Vera-Ellen, Acting - KorPlix:Korean Person Archives

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Vera-Ellen
Acting

Vera-Ellen
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1921-02-16,Norwood, Ohio, USA
Gender
Female
Biography
Vera-Ellen (February 16, 1921 - August 30, 1981) was an American dancer and actress. She began dancing at the age of 10, and a few years later became one of the youngest Rockettes. She appeared in several Broadway musicals until she was spotted by film producer Samuel Goldwyn in 1945. She was only 24 years old when Goldwyn cast her opposite Danny Kaye in Wonder Man (1945). She danced with Fred Astaire in Three Little Words (1950) and with Gene Kelly in On the Town (1949). Blonde, slim of build, and a dancing sensation, she appeared in a string of light-hearted but successful films. Vera-Ellen retired from acting in the late 1950s. Vera's career died down in the late 1950s once filmed musicals lost their fashion. It was later discovered that, due to the dancer's compulsive dieting obsession, she had silently battled anorexia throughout much of the 50s before anyone was even aware or doctors had even coined the term or devised treatments. Moreover, she had developed severe arthritis which forced an early retirement. In order to combat it, she reverted back to taking dance lessons again. The worst blows suffered, however, was in her personal life. On top of of two two failed marriages, she lost her only child, Victoria Ellen Rothschild, to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in 1963. With one unhappy and tragic event compounded by another, she became a virtual recluse. Little was heard for decades until it was discovered that she had died on August 30, 1981, at age 60 following a long bout with cancer at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. She was buried at Glen Haven Memorial Park in Sylmar, California. Perhaps less remembered today compared to several of the big stars that shared the stage with her, Vera-Ellen was a lithe and lovely presence who deserved a better personal life than she got. Nevertheless, she has provided true film lovers with a lasting legacy and can easily be considered one of Hollywood's finest dancing legends.

Filmography

7

On the Town
1949-12-08

5.6

Love Happy
1949-10-12

White Christmas

7.2

White Christmas
1954-10-14

Three Little Words

5.9

Three Little Words
1950-07-12

The Belle of New York

5.6

The Belle of New York
1952-02-22

6.3

Call Me Madam
1953-03-25

Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas

6.3

Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas
1997-12-01

6.2

Big Leaguer
1953-08-19

The Kid from Brooklyn

6.167

The Kid from Brooklyn
1946-03-21

Happy Go Lovely

5.9

Happy Go Lovely
1951-03-06

4.8

Let's Be Happy
1957-05-07

Three Little Girls in Blue

6.5

Three Little Girls in Blue
1946-09-03

Carnival in Costa Rica

6

Carnival in Costa Rica
1947-03-28

6.6

Wonder Man
1945-06-08

Words and Music

5.8

Words and Music
1948-12-31

Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer

7.7

Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer
2002-09-24

That's Entertainment! III

6.9

That's Entertainment! III
1994-07-01

A Star Is Born World Premiere

8

A Star Is Born World Premiere
1954-09-28

'White Christmas': A Look Back with Rosemary Clooney

5

'White Christmas': A Look Back with Rosemary Clooney
2000-11-21

Bing Crosby: Rediscovered

7

Bing Crosby: Rediscovered
2014-12-02

That's Dancing!

7

That's Dancing!
1985-01-18

The Colgate Comedy Hour

7

The Colgate Comedy Hour
1950-09-10

The Ed Sullivan Show

6.5

The Ed Sullivan Show
1948-06-20

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

4

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1956-10-05