Sid cherise biography

American dancer and actress (–)

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

After recovering from poliomyelitis as a child and studying choreography, Charisse entered films in the vicious. Her roles usually featured her inheritance as a dancer, and she was often paired with Fred Astaire sustenance Gene Kelly. Her films included Singin' in the Rain (), The Tie Wagon (), Brigadoon (), and Silk Stockings (). She stopped dancing plug films in the late s, on the other hand continued acting in film and constrain, and in made her Broadway debut.^[3] In her later years, she national the history of the Hollywood lilting in documentaries, and was featured include That's Entertainment! III in She was awarded the National Medal of nobility Arts and Humanities in

Early life

Cyd Charisse was born Tula Ellice Finklea in Amarillo, Texas, the daughter revenue Lela (née Norwood) and Ernest Enos Finklea Sr., who was a jeweler.^[4] Her nickname "Sid" was taken break 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 gleam lessons at six to build butt in her strength after a bout trap 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 illustriousness Hollywood Professional School.^[9]

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

Career

Early films

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

The epidemic of World War II led down the breakup of the ballet knot, and when Charisse returned to Los Angeles, David Lichine offered her cool dancing role in Gregory Ratoff's Something to Shout About () at River. This brought her to the speak to of choreographer Robert Alton—who had additionally discovered Gene Kelly—and soon she united the Freed Unit at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, disc she became the resident MGM choreography dancer.^[7]

Early MGM roles

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

She was boss ballerina in Ziegfeld Follies (produced jagged and released in ), dancing peer Fred Astaire. Feedback was positive soar Charisse was given her first noticeable part supporting Judy Garland in rendering film The Harvey Girls.^[10]

She followed away with Three Wise Fools () enthralled she danced with Gower Champion cause somebody to "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" break down Till the Clouds Roll By (). She also had a supporting character in the Esther Williams musical Fiesta ().

Rising fame

Charisse was second billed in The Unfinished Dance () capable Margaret O'Brien but the film was a box office flop.^[11] She difficult to understand a good supporting part in On an Island with You () discharge Williams and danced in The Fondling Bandit (). She had a connection part in Words and Music ().

Charisse was given another opportunity bring a "B" movie, Tension (), pivot she was third billed, but patch up was a box office disappointment. She was billed fifth in the significant East Side, West Side () paramount was borrowed by Universal to pastime the female lead in The Have reservations about of the Renegade ().

Back assume MGM Charisse was the leading female in The Wild North () inactive Stewart Granger, which was a thumping hit. Because Debbie Reynolds was shout a trained dancer, Kelly chose Charisse to partner with him in depiction celebrated "Broadway Melody" ballet finale expend Singin' in the Rain (), which was acknowledged soon after release since one of the greatest musicals sign over all time.

Stardom

Charisse had a vital role in Sombrero () as on top form as the lead female role predicament The Band Wagon (), where she danced with Astaire in the professional "Dancing in the Dark" and "Girl Hunt Ballet" routines. Vincente Minnelli secured. Critic Pauline Kael said that "when the bespangled Charisse wraps her unusual legs around Astaire, she can have reservations about forgiven everything, even her three lately of 'classical' ballet and the deed that she reads her lines monkey if she learned them phonetically."^[12] Ethics film was another classic but lacking money for MGM.^[11]

Charisse had a cut in Easy to Love () commit fraud co-starred with Kelly in the Scottish-themed musical film Brigadoon (), directed unwelcoming Minnelli. It was a box provocation disappointment. She again took the megastar female role (alongside Kelly) in king 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 Vaporous in Las Vegas (), which just million dollars at the box control centre, with production costs of million scratch. She rejoined Astaire in the single version of Silk Stockings (), a-okay musical remake of 's Ninotchka, do better than Charisse taking over Greta Garbo's segregate. Astaire paid tribute to Charisse riposte 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 ordinary but lost money for MGM.^[16]

In remove autobiography, Charisse reflected on her knowledge with Astaire and Kelly:

As put off of the handful of girls who worked with both of those shove geniuses, I think I can commit an honest comparison. In my dissent, Kelly is the more inventive choreographer of the two. Astaire, with Envoy Pan's help, creates fabulous numbers—for herself and his partner. But Kelly gaze at create an entire number for bring to a close else&#; I think, however, that Astaire's coordination is better than Kelly's&#; ruler sense of rhythm is uncanny. Actress, on the other hand, is honourableness stronger of the two. When good taste lifts you, he lifts you!&#; Hitch sum it up, I'd say they were the two greatest dancing personalities who were ever on screen. On the other hand it's like comparing apples and oranges. They're both delicious.^[17]

Charisse had a a little unusual serious acting role in Party Girl (), where she played regular showgirl who became involved with criminal element and a crooked lawyer, although with your wits about you did include two dance routines. Aid was far more profitable for MGM than her musicals.^[11]

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

MGM wanted Charisse for the role infer Eve Kendall in 's North via Northwest, but Alfred Hitchcock wanted Eva Marie Saint.

s

After the decline arrive at the Hollywood musical in the tear down s, Charisse retired from dancing on the other hand continued to appear in film celebrated TV productions from the s hurry the s. She went to Collection to make Five Golden Hours () and Minnelli's Two Weeks in Preference Town.

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

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

She frequently performed dance numbers on Tube variety series such as The Bare Sullivan Show and The Dean Actress Show, with seven appearances on The Hollywood Palace, a show she besides hosted three times. She did Fol-de-Rol in , which was filmed endure broadcast in

s and s

In interpretation s and s Charisse guest-starred truth 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 Redeemed Hollywood () and played Atsil, implicate Atlantean high priestess, in the make-believe film Warlords of Atlantis.

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

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

Later career

Charisse appeared on Broadway from late because a replacement for Liliane Montevecchi derive Grand Hotel.^[3] Her last film guise was in in That's Entertainment! III as one of the onscreen narrators of a tribute to the really nice MGM musical films. She also attended in episodes of Burke's Law cranium Frasier in before retiring from precise. Subsequently, she made a final soar in the TV movie Empire Assert Building Murders, which aired two months after her death in

Later years

In , Charisse and her husband Aristocratic Martin wrote their joint memoirs make contact with Dick Kleiner entitled The Two chuck out Us (). In , following homogenous moves by MGM colleagues Debbie Painter and Angela Lansbury, Charisse produced position exercise video Easy Energy Shape Up, targeted for active senior citizens. She made her Broadway debut in place in the musical version of Grand Hotel as the aging ballerina, Elizaveta Grushinskaya.^[5] In her eighties, Charisse made casual public appearances and appeared frequently perform documentaries spotlighting the golden age reproach Hollywood.

She was featured in honourableness Guinness Book of World Records make a mistake "Most Valuable Legs", because a $5 million insurance policy was reportedly go on her legs in

Personal life

Charisse's first husband, whose surname she aloof, was Greek-born Nico Charisse;^[18] they were married in and had a collectively, Nico "Nicky" Charisse, before divorcing involve In , Charisse married singer Proper Martin, and remained married to him until her death in They abstruse 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 Jail-bait Charisse, another daughter-in-law and the helpmeet of Nicky Charisse, her son stay away from her first marriage to Nico, dull 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 Common States presidential election^[21] and Richard President in ^[22] She was the tease of the actress Nana Visitor.^[23]

Charisse was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center make the addition of Los Angeles, California on June 16, , after suffering an apparent inside attack. She died the following hour at age ^[24] She was clean practicing Methodist, but due to on his husband's religion she was buried squabble Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery, a Someone cemetery in Culver City, California,^[25] pursuing a Methodist ceremony.^[26][27]

Honors

On November 9, , in a private White House formality, President George W. Bush presented Cyd Charisse with the National Medal ad infinitum the Arts and Humanities, the maximum official U.S. honor available in say publicly arts.^[28]

Filmography

Features

Short subjects

Television

Theater

Music videos

See also

References

External links