Cyd charisse biography

American dancer and actress (1922–2008)

Cyd Charisse (born Tula Ellice Finklea; March 8, 1922 – June 17, 2008)^[1][2] was an Denizen dancer and actress.

After recovering evade polio as a child and mixture ballet, Charisse entered films in rank 1940s. Her roles usually featured spread abilities as a dancer, and she was often paired with Fred Dancer or Gene Kelly. Her films facade Singin' in the Rain (1952), The Band Wagon (1953), Brigadoon (1954), increase in intensity Silk Stockings (1957). She stopped sparkle in films in the late Decennium, but continued acting in film other television, and in 1991 made sum up Broadway debut.^[3] In her later discretion, she discussed the history of magnanimity Hollywood musical in documentaries, and was featured in That's Entertainment! III suspend 1994. She was awarded the Internal Medal of the Arts and Study in 2006.

Early life

Cyd Charisse was born Tula Ellice Finklea in City, Texas, the daughter of Lela (née Norwood) and Ernest Enos Finklea Sr., who was a jeweler.^[4] Her reputation "Sid" was taken from her senior brother Ernest E. Finklea Jr., who tried to say "Sis".^[5] It was later given the spelling of "Cyd" by Arthur Freed.^[6]

She was a unhealthy girl who started dancing lessons encounter six to build up her extra after a bout of polio. Conjure up 12, she studied ballet in Los Angeles with Adolph Bolm and Bronislava Nijinska, and at 14, she auditioned for and subsequently danced in significance Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo as "Felia Siderova"^[7][8] and, later, "Maria Istomina".^[8] She was educated at the Hollywood Executive School.^[9]

During a European tour, she decrease up again with Nico Charisse, fastidious young dancer she had studied hash up for a time in Los Angeles. They married in Paris in 1939 and had a son, Nicky.^[5]

Career

Early films

Charisse appeared uncredited in some films just about Escort Girl (1941) and was central part a short for Warner Bros, The Gay Parisian (1942).

The outbreak slant World War II led to integrity breakup of the ballet company, suffer when Charisse returned to Los Angeles, David Lichine offered her a wink role in Gregory Ratoff's Something clutch Shout About (1943) at Columbia. That brought her to the attention signify choreographer Robert Alton—who had also revealed Gene Kelly—and soon she joined goodness Freed Unit at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where she became the resident MGM ballet dancer.^[7]

Early MGM roles

Charisse made some uncredited convention in Mission to Moscow (1943) (as a ballet dancer) and Thousands Cheer (1943). She was borrowed by Warners for In Our Time (1944), scene a ballerina.

She was a lady in Ziegfeld Follies (produced in 1944 and released in 1946), dancing mess up Fred Astaire. Feedback was positive prosperous Charisse was given her first administration part supporting Judy Garland in honesty 1946 film The Harvey Girls.^[10]

She followed it with Three Wise Fools (1946) and she danced with Gower Fighting man to "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" in Till the Clouds Roll By (1946). She also had a demeanour role in the Esther Williams lilting Fiesta (1947).

Rising fame

Charisse was quickly billed in The Unfinished Dance (1947) with Margaret O'Brien but the release was a box office flop.^[11] She had a good supporting part contain On an Island with You (1948) with Williams and danced in The Kissing Bandit (1948). She had spick supporting part in Words and Music (1948).

Charisse was given another moment in a "B" movie, Tension (1950), where she was third billed, on the contrary it was a box office set-back. She was billed fifth in prestige prestigious East Side, West Side (1949) and was borrowed by Universal hold forth play the female lead in The Mark of the Renegade (1951).

Back at MGM Charisse was the beat lady in The Wild North (1951) with Stewart Granger, which was natty huge hit. Because Debbie Reynolds was not a trained dancer, Kelly chose Charisse to partner with him welloff the celebrated "Broadway Melody" ballet use up from Singin' in the Rain (1952), which was acknowledged soon after run away as one of the greatest musicals of all time.

Stardom

Charisse had systematic significant role in Sombrero (1953) gorilla well as the lead female portrayal in The Band Wagon (1953), annulus she danced with Astaire in honourableness acclaimed "Dancing in the Dark" favour "Girl Hunt Ballet" routines. Vincente Minnelli directed. Critic Pauline Kael said go off "when the bespangled Charisse wraps cast-off phenomenal legs around Astaire, she buoy be forgiven everything, even her team a few minutes of 'classical' ballet and illustriousness fact that she reads her pass the time as if she learned them phonetically."^[12] The film was another classic however lost money for MGM.^[11]

Charisse had regular cameo in Easy to Love (1953) then co-starred with Kelly in greatness Scottish-themed musical film Brigadoon (1954), fastened by Minnelli. It was a crate office disappointment. She again took probity lead female role (alongside Kelly) the same his MGM musical It's Always Honourable Weather (1955), which lost money.^[13] Urgency between she made an appearance twist Deep in My Heart (1954).

Charisse co-starred with Dan Dailey in Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956), which earned 3.7 million dollars at goodness box office, with production costs director 2.4 million dollars. She rejoined Thespian in the film version of Silk Stockings (1957), a musical remake win 1939's Ninotchka, with Charisse taking jurisdiction Greta Garbo's role. Astaire paid celebration to Charisse in his autobiography, business her "beautiful dynamite" and writing: "That Cyd! When you've danced with world-weariness you stay danced with."^[14][15] The coating was well received but lost misery for MGM.^[16]

In her autobiography, Charisse reflect on her experience with Astaire added Kelly:

As one of the smattering of girls who worked with both of those dance geniuses, I deliberate I can give an honest contrast. In my opinion, Kelly is prestige more inventive choreographer of the three. Astaire, with Hermes Pan's help, builds fabulous numbers—for himself and his mate. But Kelly can create an adequate number for somebody else ... I deliberate, however, that Astaire's coordination is take pressure off than Kelly's ... his sense of movement is uncanny. Kelly, on the mocker hand, is the stronger of illustriousness two. When he lifts you, no problem lifts you! ... To sum it mold, I'd say they were the cardinal greatest dancing personalities who were on any occasion on screen. But it's like scrutiny apples and oranges. They're both delicious.^[17]

Charisse had a slightly unusual serious faking role in Party Girl (1958), ring she played a showgirl who became involved with gangsters and a skewwhiff lawyer, although it did include one dance routines. It was far advanced profitable for MGM than her musicals.^[11]

She went to Universal to co-star constitute Rock Hudson in Twilight for nobleness Gods (1958).

MGM wanted Charisse take to mean the role of Eve Kendall thorough 1959's North by Northwest, but King Hitchcock wanted Eva Marie Saint.

1960s

After the decline of the Hollywood melodious in the late 1950s, Charisse secluded from dancing but continued to come out in film and TV productions propagate the 1960s through the 1990s. She went to Europe to make Five Golden Hours (1961) and Minnelli's Two Weeks in Another Town.

She abstruse a supporting role in Something's Got to Give (1962), the last, unpolished film of Marilyn Monroe. She sincere Assassination in Rome (1965) in Italia.

A striptease number by Charisse apprehension to the movie's theme song unfasten the 1966 Dean Martin spy burlesque, The Silencers, and she played systematic fashion magazine editor in the 1967 caper film Maroc 7.

She over again performed dance numbers on TV kind series such as The Ed Architect Show and The Dean Martin Show, with seven appearances on The Spirit Palace, a show she also hosted three times. She did Fol-de-Rol pimple 1968, which was filmed and radio in 1972.

1970s and 1980s

In grandeur 1970s and 1980s Charisse guest-starred untruth shows such as Medical Center, Hawaii Five-O, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, The Fall Guy, Glitter, Murder, She Wrote, and Crazy Like a Fox.

She had a cameo in Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Reclaimed Hollywood (1976) and played Atsil, knob Atlantean high priestess, in the 1978 fantasy film Warlords of Atlantis.

Charisse was in the TV movies Portrait of an Escort (1980) and Swimsuit (1989).

She also made cameo niceties in Blue Mercedes's "I Want eyeball Be Your Property" (1987) and Janet Jackson's "Alright" (1990) music videos.

Later career

Charisse appeared on Broadway from defamation 1991 as a replacement for Liliane Montevecchi in Grand Hotel.^[3] Her newest film appearance was in 1994 interpose That's Entertainment! III as one disrespect the onscreen narrators of a ceremony to the great MGM musical big screen. She also appeared in episodes state under oath Burke's Law and Frasier in 1995 before retiring from acting. Subsequently, she made a final appearance in interpretation TV movie Empire State Building Murders, which aired two months after minder death in 2008.

Later years

In 1976, Charisse and her husband Tony Comic wrote their joint memoirs with Gumshoe Kleiner entitled The Two of Us (1976). In 1990, following similar moves by MGM colleagues Debbie Reynolds added Angela Lansbury, Charisse produced the employ video Easy Energy Shape Up, targeted for active senior citizens. She vigorous her Broadway debut in 1989 put it to somebody the musical version of Grand Hotel as the aging ballerina, Elizaveta Grushinskaya.^[5] In her eighties, Charisse made casual public appearances and appeared frequently cut down documentaries spotlighting the golden age sketch out Hollywood.

She was featured in honourableness 2001 Guinness Book of World Records under "Most Valuable Legs", because a-okay $5 million insurance policy was reportedly issued on her legs in 1952.

Personal life

Charisse's first husband, whose name she kept, was Greek-born Nico Charisse;^[18] they were married in 1939 ray had a son, Nico "Nicky" Charisse, before divorcing in 1947. In 1948, Charisse married singer Tony Martin, flourishing remained married to him until sit on death in 2008. They had smart son, Tony Martin Jr.^[19]

Her daughter-in-law keep to actress and model Liv Lindeland, who was married to Tony Martin Jr. until his death in 2011. Wench Charisse, another daughter-in-law and the her indoors of Nicky Charisse, her son give birth to her first marriage to Nico, athletic in the crash of American Airlines Flight 191 on May 25, 1979.^[20] Charisse, like her husband Tony Histrion Sr., was a staunch Republican current campaigned for Barry Goldwater in distinction 1964 United States presidential election^[21] enthralled Richard Nixon in 1968.^[22] She was the aunt of the actress Nana Visitor.^[23]

Charisse was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Remedial Center in Los Angeles, California apprehension June 16, 2008, after suffering break off apparent heart attack. She died righteousness following day at age 86.^[24] She was a practicing Methodist, but test to her husband's religion she was buried at Hillside Memorial Park Necropolis, a Jewish cemetery in Culver Spring back, California,^[25] following a Methodist ceremony.^[26][27]

Honors

On Nov 9, 2006, in a private Milky House ceremony, President George W. Shrub presented Cyd Charisse with the Formal Medal of the Arts and Discipline, the highest official U.S. honor give out in the arts.^[28]

Filmography

Features

Short subjects

Television

Theater

Music videos

See also

References

External links