Legendary dancer Cyd Charisse dies

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Source: CNN

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Cyd Charisse, the long-legged Texas beauty who danced with the Ballet Russe as a teenager and starred in MGM musicals with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, died Tuesday. She was 86.

Charisse was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Monday after suffering an apparent heart attack, said her publicist, Gene Schwam.

She appeared in dramatic films, but her fame came from the Technicolor musicals of the 1940s and 1950s.

Classically trained, she could dance anything, from a pas de deux in 1946's "Ziegfeld Follies" to the lowdown Mickey Spillane satire of 1956's "The Band Wagon" (with Astaire).

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/06/17/charisse.obit.ap/index.html

[Fovea]

1. She was amazing.

watching her move was like an advertisement for women.

[terrya]

2. She was in one of my favorite musicals, "The Bandwagon"

Beautiful, and the epitome of grace.

That's so sad to hear. :-(

[Frisbee]

33. The Bandwagon...

Is my favorite musical, and has a permanent spot on my TIVO (I need to buy the DVD). I plan to watch it tonight in memory of her. I put her in the top 10 most beautiful women Hollywood has given us (IMHO).

[driver8]

49. I am a huge Cyd Charisse fan but have not seen "The Bandwagon."

Looks like I'll be shopping at Amazon.com this morning...

[Frisbee]

54. It is on TCM pretty regularly.

Not a great movie, but it's Cyd. What can I say, I am a mid-40's guy, probably a bit younger than her average fan, but my God, what a beauty! Oh, and not a bad dancer either! :-)

[FredStembottom]

50. One of my faves, too!

Watching Charisse dance that "Mickey Spillaine" number as a boy induced puberty, I think! :crazy:
Maybe the most beautiful woman of all time to me.

[Frisbee]

55. I have it saved on my TIVO...

It's been there well over a year now. Thankfully that number comes in right at 1:45 minutes in, so with a few pushes of the buttons on the 'mote control, I can go right to it! I agree about her beauty. I am hard pressed to think of a sexier or more beautiful woman than her dancing in that red dress.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. So beautiful

She had legs that went on forever, and, man, could she dance!

She married singer Tony Martin, who was too good-looking to be true. They were old-fashioned GORGEOUS together.

[medeak]

11. tony martin

oh boy...my Dad has stories about that guy.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

12. Really?

Get them and get back FAST!

[medeak]

13. he threw a shit fit

in club that he wasn't paid from mob boss...so my Dad told him...hey..this is the mob and better be a little smoother.."Tony" followed his advice and got his check which was made out to his jewish name LOL!

[Tangerine LaBamba]

16. heh heh heh

Put him in his Jewish little place, didn't they?

A check? Wow.

And tell your Dad I said Hi, please.

[medeak]

22. more stories can't tell

as x-rated and Dad waiting until everyone is dead. your bio is interesting..close to whitehouse?

[Tangerine LaBamba]

36. Alas, yes

Not far from the Pentagon, either. Watched the smoke rise after the plane hit on 9/11.

[medeak]

45. you have a story to tell........

me thinks you should share it here if not already? (((hugs)))

[libnnc]

4. I didn't know she was from Texas

I thought she was so gorgeous.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. I never knew that either.

She was so wonderful.

May her family find strength in one another.

[Jane Austin]

8. Me, either

My parents adored her.

[WCGreen]

5. Loved her...

She was so fluid, seemingly effortless as she stayed with the athletic Kelly and the Suave Astaire.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

9. Even Ricardo Montalban...

...one of my favorite all-time movies is "On An Island With You," starring Esther Williams, Peter Lawford, Ricardo Montalban and Cyd. Her dance numbers in this film are nothing short of amazing. I also liked her in "Silk Stockings" with Astaire, because she really stretched in the acting department.

A wonderful person, a gifted person, a national treasure.

[KittyWampus]

18. just replying to note the movie title for later :-)

[Amerigo Vespucci]

19. Yeah, absolutely...

...it is in the recently released "Esther Williams Collection Volume 1" DVD set:



http://www.amazon.com/TCM-Spotlight-Williams-Neptunes-Dangerous/dp/B000PC8AL4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1213744520&sr=1-1

I don't really have a "top ten favorite movies of all time" list, but if I DID, this movie would be on the list, and Cyd is beyond gorgeous in this one.

:toast:

[roguevalley]

53. she and tony were such a team. so sad, such a beautiful woman.

[Cleita]

7. Oh, no! She was one of my favorites.

She was a wonderful dancer and so classy. RIP

[medeak]

10. damn.. hope to keep news from 92 yr old Dad

who worked with her... :-(

[DailyGrind51]

14. She was the personification of style and grace.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

15. This is sad

Texas Monthly had a feature on "childhood homes of famous Texans" a couple or three years back. They showed Cyd's old bungalow on Tyler street. I recognized it as a house I pass every time I go downtown, not far from where I live.

[rocktivity]

17. She got her name from her brother, who called her "Cyd"

because he was too young to pronounce "sister."



Dance in peace.

:headbang:
rocknation

[WillParkinson]

20. Like Cyd Charrise

And Fred Astaire...you look MAHVELOUS!

[Whoa_Nelly]

21. One of my dance idols!

I danced for 38 years.

Cyd, you were an inspiration!

RIP, Dear Dancer :cry:

[medeak]

24. 38 yrs!

wow...pray tell did you have any probs with hips? My dear sis-in-law has been on Broadway for 25 yrs and suffering (they have slanted stages now) any advice for her?

[Whoa_Nelly]

32. knees

and toes...used to do a lot of pointe work

one knee operation.
loved mostly doing choreography and teaching dance (ABT and RAD)

Hips are fine, back not as limber as it used to be...in fact, am just starting a workout routine again to get the old blood flowing and the muscles limbered up again...it's never too late to love the dance.

Have no advice re: your SIL's hips. Has she had an MRI? Could be she's just overextended those muscles too many times. Easy to do over time with high kicks, leaps and turned out positions.

Hope she has a good masseuse. That, and warm epsom salt soaks can help. :hi:

[medeak]

46. feel so bad for her

she has surgeon who did Chita Rivera's hips and went on to dance but doctor can't guarantee she'll be the same after hip replacement. (apparently very hard to get leg length equal?) She currently has lead in Mama Mia and killing herself but terrified of surgery thinking she won't be able to dance again (she did choreography with Tommy Tune as well) Broadway is the only life she's known...will pass on the epsom salts tho!

[Canuckistanian]

23. delete

[Berry Cool]

25. Grave-pissing to begin in five...four...three...two...

I mean, come on, surely someone has something more substantial to tell us about Cyd Charisse than how beautiful a dancer she was and how her legs went on forever. Surely she too was a cog in the Vast Right-Wing Machine(TM) and is somehow personally responsible for the deaths of millions of people.

Come on, let's stop clamming up about this. If we don't hurry, the hagiography around her will crystallize, and she'll never be remembered as anything but a beautiful dancer with long legs in a bunch of entertaining movie musicals.

We simply cannot have that.

[lastliberalintexas]

42. Silly me, I didn't know that Charisse carried right wing water to lie us into war

:eyes:


I've seen more posts *complaining* about grave dancing than I've actually seen dancing.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

26. Cyd in "On An Island With You"

...and as Rocknation said, "dance in peace."

:grouphug:

[blogslut]

27. Aww, shoot

She went to high school with my mom's best friend. All are gone now.

R.I.P., Tula.

[JNelson6563]

28. What a talent!

We're all teh richer for having had her among us as we did.

Julie

[tuvor]

29. Some fantastic hi-res photos of her here...

A frustratingly slow site sometimes, but worth the wait.

http://doctormacro.info/Movie%20Star%20Pages/Charisse,%20Cyd-Annex.htm

RIP, Ms. Charisse.

[ghostdancers_way]

30. My wife's mother who is 84, danced with

Cyd and Gene in Singing in the Rain, she also substituted for Cyd in the a movie where she had to leap up steps, Cyd pulled a muscle and my Mother in law was subbed in it. It is one of the scenes in That Entertainment. She knew Cyd well and I am sure will miss her. My wife and I are calling her tonight to see how see taking this news. My said that Cyd was always a gracious lady.

[ghostdancers_way]

31. I think I have forgotten my English lessons

Cyd and Gene in Singing in the Rain, she also substituted for Cyd in a movie (unknown title), where she had to leap up steps, Cyd pulled a muscle and my Mother in law was subbed in it. It is one of the scenes in That's Entertainment. She knew Cyd well and I am sure will miss her. My wife and I are calling her tonight to see how see is taking this news. My mother in law, said that Cyd was always a gracious lady.

[edbermac]

34. What legs!!

[kskiska]

35. Silk Stockings

Hard to believe she was only 5'6".

[driver8]

47. One of my favorite movies...

She was so awesome in that film!

[Radio_Lady]

37. Actress-dancer Cyd Charisse dead at 86

Source: Reuters

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress and dancer Cyd Charisse, who gained fame in the movies as a partner with Hollywood dance greats Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, has died of heart failure in Los Angeles at age 86.

Her spokesman Gene Schwam said Charisse died early on Tuesday morning. He called her "a loving and gracious woman throughout her life."

Charisse broke into the movies in 1943 opposite Don Ameche in "Something to Shout About," and went on to dance with Astaire in 1946's "Ziegfeld Follies." But her big break came in 1952, appearing opposite Kelly in "Singin' in the Rain."

(Editing by Steve Gorman and Philip Barbara)



Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/peopleNews/idUKN1739093520080617

---

RIP to a very beautiful woman.

[Olney Blue]

38. So graceful! RIP, Cyd Charisse.

[Radio_Lady]

39. Gorgeous photo, Olney Blue. Thanks so much for posting it.

[havocmom]

40. 'Comrade' Cyd Charisse loosens up and enjoys... Silk Stockings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rvbS5LJND8

Lovely woman playing a woman about to bloom in some capitalist decadence ;)

[Shoelace]

44. & Gene Kelly, Cyd dancing that beautiful dance from Singin In The Rain

wow, I've been watching Cyd dance for over an hour on YouTube. Many wonderful videos there. She was so beautiful. She'll dance her way through those pearly gates!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc16m2B2K1g&feature=related

[tainted_chimp]

41. Dammit!

I've been dancing since i was 3 yrs old....
And, she was it for me.
Influenced me on every level, as far as movement & line are concerned...

I'm so sad.


Bon Voyage, Cyd.

From Singing in the Rain

http://youtube.com/watch?v=7YWBOfsXsDA

From The Bandwagon

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yuJxYmJlEHY

[Earth Bound Misfit]

43. What a magnificent beauty and talent...

[driver8]

48. I have had a crush on Cyd Charisse forever!!

She was so beautiful and so talented.

[Rhiannon12866]

51. Oh! Very sad! She was a lovely and talented woman...

;(

[Turn CO Blue]

52. Images

Cyd Charisse accepts Medal of Arts



Grace


Iconic image of Cyd Charisse