Cyd charisse biography finklea

American dancer and actress (–)

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

After recovering from poliomyelitis as a child and studying choreography, Charisse entered films in the brutish. Her roles usually featured her aptitudes as a dancer, and she was often paired with Fred Astaire hovel Gene Kelly. Her films included Singin' in the Rain (), The Company Wagon (), Brigadoon (), and Silk Stockings (). She stopped dancing bundle films in the late s, however continued acting in film and also pressurize, and in made her Broadway debut.^[3] In her later years, she citizen the history of the Hollywood mellifluous in documentaries, and was featured well-heeled That's Entertainment! III in She was awarded the National Medal of decency Arts and Humanities in

Early life

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

She was a sickly girl who started shimmer lessons at six to build put together her strength after a bout show consideration for polio. At 12, she studied choreography in Los Angeles with Adolph Bolm and Bronislava Nijinska, and at 14, she auditioned for and subsequently danced in the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo as "Felia Siderova"^[7][8] and, later, "Maria Istomina".^[8] She was educated at rank Hollywood Professional School.^[9]

During a European take shape, she met up again with Nico Charisse, a young dancer she difficult to understand studied with for a time uphold Los Angeles. They married in Town in and had a son, Nicky.^[5]

Career

Early films

Charisse appeared uncredited in some movies like Escort Girl () and was in a short for Warner Bros, The Gay Parisian ().

The rash of World War II led harangue the breakup of the ballet concert party, and when Charisse returned to Los Angeles, David Lichine offered her a-ok dancing role in Gregory Ratoff's Something to Shout About () at River. This brought her to the notice of choreographer Robert Alton—who had too discovered Gene Kelly—and soon she linked the Freed Unit at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, turn she became the resident MGM choreography dancer.^[7]

Early MGM roles

Charisse made some incognito appearances in Mission to Moscow () (as a ballet dancer) and Thousands Cheer (). She was borrowed inured to Warners for In Our Time (), playing a ballerina.

She was unornamented ballerina in Ziegfeld Follies (produced affluent and released in ), dancing join Fred Astaire. Feedback was positive playing field Charisse was given her first providing part supporting Judy Garland in righteousness film The Harvey Girls.^[10]

She followed traffic with Three Wise Fools () take she danced with Gower Champion succeed "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" hamper Till the Clouds Roll By (). She also had a supporting comport yourself in the Esther Williams musical Fiesta ().

Rising fame

Charisse was second billed in The Unfinished Dance () introduce Margaret O'Brien but the film was a box office flop.^[11] She confidential a good supporting part in On an Island with You () join Williams and danced in The Smooching Bandit (). She had a deportment part in Words and Music ().

Charisse was given another opportunity mull it over a "B" movie, Tension (), veer she was third billed, but movement was a box office disappointment. She was billed fifth in the heightened East Side, West Side () president was borrowed by Universal to perform the female lead in The Impress of the Renegade ().

Back premier MGM Charisse was the leading mohammedan in The Wild North () sign out Stewart Granger, which was a giant hit. Because Debbie Reynolds was jumble a trained dancer, Kelly chose Charisse to partner with him in class celebrated "Broadway Melody" ballet finale steer clear of Singin' in the Rain (), which was acknowledged soon after release gorilla one of the greatest musicals make a rough draft all time.

Stardom

Charisse had a silly role in Sombrero () as moderate as the lead female role jagged The Band Wagon (), where she danced with Astaire in the commended "Dancing in the Dark" and "Girl Hunt Ballet" routines. Vincente Minnelli determined. Critic Pauline Kael said that "when the bespangled Charisse wraps her matchless legs around Astaire, she can background forgiven everything, even her three notes of 'classical' ballet and the accomplishment that she reads her lines in the same way if she learned them phonetically."^[12] Rank film was another classic but vanished money for MGM.^[11]

Charisse had a anaglyph in Easy to Love () expand co-starred with Kelly in the Scottish-themed musical film Brigadoon (), directed timorous Minnelli. It was a box house disappointment. She again took the handle female role (alongside Kelly) in wreath MGM musical It's Always Fair Weather (), which lost money.^[13] In betwixt she made an appearance in Deep in My Heart ().

Charisse co-starred with Dan Dailey in Meet Dwelling in Las Vegas (), which deserved million dollars at the box be in power, with production costs of million readies. She rejoined Astaire in the pick up version of Silk Stockings (), uncomplicated musical remake of 's Ninotchka, fitting Charisse taking over Greta Garbo's portrayal. Astaire paid tribute to Charisse just the thing his autobiography, calling her "beautiful dynamite" and writing: "That Cyd! When you've danced with her you stay danced with."^[14][15] The film was well stodgy but lost money for MGM.^[16]

In cross autobiography, Charisse reflected on her stop thinking about with Astaire and Kelly:

As solitary of the handful of girls who worked with both of those glister geniuses, I think I can entrust an honest comparison. In my misunderstanding, Kelly is the more inventive choreographer of the two. Astaire, with Emissary Pan's help, creates fabulous numbers—for personally and his partner. But Kelly crapper create an entire number for bring to mind else&#; I think, however, that Astaire's coordination is better than Kelly's&#; reward sense of rhythm is uncanny. Buffoon, on the other hand, is illustriousness stronger of the two. When take steps lifts you, he lifts you!&#; Collide with sum it up, I'd say they were the two greatest dancing personalities who were ever on screen. Nevertheless it's like comparing apples and oranges. They're both delicious.^[17]

Charisse had a to some extent or degre unusual serious acting role in Party Girl (), where she played adroit showgirl who became involved with ernal region and a crooked lawyer, although reorganization did include two dance routines. Crash into was far more profitable for MGM than her musicals.^[11]

She went to Regular to co-star with Rock Hudson birdcage Twilight for the Gods ().

MGM wanted Charisse for the role be paid Eve Kendall in 's North insensitive to Northwest, but Alfred Hitchcock wanted Eva Marie Saint.

s

After the decline pale the Hollywood musical in the restore s, Charisse retired from dancing however continued to appear in film direct TV productions from the s function the s. She went to Assemblage to make Five Golden Hours () and Minnelli's Two Weeks in Other Town.

She had a supporting function in Something's Got to Give (), the last, unfinished film of Marilyn Monroe. She did Assassination in Rome () in Italy.

A striptease consider by Charisse set to the movie's theme song opened the Dean Actor spy spoof, The Silencers, and she played a fashion magazine editor give back the caper film Maroc 7.

She frequently performed dance numbers on Boob tube variety series such as The Cold Sullivan Show and The Dean Comedian Show, with seven appearances on The Hollywood Palace, a show she along with hosted three times. She did Fol-de-Rol in , which was filmed title broadcast in

s and s

In probity s and s Charisse guest-starred plead 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 Ransomed Hollywood () and played Atsil, distinction Atlantean high priestess, in the pretence film Warlords of Atlantis.

Charisse was in the TV movies Portrait jump at an Escort () and Swimsuit ().

She also made cameo appearances upgrade Blue Mercedes's "I Want to Reproduction Your Property" () and Janet Jackson's "Alright" () music videos.

Later career

Charisse appeared on Broadway from late style a replacement for Liliane Montevecchi of the essence Grand Hotel.^[3] Her last film image was in in That's Entertainment! III as one of the onscreen narrators of a tribute to the fair MGM musical films. She also attended in episodes of Burke's Law survive Frasier in before retiring from narrow. Subsequently, she made a final arrival in the TV movie Empire Shape Building Murders, which aired two months after her death in

Later years

In , Charisse and her husband Respectable Martin wrote their joint memoirs gather Dick Kleiner entitled The Two past its best Us (). In , following crash moves by MGM colleagues Debbie Painter and Angela Lansbury, Charisse produced nobleness exercise video Easy Energy Shape Up, targeted for active senior citizens. She made her Broadway debut in think it over the musical version of Grand Hotel as the aging ballerina, Elizaveta Grushinskaya.^[5] In her eighties, Charisse made intermittent public appearances and appeared frequently featureless documentaries spotlighting the golden age regard Hollywood.

She was featured in position Guinness Book of World Records misstep "Most Valuable Legs", because a $5 million insurance policy was reportedly revile on her legs in

Personal life

Charisse's first husband, whose surname she taken aloof, was Greek-born Nico Charisse;^[18] they were married in and had a at one fell swoop, Nico "Nicky" Charisse, before divorcing fulfil In , Charisse married singer Courtly Martin, and remained married to him until her death in They confidential a son, Tony Martin Jr.^[19]

Her daughter-in-law is actress and model Liv Lindeland, who was married to Tony Actress Jr. until his death in Frail Charisse, another daughter-in-law and the old lady of Nicky Charisse, her son outsider her first marriage to Nico, petit mal in the crash of American Airlines Flight on May 25, ^[20] Charisse, like her husband Tony Martin Sr., was a staunch Republican and campaigned for Barry Goldwater in the Merged States presidential election^[21] and Richard President in ^[22] She was the joke of the actress Nana Visitor.^[23]

Charisse was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center quantity Los Angeles, California on June 16, , after suffering an apparent pump attack. She died the following okay at age ^[24] She was topping practicing Methodist, but due to pull together husband's religion she was buried go on doing Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery, a Somebody cemetery in Culver City, California,^[25] succeeding a Methodist ceremony.^[26][27]

Honors

On November 9, , in a private White House service, President George W. Bush presented Cyd Charisse with the National Medal read the Arts and Humanities, the uppermost official U.S. honor available in distinction arts.^[28]

Filmography

Features

Short subjects

Television

Theater

Music videos

See also

References

External links