Cyd Charisse Biography (1921-)

Original name, Tula Ellice Finklea; born March 8, 1921, in Amarillo, TX; daughter of Ernest (a jeweler) and Lela (maiden name, Norwood) Finklea; married Nico Charisse (a dancer), August 12, 1939 (divorced, 1947); married Tony Martin (a singer), May 9, 1958; children: (first marriage) Nicky; (second marriage) Tony, Jr. Addresses: Contact: c/o 10724 Wilshire Blvd., #1406, Los Angeles, CA 90024-4473; P.O. Box 1029, Frazier Park, CA 93225.

Nationality: American
Gender: Female
Occupation: Actress, dancer
Birth Details: March 8, 1921; Amarillo, Texas, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Appearances
(As Lily Norwood) Lily, Something to Shout About, Columbia, 1943
(Uncredited; as Lily Norwood) Specialty dancer, Mission to Moscow,Warner Bros., 1943
(Uncredited) Cameo, Thousands Cheer, 1943
Chicken, "Meet the Ladies," The Ziegfeld Follies, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1945
Deborah, The Harvey Girls, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1946
Rena Fairchild, Three Wise Fools, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1946
Specialty dancer in "Roberta," Till the Clouds Roll By, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1946
Conchita, Fiesta, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1947
Mlle. Ariane Bouchet, The Unfinished Dance, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1947
Fiesta dancer, The Kissing Bandit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1948
Yvonne Torro, On an Island With You, 1948
Margo Grant, Words and Music, 1948
Rosa Senta, East Side, West Side, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1949
Mary Chanler, Tension, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1949
Manuella, Mark of the Renegade, Universal, 1951
Dancer, Singin' in the Rain, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1952
Indian girl, The Wild North (also known as The Big North),Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1952
Lola de Torrano, Sombrero, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1953
Gaby Berard, The Band Wagon, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1953
(Uncredited) Lipstick model, Easy to Love, 1953
Fiona Campbell, Brigadoon, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1954
Specialty dancer in "The Desert Song," Deep in My Heart, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1954
Jackie Leighton, It's Always Fair Weather, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1955
Maria Corvier, Meet Me in Las Vegas (also known as Viva Las Vegas), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1956
Invitation to the Dance, 1957
Ninotchka, Silk Stockings, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1957
Vicki Gaye, Party Girl, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1958
Charlotte King, Twilight for the Gods, Universal, 1958
Baronessa Sandra, Five Golden Hours (also known as Cinque ore in contanti), Columbia, 1961
The widow, Black Tights (also known as Les collants noirs and Un deux trois quatre), Magna Pictures, 1962
Carlotta, Two Weeks in Another Town, 1962
Bianca Russell Arden, Something's Got to Give, 1962
Il segreto del vestito rosso (also known as Murderer Made in Italy, Assassination in Rome, Assassinio Made in Italy, and El secreto de Bill North), 1963
Sarita, The Silencers, Columbia, 1966
Louise Henderson, Maroc 7, Paramount, 1967
Assassination in Rome, 1967
Herself, Film Portrait, 1972
(In archive footage) Clip from Singin' in the Rain, That's Entertainment!, 1974
President's girl 4, Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood, Paramount, 1976
(In archive footage) That's Entertainment, Part II, 1976
Atsil, Warlords of Atlantis (also known as Seven Cities to Atlantis), Columbia, 1978
(In archive footage) That's Dancing!, 1985
Visioni privati (also known as Private Screening), 1990
Dancer, Janet Jackson: The Rhythm Nation Compilation, 1990
Herself, That's Entertainment! III, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1994
Herself (interview), That's Entertainment! III Behind the Screen,Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists Home Entertainment, 1994
Herself, Janet Jackson: Design of a Decade 1986/1996, A&M Video, 1996
Musicals Great Musicals, 1996
Herself, What a Glorious Feeling: The Making of Singin' in the Rain, Warner Home Video, 2002
Television Appearances

Movies
Call Her Mom, ABC, 1972
Sheila Croft, Portrait of an Escort, CBS, 1980
Mrs. Allison, Swimsuit, NBC, 1989
Also appeared in Cinderella Summer.
Specials
(Uncredited) 1955 Motion Picture Theatre Celebration, 1955
Spring Holiday, CBS, 1956
The Perry Como Special, NBC, 1963
Center Stage: Cyd Charisse, syndicated, 1967
The Cyd Charisse Special, syndicated, 1967
The Wonderful World of Burlesque III, NBC, 1967
Second would-be wife, The Bob Hope Show, NBC, 1968
The Bob Hope Show, NBC, 1969
Fol-de-Rol, ABC, 1972
Gene Kelly ... An American in Pasadena, CBS, 1978
The American Film Institute Salute to Fred Astaire, 1981
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, 1982
The American Film Institute Salute to Gene Kelly (also known as The Best of Gene Kelly), CBS, 1985
Happy Birthday, Hollywood, ABC, 1987
Lerner and Loewe: Broadway's Last Romantics, PBS, 1988
America's All-Star Tribute to Elizabeth Taylor (also known as America's Hope Award), ABC, 1989
The 61st Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1989
Presenter, America's Dance Honors (also known as America's Dance Awards), ABC, 1990
Marilyn: Something's Got to Give, 1990
You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story, PBS, 1990
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer: When the Lion Roars (also known as The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story), TNT, 1992
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS, 1992
The Golden Globe's' 50th Anniversary Celebration, NBC, 1994
Cyd Charisse, Arts and Entertainment, 1994
Inside the Dream Factory, TCM, 1995
Herself, Musicals Great Musicals: The Arthur Freed Unit at MGM, PBS, 1996
Intimate Portrait: Marilyn Monroe, Lifetime, 1996
(In archive footage) The 69th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1997
Skitch Henderson at 80, PBS, 1998
Herself, Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days, AMC, 2001
Herself, Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer, PBS, 2002
Episodic
Person to Person, CBS, 1956
The Milton Berle Show, 1956
Mystery guest, What's My Line?, 1956
"Spring Holiday," Arthur Godfrey and His Friends, 1956
Herself, "Meet Cyd Charisse," Startime (also known as Ford Startime), 1959
"Dance of Death," Checkmate, CBS, 1961
The Hollywood Palace, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967
Guest panelist, The Hollywood Squares, 1967
The Bob Hope Show, 1968, 1969
The Hollywood Palace, 1969
Kraft Music Hall, 1969
"No Way Home," Medical Center, CBS, 1975
Guest panelist, The Hollywood Squares, 1978
Alicia Warren, "Death Mask," Hawaii Five-O, CBS, 1978
"The Island of Lost Women/The Plight of Great Yellow Birds," Fantasy Island, ABC, 1978
Eve Mills, "Super Mom/I'll See You Again/April's Return," The Love Boat, ABC, 1979
"The Big Show," Fantasy Island, ABC, 1983
Diana 'Duffy,' "The Huntress," The Fall Guy, ABC, 1984
"Queen of the Soaps," Glitter, ABC, 1984
Myrna Montclair LeRoy, "Widow, Weep for Me," Murder, She Wrote, CBS, 1985
"Hyde-and-Seek," Crazy Like a Fox, CBS, 1986
"You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story," American Masters, PBS, 1990
Herself, "Attal et Zardi," Cinema cinemas, 1990
Amanda Richardson, "Who Killed the Highest Bidder?," Burke's Law,CBS, 1995
Voice of Polly, "The Adventures of Bad Boy and Dirty Girl," Frasier, NBC, 1995
Stage Appearances
Sue Smith, No, No, Nanette, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, Australia, 1972
Grand Hotel, Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, 1991
Major Tours
A Two Act Revue, U.S. cities, 1964
Illya, Illya Darling, U.S. cities, 1968
RECORDINGS
Videos
Appeared in the video Cyd Charisse: Easy Energy Shape-Up.
Music Videos
Appeared in Janet Jackson's "Alright."
WRITINGS
(With husband, Tony Martin) The Two of Us, (New York), 1976

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 3: Actors and Actresses, St. James Press, 1996

Periodicals

Dance Magazine, October, 1998, p. 29
New York Times, April 5, 1992
People, February 24, 1992, p. 83

Electronic

Cyd Charisse Official Site, http://cydcharisse.net, May 5, 2003

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