Rudy Vallee
Nacimiento : 1901-07-28, Island Pond, Vermont, USA
Muerte : 1986-07-06
Historia
Rudy Vallee started his career as a saxophone player and singer and later became a band leader. In the 1920s and early 30s he had a hit radio program, The Fleishmann's Yeast Hour (where he was hated by his cast and crew due to his explosive ego-driven personality). In the early 1930's he was ranked with the likes of Bing Crosby and the tragic Russ Columbo in the Hit Parade. A huge hit on radio in 1933 with his program, initially known as 'The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour,' Vallee was considered a slave driver by his staff. He was known to instigate fist fights with virtually anyone who got on his nerves. During the run of his show he slugged photographers, threw sheet music in the faces of pianists' heads and if provoked, would sock hecklers in the nose. While audiences loved him, he was hated by most of his staff. As a very popular star in night clubs and on records, as well as in movies, he helped other singers like Alice Faye - who was for a while his band singer - and Frances Langford to start their careers. In his early movies he often played the romantic lead, but he switched later to stuffy and comic parts. He also appeared on Broadway. The mid-60's Broadway hit "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" was filmed in 1967 with him in his original Broadway role.
Self (archive footage)
A retrospective of Chita Rivera's film, television and stage career, including interviews with Dick Van Dyke, Ben Vereen, Carol Lawrence and others. Originally aired as Episode 2 of Season 43 of the PBS series Great Performances.
Self (archive footage)
From the A&E "Biography" series, a review of the birth, development and cinematic history of Betty Boop, the flapper cartoon character who has been a popular icon since the 1930s.
(archive footage)
Robert Preston hosts this documentary that shows what people of the 1930s were watching as they were battling the Depression as well as eventually getting ready for another World War.
Autograph Hound
Hollywood, año 1924. La dulce Estie llega a la ciudad soñando con convertirse en una estrella de cine. Pero no será sencillo de conseguir triunfar en la meca del cine, aunque ella y el perro Won Ton Ton harán todo lo posible por conseguirlo.
Self (archive footage)
Period music, film clips and newsreel footage combined into a visual exploration of the American entertainment industry during the Great Depression.
Proprietor
A couple on vacation in the woods is stalked by a pair of rapists.
Rudy Vallee
Una banda de rock es enviada a Albania con el fin de localizar a unos estadounidenses secuestrados en un alejado castillo.
Opening Narrator (voice)
En 1925, una joven que abandona la estricta comunidad "amish" llega a Nueva York para convertirse en bailarina. Prueba suerte en el "Minsky's", un teatro de variedades del Lower East Side cuyo dueño sufre las presiones de la censura. Chick, uno de los cómicos del local, se enamora de la muchacha. Su veterano colega Raymond, que es un mujeriego, pretende utilizar a la chica para dejar en ridículo al censor y, al mismo tiempo, intenta seducirla.
Louis Penlow
Elvis Presley es la estrella en esta comedia sobre las tribulaciones de un joven enamorado que debe combinar dos trabajos para poder pagar su casa.
Jasper B. Biggley
Guiado por un manual de éxito, un ambicioso limpia ventanas progresará rápidamente en su carrera profesional.
Ken Murray narrates his 16mm home movies shot over 35 years in Hollywood.
Himself
Biografía cinematográfica de Helen Morgan, una cantante y actriz muy popular durante los años 20 y 30, que falleció en 1941 víctima del alcoholismo y unas relaciones amorosas tumultuosas que arruinaron su carrera cuando había alcanzado la cima del éxito.
Self (archive footage)
A made-for-TV musical revue, compiled from soundies and film and TV performances by jazz greats from the 1930s to the 1950s.
Rudy Vallee
Una pareja artística de hermanas, Bonnie y Connie Jones, reciben una tentadora oferta para trabajar en París que finalmente aceptan. Por circunstancias de la vida, pronto se enteran que su madre y su tía un día triunfaron en la capital gala. Animadas por el éxito que ellas tuvieron antaño, deciden probar suerte, cosa que significará concentrarse en su trabajo y dejar las relaciones amorosas. Pero Connie se enamora de Charles, un amigo de su representante. ¿Pondrá este hecho en peligro su éxito en Francia? ¿O por el contrario Bonnie seguirá los pasos de su hermana?.
Worthington Higgenmacher
Marjorie Main is the whole show in the Universal programmer Ricochet Romance. Playing the outspoken new cook at a rundown dude ranch, Marjorie forces everyone around her to pitch in and bring some life back into the place. She also sets her sights on old layabout Chill Wills, scheming to rope the critter into marriage. Veteran comedy director Charles W. Lamont moves the proceedings along with style, never missing an opportunity for a low-comedy slapstick turn. The most surprising aspect of Ricochet Romance is that it is not an entry in Marjorie Main's Ma and Pa Kettle series.
Peter Pedigrew
Cuatro ex-aviadores, que sirvieron en el Ejército durante la II Guerra Mundial, y que se niegan a trabajar en serio, manteniéndose gracias a diversos trapicheos, conocen a una chica, otra ex-soldado, que pretende reunirse con su prometido. Todos ellos emprenderán la búsqueda del desaparecido novio pero ésta resultará más complicada de lo que suponían porque el prometido ha caído en las garras de una vampiresa. (FILMAFFINITY)
Himself (archive footage)
Feature-length compilation of 1920s newsreel footage, with commentary about news, sports, lifestyles, and historical figures.
Mr. Jessup
Un equipo universitario de fútbol americano pasa por una pésima racha. Su entrenador, hace lo posible por cambiar la situación, pero no lo consigue hasta que recibe la ayuda de un extraordinario futbolista.
Charles Hingleman
Saloon-bar singer Freddie gets very angry whenever boyfriend Blackie seems to be playing around. She always packs a six-shooter, so this is bad news for anything that happens to be in the way. As this is usually the local judge's rear-end, Freddie and friend Conchita are soon hiding out teaching school in the middle of nowhere.
John Heaslip
Widow Abby Abbott is having serious money problems and has to dip into the family trust in order to pay for her daughter Susan's college tuition. The catch: Abby must also become a co-ed or she can't touch the money. After passing her entrance exams, Abby goes to college and becomes very popular, especially with a handsome English professor whom Susan has a crush on.
August Henshler
El director de orquesta Alfred De Carter (Rex Harrison) sospecha que su mujer le es infiel. Durante uno de sus conciertos, imagina tres maneras de resolver sus problemas conyugales. Pero la realidad dista mucho de la ficción.
Charles Harris
Una joven secretaria se enamora de su jefe, empleando los mismos trucos que utiliza él en sus negocios para hacerle caer en sus redes. No obstante, una vez casada, empieza a tener celos de la nueva secretaria que ha contratado su marido.
Herbert Daley
A small town man inherits a significant fortune and takes his family to New York City whereupon they are continually shocked at the alien culture of the Big Apple.
Dr. Johnson
La película narra la vida de una familia de inmigrantes noruegos en San Francisco, alrededor del año 1.910.
Tommy Chamberlain
La juez Margaret Turner (Mirna Loy) ha estado tan ocupada con su trabajo y con la educación de su hermana Susan (Shirley Temple) que no ha tenido tiempo para el amor, a pesar de los intentos de seducción del ayudante del fiscal. El pintor Dick Nugent (Cary Grant) la conoce en un juicio celebrado a raíz de un alboroto en un bar. Además, resulta que Dick da conferencias sobre arte en el colegio de Susan, que se queda inmediatamente prendada del atractivo pintor. Los problemas surgen cuando Margaret se da cuenta de que se ha enamorado de Dick.
Lyricist
Chris Hunter (Ann Sheridan) mata a un intruso que merodeaba por su casa, pero le oculta a su marido y también a su abogado que el hombre era un escultor que fue su amante mientras su marido estaba en la guerra. Para complicar más las cosas, la viuda del escultor conserva una estatua, para la cual Chris Hunter había posado desnuda.
Lynn Sargent
Veintitrés años después de anotar el tanto ganador del equipo de fútbol americano de su colegio, Harold Diddlebock, que ha estado trabajando de contable sin futuro durante años, es despedido por su estirado jefe, el magnate Wagglebury, con nada más que una pequeña pensión.
Hendrick Courtney Jr.
Suzanne, a waitress, comes up with a sure-fire method for winning at the racetrack and, later, when she inherits a fortune from a customer of the restaurant, she use the same system for investing her money. Her stock broker tries to dissuade her, but she persists and her investments increases her wealth.
Ormsby Jamison
A comedy based on NBC's "People Are Funny" radio (and later television) program with Art Linkletter with a fictional story of how the program came to be on a national network from its humble beginning at a Nevada radio station. Jack Haley is a producer with only half-rights to the program while Ozzie Nelson and Helen Walker are the radio writers and supply the romance. Rudy Vallee, always able to burlesque himself intentional and, quite often, unintentional, is the owner of the sought-after sponsoring company. Frances Langford, as herself, sings "I'm in the Mood for Love" while the Vagabonds quartet (billed 12th and last) chimes in on "Angeline" and "The Old Square Dance is Back Again."
Gordon Tolliver
A reportedly dead man haunts his wife and her boyfriend.
Rudy Vallee
The ringmaster of a flea circus inherits a fortune...if he can find which chair it's hidden in.
Himself - Bandleader
A patriotic wartime short showcasing the U.S. Coast Guard Band, led by singer Rudy Vallee, and saluting the Naval branches of the military.
Himself
Actors are seen in their new roles as military men during WWII: Robert Stack displaying his remarkable skill as an artillery training officer; Tyrone Power as a Marine drill instructor; Rudy Vallee leading a military band; and Glenn Ford in the everyday grind of a Marine private.
Alfred Monroe
A gold-digger hopes to land a rich husband in Trinidad, but gets mixed up with a beach boy and voodoo.
Narrator Hopper covers two war benefit affairs, a garden party and a USO fashion show, at Pickfair, "The White House of Hollywood."
John D. Hackensacker III
Inexplicablemente, un novio y una novia no pueden asistir a su propia boda porque se lo impiden sus dobles, que son los que se casan. Seis años más tarde, el administrador del piso de Park Avenue de Tom y Gerry Jeffers enseña la casa, aunque todavía viven en ella, a otros posibles inquilinos, ya que ellos se han retrasado en el pago del alquiler. Gerry se siente frustrada porque su marido, un arquitecto que intenta sacar adelante sus proyectos, no permite que ella utilice su belleza para conseguir que alguien se los financie. Entonces, Gerry conoce accidentalmente a John D. Hackensacker III, uno de los hombres más ricos del mundo.
Dick Kerrigan
The plot centers on a husband-wife radio team, Dick (Rudy Vallee) and Virginia (Helen Parrish). When Dick is caught in an innocent but compromising situation with brassy blonde showgirl Hortense (Iris Adrian), Virginia is encouraged to inaugurate divorce proceedings by her oily ex-beau Ted (Jerome Cowan). It all winds up in Mexico, with Dick ardently chasing Virginia until she catches him.
Daniel 'Danny' Collins
A producer and his partner clash over two women in show business.
Rudy Vallee
After a trip to Hollywood, two young ladies attempt to hitchhike home but end up at a star filled rodeo.
Roger Maxwell
Un publicista (Power) conoce en Minnesota a una gran profesora de patinaje(Henie) a la que quiere llevar a Hollywood para que adquiera más fama. Finalmente ella decidirá regresar a su pueblo seguida del amor que el siente hacia ella.
Terry Moore
When the representative of the Paris International Dance Exposition arrives in New York to invite the Academy Ballet of America to compete for monetary prizes, the taxi driver mistakenly brings him to the Club Ballé, a nightclub on the brink of declaring bankruptcy. The owners, Terry Moore and Duke Dennis, jump at the chance to go, despite being aware of the mistake. They hire ballet teacher, Luis Leoni, and his only pupil, Kay Morrow, to join the group, hoping to teach their two dozen show girls ballet en route to Paris by ship. Also going along and rooming with Kay is Mona, Terry's ex-wife, who wants to keep an eye on her alimony checks. Naturally, Kay and Terry fall in love.
Rudy (archive footage) (uncredited)
This was one of the annual "blooper" reels screened by the Warners Club, an organization of Warners actors, crew and executives. It was meant to poke fun at the flubs and bloopers that occurred ont the set of some of the major Warner Bros. pictures of 1938.
Self
Collection of Warner's stars blundering through missed takes.
Skip Houston
A midwest band leader and his lead singer share a love-hate relationship as they try for success in New York.
Himself (uncredited)
This short shows the entrances of the various Hollywood studios, then specifically visits Warner Bros. / First National Studios. We start at the casting office, then see Busby Berkeley and choreographer Bobby Connolly working with chorus girls on production numbers. Then come some candid shots of several contract stars. Finally we see comedian Hugh Herbert filming a scene for an upcoming release, then the various behind the scenes steps that transition the raw film in the camera into the finished product.
Self
Jimmy Durante asks popular song writing team Mack Gordon and Harry Revel to demonstrate some of their songs. There is interplay with impersonator Florence Desmond, Ben Turpin, Rudy Vallee and many others.
Jimmy Martin
Reporter Miss Lee is looking for a story and approaches George White as he's assembling the latest edition of his famous revue. As it turns out, she has lots of backstage gossip to choose from
Himself
El profesor Wong ha inventado un televisor e invita a todo el mundo a verlo durante una feria china. Cada vez que Tommy Nash intenta casarse con su novia cae enfermo, y cuando irrumpe en el hotel se decreta la cuarentena. A este hotel llega el profesor Quail en su autogiro...
Dr. Vallee
Rudy Vallee cures patients at Dr. Vallee's Musical Hospital by means of music.
Self
Betty Boop, trying to keep a party lively, is aided by Rudy Vallee, who comes to live-action life from a sheet music cover and sings several songs with the Bouncing Ball.
Singer with Handlebar Moustache
Sun bonneted Betty Boop takes a train to "Rudy Valley" where she gains weight and Rudy Vallee performs the title song with Bouncing Ball.
Himself
A young dog calls on Betty but fraternity hazers kidnap him. With a Bouncing Ball, Rudy Vallee sings the title tune.
Self
A young woman, who wants to be in the Follies, is making ends meet by working at a department store's sheet music department, where she sings the latest hits. She is accompanied on piano by her childhood boyfriend, who is in love with her, despite her single-minded interest in her career. When a vaudeville performer asks her to join him as his new partner, she sees it as an opportunity to make her dream come true. Upon arriving in New York City, our heroine finds out that her new partner is only interested in sleeping with her and makes this a condition of making her a star. Soon, however, she is discovered by a representative of Ziegfeld.
Rudy Bronson
A zany musical about an amateur musician in search of work who impersonates a big band leader.
