Cyd Charisse
American dancer and actress known for MGM musicals.
Cyd Charisse, born Tula Ellice Finklea on March 8, 1922, in Amarillo, Texas, was an American dancer and actress. As a frail child, she contracted polio, and to build her strength, she began taking dance lessons at age six. This early training in ballet eventually led her to study in Los Angeles with renowned instructors Adolph Bolm and Bronislava Nijinska. At just fourteen, she auditioned for and joined the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo, performing under the stage names Felia Siderova and Maria Istomina. While touring Europe, she reconnected with a fellow dancer, Nico Charisse, and the two married in Paris in 1939; they later had a son. The outbreak of World War II forced the ballet company to close, prompting Charisse’s return to Los Angeles. There, a role in the film *Something to Shout About* (1943) caught the eye of choreographer Robert Alton, who brought her into the prestigious Freed Unit at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. At MGM, she became the studio’s resident ballet dancer, making uncredited appearances in films like *Mission to Moscow* (1943) and *Thousands Cheer* (1943). Her first speaking part came opposite Judy Garland in *The Harvey Girls* (1946), and she danced with Fred Astaire in the *Ziegfeld Follies* (1946) sequence. Charisse’s fame rose when Gene Kelly selected her to partner him in the celebrated “Broadway Melody” ballet from *Singin’ in the Rain* (1952), as Debbie Reynolds lacked the necessary dance training. She went on to achieve stardom as the lead female in *The Band Wagon* (1953), performing iconic routines with Astaire, and later co-starred with Kelly in *Brigadoon* (1954) and *It’s Always Fair Weather* (1955). She also starred opposite Dan Dailey in *Meet Me in Las Vegas* (1956) and reunited with Astaire for *Silk Stockings* (1957), a musical remake of *Ninotchka*. After the late 1950s, Charisse stopped dancing in films but continued acting on screen and television, making her Broadway debut in 1991. In her later years, she shared her knowledge of Hollywood musicals in documentaries, appeared in *That’s Entertainment! III* (1994), and was awarded the National Medal of the Arts and Humanities in 2006.
- born
- March 8, 1922
- died
- June 17, 2008
- field
- Dancer and actress
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Dance roles in Singin' in the Rain, The Band Wagon, Brigadoon, and Silk Stocking
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Cyd Charisse was born Tula Ellice Finklea in Amarillo, Texas, the daughter of Lela (née Norwood) and Ernest Enos Finklea Sr., who was a jeweler. Her nickname 'Sid' was taken from her older brother Ernest E. Finklea Jr., who tried to say 'Sis'. It was later given the spelling of 'Cyd' by Arthur Freed. She was a sickly girl who started dancing lessons at six to build up her strength after a bout of polio. At 12 she studied ballet 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' and, later, 'Maria Istomina'. During a European tour, she met up again with Nico Charisse, a young dancer she had studied with for a time in Los Angeles. They married in Paris in 1939 and had a son, Nicky. The outbreak of World War II led to the closing of the ballet company, and when Charisse returned to Los Angeles, David Lichine offered her a dancing role in Gregory Ratoff's *Something to Shout About* (1943) at Columbia. This brought her to the attention of choreographer Robert Alton—who had also discovered Gene Kelly—and soon she joined the Freed Unit at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where she became the resident MGM ballet dancer. She made uncredited appearances in *Mission to Moscow* (1943) and *Thousands Cheer* (1943), and was loaned to Warner Bros. for *In Our Time* (1944). She danced with Fred Astaire in *Ziegfeld Follies* (1946) and got her first speaking part in *The Harvey Girls* (1946). Because Debbie Reynolds was not a trained dancer, Kelly chose Charisse to partner with him in the celebrated 'Broadway Melody' ballet sequence from *Singin' in the Rain* (1952). She had the lead female role in *The Band Wagon* (1953), dancing with Astaire in the acclaimed 'Dancing in the Dark' and 'Girl Hunt Ballet' routines. She co-starred with Kelly in *Brigadoon* (1954) and *It's Always Fair Weather* (1955), and rejoined Astaire in *Silk Stockings* (1957). Astaire called her 'beautiful dynamite' and wrote: 'That Cyd! When you've danced with her, you stay danced with.'
After the decline of the Hollywood musical in the late 1950s, Charisse retired from dancing but continued to appear in film and TV productions from the 1960s through the 1990s. She made her Broadway debut in late 1991 as a replacement for Liliane Montevecchi in *Grand Hotel*. Her last film appearance was in 1994 in *That's Entertainment! III* as one of the on-screen presenters. She was awarded the National Medal of the Arts and Humanities in 2006.
Reader's Guide
Cyd Charisse's significance lies in her role as the resident ballet dancer for MGM's Freed Unit, partnering both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly in classic Hollywood musicals. Her performances in *Singin' in the Rain* (1952), *The Band Wagon* (1953), *Brigadoon* (1954), and *Silk Stockings* (1957) showcase her dance abilities. Though many of her musicals lost money for MGM—*The Band Wagon*, *Brigadoon*, *It's Always Fair Weather*, and *Silk Stockings* all lost money—they are now regarded as classics. *Meet Me in Las Vegas* (1956) earned $3.7 million against $2.4 million in costs, and her dramatic role in *Party Girl* (1958) was far more profitable for MGM than her musicals. After the decline of the musical, she transitioned to television, guest-starring on shows like *Medical Center*, *Hawaii Five-O*, *The Love Boat*, *Fantasy Island*, *Murder, She Wrote*, and *Frasier*. She made her Broadway debut in 1991 in *Grand Hotel*. In her eighties she made occasional public appearances and appeared frequently in documentaries spotlighting the golden age of Hollywood. She was featured in the 2001 *Guinness Book of World Records* under 'Most Valuable Legs' because a $5 million insurance policy was reportedly issued on her legs in 1952. Her 2006 National Medal of the Arts and Humanities recognized her contributions.
Did You Know?
- Cyd Charisse started dancing lessons at age six to build strength after a bout of polio.
- She danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo under the stage names Felia Siderova and Maria Istomina.
- Her nickname 'Cyd' was originally 'Sid' from her brother trying to say 'Sis', and Arthur Freed changed the spelling.
- A $5 million insurance policy was reportedly issued on her legs in 1952, earning her a spot in the 2001 Guinness Book of World Records under 'Most Valuable Legs'.
- Fred Astaire called her 'beautiful dynamite' and wrote: 'That Cyd! When you've danced with her, you stay danced with.'
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