Cyd Charisse

Photo of Cyd Charisse

Biography

" And in a sense, that was the legacy of the actress and dancer, whose sinuous style and breathtaking beauty captivated moviegoers during the 1940s and '50s in classic musicals like "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), "The Band Wagon" (1953) and "Silk Stockings" (1957). Charisse's on-screen visibility grew less frequent with the decline of the Hollywood musical in the late 1950s, though she could be glimpsed in decorative or exotic roles in films …
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Job Title

Actor, Other

Born

Tula Ellice Finklea on March 8, 1922 in Amarillo, Texas, USA

Career Milestones

Continued for several years thereafter in non-musicals which sometimes included a dance number or two

Moved to Hollywood in her early teens

Toured Europe with the Ballet Russe in the late 1930s

1935

Toured the U.S. with Ballet Russe's corp de ballet

1943

Offered dancing roles in Gregory Ratoff's "Something to Shout About" and "Mission to Moscow"

1944

Signed to MGM contract

1945

Danced (unbilled) in a ballet around Fred Astaire in "Ziegfeld Follies"

1946

Film acting debut in "The Harvey Girls"

1948

Offered second lead role in "Easter Parade"; broke leg and role went to Ann Miller

1949

First dramatic film role in "East Side, West Side"

1951

Lost lead role opposite Gene Kelly in "An American in Paris" because of pregnancy

1951

Played first romantic lead opposite Ricardo Montalban in "Mark of the Renegade"

1952

Achieved star status as Gene Kelly's dance partner in the climactic 'Broadway Melody' number of "Singin' in the Rain"

1953

First female lead, opposite Fred Astaire, in the musical "The Band Wagon"

1957

Played last starring role, opposite Fred Astaire, in the musical "Silk Stockings"

1959

Hosted the TV variety special, "Meet Cyd Charisse"

1963

Made her nightclub debut with husband Tony Martin

1967

Starred in two TV concert performance specials, "The Cyd Charisse Special" and "Center Stage: Cyd Charisse"

1976

Published dual autobiography with Tony Martin, The Two of Us

1991

Made Broadway debut as a replacement for Liliane Montevecchi in the musical, "Grand Hotel"

1994

Co-hosted the documentary, "That's Entertainment III," a salute to MGM musicals from the late 1920s through the 50s

Awards

1957

Golden Globe Award for Actress in a Leading Role - Musical Or Comedy in Silk Stockings

1991

Palm Springs International Film Festival for Desert Palm Achievement Award