Cyd Charisse

Cyd Charisse Headshot

Actress • Dancer

Birth Name: Tula Ellice Finklea

Birth Date: March 8, 1922

Death Date: June 17, 2008

Birth Place: Amarillo, Texas

Spouses: Tony Martin

Born Tula Ellice Finklea, Cyd Charisse was born in Amarillo, Texas, in 1922. She suffered from polio as a young girl and took up dancing as part of her recovery. As a teenager, she was sent to California for professional dance training and landed in the touring troupe of the Ballet Russe Monte Carlo, where she met her first husband, Nico Charisse. After a couple of anonymous background dancing roles, Charisse appeared earned her first credit in "Something to Talk About" (1943) using the name Lily Norwood.

She landed a contract at MGM and producer Arthur Freed changed her name to Cyd Charisse for her appearance in "Zeigfeld Follies" (1945), directed by Vincente Minelli. Freed cast Charisse again in "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), this time in a single dance scene with Gene Kelly, but it was enough to make her the leading lady in her next film, "The Band Wagon" (1953) with Fred Astaire, again produced by Freed and directed by Minelli.

She proved to be a reliable lead in musical/dance films like "Brigadoon" (1954) and "Silk Stockings" (1957), until the late 1950s, which saw a decline in the popularity of the genre. With dancing on the wane, Charisse began to take more dramatic roles.

Starting with "Party Girl" (1958), she began to escape the dance genre, and for the next decade appeared in supporting roles in films like "Assassination in Rome" (1965) and "The Silencers" (1966), as well as guest roles on shows like "Fantasy Island" (ABC, 1977-1984) and "Murder, She Wrote" (CBS, 1984-1996). Charisse continued appearing on screen through the 1980s. She passed away in 2008.

Credits

The Empire State Building Murders

Actor
Vicky Adams
Movie
2008

Burke's Law

Guest Star
Amanda Richardson
Show
1994

That's Entertainment! III

Self
Movie
1994

FrasierStream

Guest Voice
Polly
Series
1993
95%

Rock Hudson's Home Movies

Actor
Charlotte King
Movie
1992

La Modelo Perfecta

Actor
Movie
1989

Swimsuit

Actor
Mrs. Allison
Movie
1989

Murder, She WroteStream

Guest Star
Myrna Montclair LeRoy
Series
1984

The Fall GuyStream

Guest Star
Series
1981

Portrait of an Escort

Actor
Sheilah Croft
Movie
1980

Fantasy Island

Guest Star
Series
1978

Warlords of Atlantis

Actor
Atsil
Movie
1978

The Cyd Charisse Special

Actor
Show
1967

Maroc 7

Actor
Louise Henderson
Movie
1967

The SilencersStream

Actor
Sarita
Movie
1966

Assassination in Rome

Actor
Shelley North
Movie
1965

Two Weeks in Another TownStream

Actor
Carlotta
Movie
1962
89%

Five Golden Hours

Actor
Baroness Sandra
Movie
1961

Black Tights

Actor
The Widow
Movie
1960

Ford Startime

Actor
Show
1959

Twilight for the Gods

Actor
Charlotte King
Movie
1958

Party GirlStream

Actor
Vicki Gaye
Movie
1958
83%

Crépuscule sur l'océan

Actor
Movie
1958

Silk StockingsStream

Actor
Ninotchka "Nina" Yoschenko
Movie
1957
100%

Spring Holiday

Actor
guest
Show
1956

Meet Me in Las Vegas

Actor
Maria Corvier
Movie
1956

It's Always Fair Weather

Actor
Jackie Leighton
Movie
1955

BrigadoonStream

Actor
Fiona Campbell
Movie
1954
86%

Diži zastor

Actor
Movie
1953

The Band WagonStream

Actor
Gabrielle Gerard
Movie
1953
95%

Sombrero

Actor
Lola de Torrano
Movie
1953

Locura Blanca

Actor
Movie
1952

Singin' in the RainStream

Actor
Dancer
Movie
1952
100%

The Wild North

Actor
Indian girl
Movie
1952

Mark of the Renegade

Actor
Manuella de Vasquez
Movie
1951

Tensión

Actor
Movie
1949

Tension

Actor
Mary Chanler
Movie
1949

East Side, West Side

Actor
Rosa Senta
Movie
1949

Words and MusicStream

Actor
Margo Grant
Movie
1948
20%

On an Island With You

Actor
Yvonne Torro
Movie
1948

The Kissing BanditStream

Actor
Dancer
Movie
1948

Fiesta

Actor
Conchita
Movie
1947

The Unfinished Dance

Actor
Mlle. Ariane Bouchet
Movie
1947

Ziegfeld FolliesStream

Actor
Dance Specialty
Movie
1946
67%

Till the Clouds Roll ByStream

Actor
Dance Specialty
Movie
1946
100%

The Harvey GirlsStream

Actor
Deborah
Movie
1946

Three Wise Fools

Actor
Rena Fairchild
Movie
1946

Soundies

Music Performer
Show
1942

This Love of Mine

Actor
Movie
1942

The Gay Parisian

Actor
Movie
1941