Vera-Ellen

Vera-Ellen

Vera-Ellen (February 16, 1921 - August 30, 1981) was an American dancer and actress. She began dancing at the age of 10, and a few years later became one of the youngest Rockettes. She appeared in several Broadway musicals until she was spotted by film producer Samuel Goldwyn in 1945. She was only 24 years old when Goldwyn cast her opposite Danny Kaye in Wonder Man (1945). She danced with Fred Astaire in Three Little Words (1950) and with Gene Kelly in On the Town (1949). Blonde, slim of build, and a dancing sensation, she appeared in a string of light-hearted but successful films. Vera-Ellen retired from acting in the late 1950s. Vera's career died down in the late 1950s once filmed musicals lost their fashion. It was later discovered that, due to the dancer's compulsive dieting obsession, she had silently battled anorexia throughout much of the 50s before anyone was even aware or doctors had even coined the term or devised treatments. Moreover, she had developed severe arthritis which forced an early retirement. In order to combat it, she reverted back to taking dance lessons again. The worst blows suffered, however, was in her personal life. On top of of two two failed marriages, she lost her only child, Victoria Ellen Rothschild, to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in 1963. With one unhappy and tragic event compounded by another, she became a virtual recluse. Little was heard for decades until it was discovered that she had died on August 30, 1981, at age 60 following a long bout with cancer at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. She was buried at Glen Haven Memorial Park in Sylmar, California. Perhaps less remembered today compared to several of the big stars that shared the stage with her, Vera-Ellen was a lithe and lovely presence who deserved a better personal life than she got. Nevertheless, she has provided true film lovers with a lasting legacy and can easily be considered one of Hollywood's finest dancing legends.

  • Popularity : 53.214
  • Known For : Acting
  • Birthday : 1921-02-16
  • Place of Birth : Norwood, Ohio, USA
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Vera-Ellen Movies

  • 1949
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    On the Town

    On the Town

    7.027 1949 HD

    Three sailors wreak havoc as they search for love during a whirlwind 24-hour leave in New York City.

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  • 1949
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    Love Happy

    Love Happy

    5.6 1949 HD

    The Marx Brothers help young Broadway hopefuls when they get mixed up with gangsters due to a tin of sardines containing Romanoff diamonds.

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  • 1954
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    White Christmas

    White Christmas

    7.2 1954 HD

    Two talented song-and-dance men team up after the war to become one of the hottest acts in show business. In time they befriend and become...

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  • 1950
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    Three Little Words

    Three Little Words

    5.9 1950 HD

    Song-and-dance man Bert Kalmar can't continue his stage career after an injury, so he has to earn his money as a lyricist. By chance, he meets...

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  • 1952
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    The Belle of New York

    The Belle of New York

    5.6 1952 HD

    In squeaky-clean New York at the turn of the century, playboy Charlie Hill falls so much in love that he can walk on air. The object of his...

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  • 1953
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    Call Me Madam

    Call Me Madam

    6.3 1953 HD

    Washington hostess Sally Adams becomes a Truman-era US ambassador to a European grand duchy.

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  • 1997
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    Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas

    Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas

    5.25 1997 HD

    Christmas abounds with traditions, from neighborhood carolers to lovingly decorated trees, but from where did all these rituals emerge? This...

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  • 1953
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    Big Leaguer

    Big Leaguer

    6.2 1953 HD

    John Lobert runs a training camp in Florida for the New York Giants. Every year, he evaluates the 18-22 year old hopefuls to pick the best for a...

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  • 1946
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    The Kid from Brooklyn

    The Kid from Brooklyn

    6.2 1946 HD

    Shy milkman Burleigh Sullivan accidentally knocks out drunken Speed McFarlane, a champion boxer who was flirting with Burleigh's sister. The...

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  • 1951
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    Happy Go Lovely

    Happy Go Lovely

    5.9 1951 HD

    B.G. Bruno, a rich bachelor, the head of a successful greeting-card company in Scotland, is essentially a kind man but respectable to the point of...

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  • 1957
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    Let's Be Happy

    Let's Be Happy

    4.8 1957 HD

    On receiving an inheritance from her grandfather, Canadian Jeannie MacLean decides to visit the family's Scottish roots. On the plane she meets...

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  • 1946
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    Three Little Girls in Blue

    Three Little Girls in Blue

    6.5 1946 HD

    Three sisters go to Atlantic City with hopes of finding rich husbands.

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  • 1947
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    Carnival in Costa Rica

    Carnival in Costa Rica

    6 1947 HD

    Two pairs of lovers try to thwart an arranged marriage at Costa Rican fiesta time.

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  • 1945
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    Wonder Man

    Wonder Man

    6.6 1945 HD

    Boisterous nightclub entertainer Buzzy Bellew was the witness to a murder committed by gangster Ten Grand Jackson. One night, two of Jackson's thugs...

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  • 1948
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    Words and Music

    Words and Music

    5.7 1948 HD

    Encomium to Larry Hart (1895-1943), seen through the fictive eyes of his song-writing partner, Richard Rodgers (1902-1979): from their first meeting,...

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  • 2002
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    Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer

    Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer

    7.7 2002 HD

    American Masters Series. Documentary on Gene Kelly that gives insight into his dancing, how he formed a style (first "blue collar dancer") and...

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  • 1994
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    That's Entertainment! III

    That's Entertainment! III

    6.943 1994 HD

    Some of MGM'S musical stars review the studios history of musicals. From The Hollywood Revue of 1929 to Brigadoon, from the first musical talkies to...

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  • 1954
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    A Star Is Born World Premiere

    A Star Is Born World Premiere

    8 1954 HD

    Live television broadcast of the world premiere. Described by various participants as the biggest world premiere in memory, even bigger than the...

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  • 2000
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    'White Christmas': A Look Back with Rosemary Clooney

    'White Christmas': A Look Back with Rosemary Clooney

    5 2000 HD

    Actress Rosemary Clooney reminisces about the making of the classic holiday film White Christmas (1954).

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  • 2014
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    Bing Crosby: Rediscovered

    Bing Crosby: Rediscovered

    7 2014 HD

    Bing Crosby was, without a doubt, the most popular and influential multi-media star of the first half of the twentieth century, pulling audiences in...

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  • 1985
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    That's Dancing!

    That's Dancing!

    7 1985 HD

    A documentary film about dancing on the screen, from it's orgins after the invention of the movie camera, over the movie musical from the late 20s,...

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  • 1950
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    The Colgate Comedy Hour

    The Colgate Comedy Hour

    7 1950 HD

    The Colgate Comedy Hour is an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC network from 1950 to 1955. The show starred many...

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  • 1948
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    The Ed Sullivan Show

    The Ed Sullivan Show

    6.632 1948 HD

    The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by...

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  • 1956
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    The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

    The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

    5.3 1956 HD

    The Dinah Shore Chevy Show is an American variety series hosted by Dinah Shore, and broadcast on NBC from October 1956 to June 1963. The series was...

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