Jun 17, 2008

Cyd Charisse, 1921-2008



Goodbye to Cyd Charisse, the beautiful actress-dancer. She was famous for her long legs, the centerpiece of her fluid, confident style. Charisse was a teenage dancer with the Ballet Russe before she brought her modern grace to several MGM musicals, including Band Wagon(1953), Brigadoon (1954) and Silk Stockings (1957). She also seduced Gene Kelly in one of the most memorable numbers in Singin’ in the Rain (1952). Though Charisse even claimed herself that she was really a dancer who did a little acting, she was good in the few dramatic roles she did, including East Side, West Side and the film noir Tension (both 1949).

However, it was dancing that made her a star. Here are two of her best MGM numbers: one of her first, “Broadway Melody”, from Singing in the Rain and one of her last, “Red Blues”, from Silk Stockings.





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