Cyd Charisse

Movie star and dancer, Cyd Charisse, whose legs were insured for a million dollars in the heyday of the Hollywood musical, passed away Tuesday June 16, 2008 at the age of 86. Her publicist said she was admitted to Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles after she suffered an apparent heart attack. She was born Tula Ellice Finklea on March 8, 1921. She starred in such films as " Singin' in the Rain ," " The Band Wagon ," " The Party Girl ," " Brigadoon " and " Silk Stockings ." She is survived by her husband of almost 60 years, Tony Martin, and her ... Read Full Story

Oh, Those Legs: Remembering Cyd Charisse By Marilyn Ferdinand By now, film fans and most of the world have heard that the enchanting dancer Cyd Charisse has left us. I fully expect all the classic movie blogs to cover her life and accomplishments, both of which were long and enviable, so I'll share personal observations instead. There were a lot of dancers who came up in the Hollywood system, but none were as elegant as Cyd Charisse. Even when she sizzled, she reflected the refinement of her classical ballet training, and she was a model for dancers looking healthy instead of severely underfed. My ... Read Full Story

This week, we lost a legend when the amazingly versatile, witty, and gorgeous Cyd Charisse passed away. Always labeled as having "legs a mile long," despite being deceptively shorter than one would assume, she was the ultimate icon for tall women with the courage we only wished we had and the grace that only the chosen, gifted few like Charisse posessed in spades, whether it was bending Fred Astaire to her will in The Band Wagon (above) or tantalizing Gene Kelly so that he didn't know what hit him in the film that launched her, Singin' in the Rain (below). Whatever it was-- Ms. ... Read Full Story

Times have changed. It appears that never again will the stages be graced with dancing greats such as Cyd Charisse. She was just outstanding: 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 ... Read Full Story

« New to DVD: June 17, 2008 | Home | Scrambled Eggs and Sausage Links » By Jebbica | June 18, 2008 Cyd Charisse , a movie star and dancer, died Tuesday at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. She was 86. She was admitted to the hospital Monday after suffering from a heart attack, according to her publicist. She was born Tula Ellice Finklea on March 8, 1921. She starred in such films as “ Ziegfeld Follies ,” “S ingin’ in the Rain,” “The Band Wagon,” “Brigadoon ” and “ Silk Stockings. “ Cyd and her husband, Tony Martin , were married for almost 60 ... Read Full Story