- Byname of:
- Tula Ellice Finklea
- Died:
- June 17, 2008, Los Angeles, California (aged 86)
- Awards And Honors:
- National Medal of Arts (2006)
- Notable Family Members:
- spouse Tony Martin
- On the Web:
- Television Academy Foundation - The Interviews - Cyd Charisse (Nov. 07, 2026)
Cyd Charisse
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Who was Cyd Charisse?
Cyd Charisse (1922â2008) was an American dancer and actress celebrated for her glamorous persona and sensual, technically precise dance performances in 1950s movie musicals.
Born Tula Ellice Finklea in Amarillo, Texas, she took dance lessons to regain her strength after battling polio as a child. At age 12, she began studying ballet in Los Angeles and later toured as a teenager with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo company.
In 1946 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios signed her to a film contract and suggested she change her professional name to Cyd Charisse.
Charisse achieved stardom in Singin' in the Rain and went on to star in The Band Wagon with Fred Astaire. In 1992, she made her Broadway debut in the musical Grand Hotel. President George W. Bush awarded her the National Medal of the Arts in 2006.
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What was Cyd Charisse best known for?
Cyd Charisse (1922-2008) was an American dancer and actress celebrated for her captivating dance performances and glamorous persona in 1950s movie musicals.
After a bout with polio as a child, Charisse took dance lessons to regain her strength. At age 12, she began studying ballet in Los Angeles and later toured with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.
Under contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios in 1946, she achieved stardom with her wordless dance routine opposite Gene Kelly in Singinâ in the Rain (1952). She also starred with Fred Astaire in The Band Wagon (1953). Later, Charisse partnered with Kelly in Brigadoon (1954) and Itâs Always Fair Weather (1955). In 1957, she reunited with Astaire in Silk Stockings.
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What styles of dance did Cyd Charisse perform?
Cyd Charisse, born Tula Ellice Finklea, was an American dancer and actress celebrated for her glamorous presence and sensual, technically precise dancing in movie musicals of the 1950s.
As a child recovering from polio, Charisse began dance lessons to regain her strength. At age 12, she studied ballet in Los Angeles and later toured as a teenager with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo company. Her early training was in ballet, but she would later showcase her talents in a variety of dance styles in films such as Singin' in the Rain, The Band Wagon, Brigadoon, It's Always Fair Weather, and Silk Stockings.
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In which famous movies did Cyd Charisse appear?
Cyd Charisse, a celebrated American dancer and actress, gained fame for her captivating performances in 1950s movie musicals.
Some of her notable appearances include:
* Something to Shout About (1943)
* The Harvey Girls (1946)
* Words and Music (1948)
* Singinâ in the Rain (1952), where she starred alongside Gene Kelly
* The Band Wagon (1953), in which she partnered with Fred Astaire
* Brigadoon (1954), reuniting with Gene Kelly
* Itâs Always Fair Weather (1955), also with Kelly
* Silk Stockings (1957), again with Astaire
* Two Weeks in Another Town (1962)1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Cyd Charisse impact Hollywood musicals?
Cyd Charisse was an American actress and dancer celebrated for her flawless dancing and glamorous persona in 1950s musicals.
Charisse's impact on Hollywood musicals is marked by her collaborations with Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. Her performance with Kelly in Singin' in the Rain (1952) is one of the most memorable scenes in the film, even though she was only on screen for less than five minutes. After Singin' in the Rain, she starred with Fred Astaire in The Band Wagon. She later partnered with Kelly in Brigadoon and It's Always Fair Weather. Charisse reunited with Astaire in 1957, for the romantic musical comedy Silk Stockings.
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What is Cyd Charisseâs legacy in dance and film today?
Cyd Charisse remains a celebrated figure in dance and film history, remembered for her elegance and technically skilled dancing in 1950s movie musicals. Her performances with Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain and with Fred Astaire in The Band Wagon are particularly notable. Although she had limited range as a dramatic actress, Charisse continued to perform on screen and stage, making her Broadway debut in the musical Grand Hotel in 1992. In recognition of her contributions, she received the National Medal of the Arts in 2006.
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Cyd Charisse (born March 8, 1922, Amarillo, Texas, U.S.âdied June 17, 2008, Los Angeles, California) was an American dancer and actress known for her glamorous looks and sensual technically flawless dancing in 1950s movie musicals. Most notable were her appearances with actor Gene Kelly in the highly acclaimed musical film Singinâ in the Rain (1952) and with actor Fred Astaire in the musical romantic comedy The Band Wagon (1953).
Early life
Charisse was born Tula Ellice Finklea, the daughter of Lela (née Norwood) Finklea and Ernest Enos Finklea, who worked as a jeweler. After struggling with polio as a young child, she took dance lessons to rebuild her strength. She began studying ballet in Los Angeles at age 12 and toured with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo company as a teenager. She married the Greek American dance teacher Nico Charisse in 1939; the couple had one child and divorced in 1947.
Career
Charisse made her feature-film debut in a ballet sequence in the musical Something to Shout About under the stage name Lily Norwood in 1943. Later that year she made an uncredited appearance as a Russian dancer in the propaganda film Mission to Moscow. She soon garnered the attention of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, which signed her to a film contract in 1946 and suggested that she change her professional name to Cyd Charisse (based on her childhood nickname âSidâ). She went on to appear in the musical The Harvey Girls (1946) with actress Judy Garland and the musical Words and Music (1948). She achieved stardom with her dance routineâin which she did not speak a wordâopposite Gene Kelly in the musical Singinâ in the Rain. Although she was on screen for less than five minutes, her performance with Kelly stands out as one of the most enchanting and alluring scenes in the film.
After the success of Singinâ in the Rain, she starred with Fred Astaire in the musical film The Band Wagon. She later partnered with Kelly in the smash musicals Brigadoon (1954) and Itâs Always Fair Weather (1955). She reunited with Astaire in 1957, portraying a Russian government official in the romantic musical comedy Silk Stockings.
Although Charisse excelled in her dancing roles, she had a limited range as a dramatic actress. As the popularity of movie musicals began to wane in the early 1960s, she struggled to find work in film. However, she stayed relevant by appearing in the drama film Two Weeks in Another Town in 1962. Charisse and her second husband, American singer Tony Martin, formed a nightclub cabaret act and began touring internationally in 1963. Additionally, they teamed up to write The Two of Us, a combined autobiography, in 1976. Charisse made guest appearances on television shows throughout the mid-1970s and â80s, such as Hawaii Five-O (1978), Fantasy Island (1978 and 1983), and Murder, She Wrote (1985). She made her Broadway debut as an aging Russian ballerina in the musical Grand Hotel in 1992. U.S. Pres. George W. Bush awarded Charisse the National Medal of the Arts in 2006. She died in Los Angeles in 2008 after suffering complications from a heart attack.