The legendary Hollywood musical star - Cyd Charisse - passed away due to complications from heart attack on 17th June 2008. Cyd Charisse was born Tula Ellice Finklea in Amarillo, Texas on 8th March 1921. She joined the Ballet Russe at 13.
She started her Hollywood career in the black and white Don Ameche and Janet Blair's
"Something To Shout About" (1943), under the name Lily Norwood. She was then featured in revue-like MGM movies...doing bit parts, twirling and dancing, in the all-star "Thousand Cheer" (1943) with Kathryn Grayson and Gene Kelly taking the lead roles. It featured many of the stars in MGM's roster. Cyd was also seen in "Ziegfeld Follies" (1946) - in the famous opening pink number supporting Fred Astaire (a young Lucille Ball stood out, wearing pink plumes whipping some girls in panther costumes) and the closing "bubble-gone-crazy" number and did a short dance to "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" with a young Gower Champion in "Till The Clouds Roll By" (1946) - a biography of Jerome Kern.
She was then give
n roles supporting leading ladies like Judy Garland ("The Harvey Girls" 1946), Margaret O'Brien ("The Unfinished Dance" 1947), Esther Williams ("Fiesta" 1947 and "On An Island With You" 1948, in both films danced exotically with Ricardo Montalban) and Kathryn Grayson ("The Kissing Bandit" 1948, in a speciality number with Montalban and Ann Miller).
After a few dramatic roles ("East Side, West Side" (1949), "Tension" (1949)), it was all the way up, back in musicals...most memorable in "Singin' In The Rain (1952) dancing and stretching her legs to the maximum in the "Broadway Rythm" number with Gene Kelly. "The Band Wagon" (1953) with Fred Astaire (who called her "beautiful dynamite" in his memoir), confirmed her status being one of top musical stars. She danced well again with Gene Kelly in the mystical "Brigadoon" (1954) and stimulatingly with Fred Astaire in "Silk Stockings" (1957 - a musical remade of Ninotchka). She was also seen in another all-star cast biopic, this time the story of Jerome Kern, doing the "One Alone" number beautifully and gracefully with James Mitchell in "Deep In My Heart" (1954).
When musicals became less extensively made, she went on to make some non-musical movies and guest starred on some TV series. She also made an appearance showing her still elegant sense of dressing and her still long beautiful set of legs in Janet Jackson's "Alright" video in 1990.
She was survived by her second husband, the legendary crooner, Tony Martin whom she married in 1948. She made her Broadway bow at the age of 70 in "Grand Hotel".
To me, like Ann Miller, June Allyson, James Stewart, Bette Davis and others, C
yd seemed immortal. It's sad to see one by one, the classic entertainers buying farms everywhere but California. They are the epitome of glamour, style and elegance.
Rest In Peace, Cyd...you will be missed...
(Scanned autographed photo - property of author)
She started her Hollywood career in the black and white Don Ameche and Janet Blair's
"Something To Shout About" (1943), under the name Lily Norwood. She was then featured in revue-like MGM movies...doing bit parts, twirling and dancing, in the all-star "Thousand Cheer" (1943) with Kathryn Grayson and Gene Kelly taking the lead roles. It featured many of the stars in MGM's roster. Cyd was also seen in "Ziegfeld Follies" (1946) - in the famous opening pink number supporting Fred Astaire (a young Lucille Ball stood out, wearing pink plumes whipping some girls in panther costumes) and the closing "bubble-gone-crazy" number and did a short dance to "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" with a young Gower Champion in "Till The Clouds Roll By" (1946) - a biography of Jerome Kern.She was then give
n roles supporting leading ladies like Judy Garland ("The Harvey Girls" 1946), Margaret O'Brien ("The Unfinished Dance" 1947), Esther Williams ("Fiesta" 1947 and "On An Island With You" 1948, in both films danced exotically with Ricardo Montalban) and Kathryn Grayson ("The Kissing Bandit" 1948, in a speciality number with Montalban and Ann Miller).After a few dramatic roles ("East Side, West Side" (1949), "Tension" (1949)), it was all the way up, back in musicals...most memorable in "Singin' In The Rain (1952) dancing and stretching her legs to the maximum in the "Broadway Rythm" number with Gene Kelly. "The Band Wagon" (1953) with Fred Astaire (who called her "beautiful dynamite" in his memoir), confirmed her status being one of top musical stars. She danced well again with Gene Kelly in the mystical "Brigadoon" (1954) and stimulatingly with Fred Astaire in "Silk Stockings" (1957 - a musical remade of Ninotchka). She was also seen in another all-star cast biopic, this time the story of Jerome Kern, doing the "One Alone" number beautifully and gracefully with James Mitchell in "Deep In My Heart" (1954).
When musicals became less extensively made, she went on to make some non-musical movies and guest starred on some TV series. She also made an appearance showing her still elegant sense of dressing and her still long beautiful set of legs in Janet Jackson's "Alright" video in 1990.
She was survived by her second husband, the legendary crooner, Tony Martin whom she married in 1948. She made her Broadway bow at the age of 70 in "Grand Hotel".
To me, like Ann Miller, June Allyson, James Stewart, Bette Davis and others, C
yd seemed immortal. It's sad to see one by one, the classic entertainers buying farms everywhere but California. They are the epitome of glamour, style and elegance.Rest In Peace, Cyd...you will be missed...
(Scanned autographed photo - property of author)
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