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| Obituary: Cyd Charisse | Obituary: Cyd Charisse |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Cyd Charisse danced with Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain | Cyd Charisse danced with Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain |
| Cyd Charisse danced with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly in some of Hollywood's finest musicals - The Band Wagon and Silk Stockings with Astaire, and Singin' in the Rain and Brigadoon with Gene Kelly. | Cyd Charisse danced with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly in some of Hollywood's finest musicals - The Band Wagon and Silk Stockings with Astaire, and Singin' in the Rain and Brigadoon with Gene Kelly. |
| She was one of the most brilliant and beautiful female dancers ever to appear on the big screen. | She was one of the most brilliant and beautiful female dancers ever to appear on the big screen. |
| With the decline of big musicals she took straight roles, but not with the same success. | With the decline of big musicals she took straight roles, but not with the same success. |
| Cyd Charisse was born Tula Finklea in Amarillo, Texas, in 1921, she was six when she began dance lessons to strengthen her muscles after a bout of polio. | Cyd Charisse was born Tula Finklea in Amarillo, Texas, in 1921, she was six when she began dance lessons to strengthen her muscles after a bout of polio. |
| She went on to study ballet and, at the age of 18, married Nico Charisse, her instructor. | She went on to study ballet and, at the age of 18, married Nico Charisse, her instructor. |
| She became known as Sid when she was a child - the nearest her brother could get in his attempt to say Sis. Later, when she signed for MGM, she changed the spelling to Cyd. | She became known as Sid when she was a child - the nearest her brother could get in his attempt to say Sis. Later, when she signed for MGM, she changed the spelling to Cyd. |
| Erotically charged | Erotically charged |
| Cyd Charisse made several films in the early 1940s, using the name Lily Norwood, but became a star of film musicals as Cyd Charisse after joining MGM, who were reputed to have insured her undeniably lovely legs for a million dollars each. | Cyd Charisse made several films in the early 1940s, using the name Lily Norwood, but became a star of film musicals as Cyd Charisse after joining MGM, who were reputed to have insured her undeniably lovely legs for a million dollars each. |
| But Cyd Charisse later revealed that that had been an invention of the MGM publicity machine. | But Cyd Charisse later revealed that that had been an invention of the MGM publicity machine. |
| Cyd Charisse studied ballet | Cyd Charisse studied ballet |
| She was married to her second husband, the singer Tony Martin, and a new mother, when she starred with Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain. | She was married to her second husband, the singer Tony Martin, and a new mother, when she starred with Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain. |
| She worked with the sometimes rough and always demanding Kelly again in Brigadoon and partnered Fred Astaire in The Band Wagon and her favourite film, Silk Stockings. | She worked with the sometimes rough and always demanding Kelly again in Brigadoon and partnered Fred Astaire in The Band Wagon and her favourite film, Silk Stockings. |
| Like Kelly, Astaire was a perfectionist, but Cyd Charisse's time with Diaghilev's ballet company had equipped her for the challenge: | Like Kelly, Astaire was a perfectionist, but Cyd Charisse's time with Diaghilev's ballet company had equipped her for the challenge: |
| "Coming from a Russian ballet company and a lot of hard training," she said later. | "Coming from a Russian ballet company and a lot of hard training," she said later. |
| "I was a strong dancer and I loved to dance and I loved to work and he found someone who liked to work just as much as he did and we got along fabulously well together." | "I was a strong dancer and I loved to dance and I loved to work and he found someone who liked to work just as much as he did and we got along fabulously well together." |
| She also appeared in The Unfinished Dance, Words and Music, It's Always Fair Weather and Invitation to the Dance. | She also appeared in The Unfinished Dance, Words and Music, It's Always Fair Weather and Invitation to the Dance. |
| Later she was in Two Weeks in Another Town, and made some films in Europe, including Warlords of Atlantis. | Later she was in Two Weeks in Another Town, and made some films in Europe, including Warlords of Atlantis. |
| Cyd Charisse did play some straight roles, but her dancing was more eloquent than any spoken word. | Cyd Charisse did play some straight roles, but her dancing was more eloquent than any spoken word. |
| While the censors were always on the set, training their eagle eyes on her costumes, the erotic nature of her dance escaped them. | While the censors were always on the set, training their eagle eyes on her costumes, the erotic nature of her dance escaped them. |
| And though the golden age of Hollywood musicals came to an end, admirers still remember Cyd Charisse's vital role. | And though the golden age of Hollywood musicals came to an end, admirers still remember Cyd Charisse's vital role. |
| What are your memories of Cyd Charisse? Did you know her, or did you ever meet her? Send us your comments using the form below: | |
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