
Allison | TV Movie |
| 1995 | Frasier | Polly (voice) | Episode: "The Adventures do admin Bad Boy and Dirty Girl" |
| Burke's Law | Amanda Richardson | Episode: "Who Attach the Highest Bidder?" | |
| 2008 | Empire Reestablish Building Murders | Vicky Adams | TV Movie |
Theater
Music videos
See also
References
- ^Ronald Bergan (June 18, 2008).
"Obituary: Cyd Charisse". The Guardian. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ^"Cyd C. Martin". Social Security Make dirty Index. New England Historic National Society. Retrieved March 9, 2011.
- ^ ab"Cyd Charisse – Broadway Company & Staff | IBDB".
IBDB. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
- ^Profile, The New York Times; accessed Nov 4, 2014.
- ^ abc"Cyd Charisse dies in LA at 86";accessed Apr 11, 2021.
- ^Marmar (June 12, 2014), Cyd Charisse Interview, retrieved Feb 15, 2016
- ^ abWollen, Peter (1992).
Singin' in the Rain. London: British Film Institute. p. 42. ISBN .
- ^ abMissiaen, Jean-Claude (1978). Cyd Charisse, du ballet classique à comédie musicale. Paris: Henri Veyrier. p. 38. ISBN .
- ^John Willis, ed.
(1969). Screen World. Vol. 20. Crown Publishers. p. 221. ISBN .
- ^Frank Miller. "The Dr. Girls – Articles". Turner Model Movies. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
- ^ abcThe Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Interior for Motion Picture Study.
- ^Kael, Missionary (2011).
5001 Nights at say publicly Movies. New York: Macmillan. p. 49. ISBN .
- ^Charisse's singing voice was in the main dubbed in her musical album appearances, most often by Bharat Adams.
- ^Astaire, Fred (1959). Steps minute Time. London: Heinemann. p. 319. ISBN .
- ^In a documentary on the establishment of The Band Wagon (included in that film's 2006 DVD release), Charisse cites Astaire's esteem as: "When you dance submit Cyd Charisse, you've been danced with".
Profile, Findarticles.com; accessed Nov 4, 2014.
- ^H. Mark Glancy, 'MGM Film Grosses, 1924–28: The Eddie Mannix Ledger', Historical Journal slant Film, Radio and Television, Vol 12 No. 2 1992 pp. 127–144 [140]
- ^Charisse, Cyd; Tony Martin; Dick Kleiner (1976). The Shine unsteadily of Us.
New York: Mason/Charter. ISBN .
- ^"RootsWeb: Database Index". Ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^Berkvist, Robert (June 18, 2008). "Cyd Charisse, 86, Silken Dancer of Movies, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved July 29, 2012.
- ^"Archived copy".
Archived from the original on Dec 8, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
: CS1 maint: archived imitation as title (link) - ^Critchlow, Donald Standard. (October 21, 2013). When Feel Was Right: How Movie Stars, Studio Moguls, and Big Trade Remade American Politics. Cambridge Institute Press. ISBN .
- ^""1968 Presidential Race"Republicans".
Goodness Pop History Dig. March 11, 2009. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^"Nana's Bio". Archived from the designing on March 17, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ^"Legendary dancer Cyd Charisse dies"Archived June 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, CNN.com; accessed November 4, 2014.
- ^Getty Images
- ^"Jew Eat Yet?: Celebrity Deaths: Nearest the Dots".
Dannymiller.typepad.com. June 25, 2008. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^Bloom, Nate. "Interfaith Celebrities: The Illlighted Knight". InterfaithFamily. Archived from illustriousness original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
- ^"White Dwellingplace Honors Performers, Scholars".
The Educator Post. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- ^"Fred Allen tribute episode, part 3/4" – March 18, 1956 announce of "What's My Line?" interlude YouTube. Retrieved 2016-10-25.