Cyd Charisse

Biography

Cyd Charisse, born in Amarillo, Texas, was an American dancer and actress known for her work in Hollywood musicals. She trained in ballet and entered films in the 1940s, soon joining the Freed Unit at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Her screen partners often included Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, and she became recognized for her dance roles. Among her notable films were Singin' in the Rain (1952), The Band Wagon (1953), Brigadoon (1954), and Silk Stockings (1957). She also appeared in The Harvey Girls (1946), Ziegfeld Follies (1945), Party Girl (1958), and The Silencers (1966). After the decline of the movie musical, she stopped dancing but continued acting in film and television, including Warlords of Atlantis (1978). She made her Broadway debut in Grand Hotel, appeared in documentaries about Hollywood musicals, and was featured in That's Entertainment! III (1994). In 2006 she received the National Medal of Arts and Humanities.

86years old at death

Born March 8, 1922Amarillo
Died June 16, 2008Los Angeles
Star sign: PiscesThe sign runs February 19 to March 20
Tula Ellice Finklea (birth name)

Movie Career

Films: 21
Career span: 56 years1945 to 2001

Genres

Musical38%, 8 films
Comedy33%, 7 films
Romance33%, 7 films
Documentary24%, 5 films
Drama19%, 4 films

First and latest

Did you know?!

A role that slipped away
For the part of Eve Kendall in the 1959 film North by Northwest, MGM favored Charisse, while Alfred Hitchcock preferred Eva Marie Saint.
First role
At 14 Charisse auditioned for the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo and then danced there as "Felia Siderova" and later as "Maria Istomina".
First role
In 1989, Charisse took her first Broadway role, playing Elizaveta Grushinskaya, an aging ballerina, in the stage musical adaptation of Grand Hotel.
First role
Charisse's first speaking part came when she supported Judy Garland in the 1946 film The Harvey Girls, after positive feedback from her dancing with Fred Astaire in Ziegfeld Follies.
Behind the camera
In 1990, Charisse made an exercise video called Easy Energy Shape Up, aimed at active senior citizens. She followed similar moves by her MGM colleagues Debbie Reynolds and Angela Lansbury.

Cyd Charisse movies on Netflix

Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration2001IMDb rating 8.4as Himself
That's Entertainment! III1994IMDb rating 7.5as Self - Host
You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story1990IMDb rating 7.8as Himself
That's Dancing!1985IMDb rating 7.2
Warlords of Atlantis1978IMDb rating 5.5as Atsil
That's Entertainment!1974IMDb rating 7.8
The Silencers1966IMDb rating 5.9as Sarita
Marilyn1963IMDb rating 7.6as Self…
Two Weeks in Another Town1962IMDb rating 6.4as Carlotta
Party Girl1958IMDb rating 7.0as Vicki Gaye
Silk Stockings1957IMDb rating 6.8as Ninotchka Yoschenko
It's Always Fair Weather1955IMDb rating 7.0as Jackie Leighton
Brigadoon1954IMDb rating 6.8as Fiona Campbell
The Band Wagon1953IMDb rating 7.4as Gabrielle Gerard
Singin' in the Rain1952IMDb rating 8.3as Dancer
East Side, West Side1949IMDb rating 6.9as Rosa Senta
Tension1949IMDb rating 7.3as Mary Chanler
Words and Music1948IMDb rating 6.4as Margo Grant
The Harvey Girls1946IMDb rating 7.0as Deborah Andrews
Till the Clouds Roll By1946IMDb rating 6.4as Dance Specialty
Ziegfeld Follies1945IMDb rating 6.4as Ballerina (segment "Beauty")

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Singin' in the Rain1952 Comedy, Musical, Romanceas Dancer
IMDb rating 8.3286K votes
The Band Wagon1953 Comedy, Musical, Romanceas Gabrielle Gerard
IMDb rating 7.414K votes
Brigadoon1954as Fiona Campbell
IMDb rating 6.810K votes
Silk Stockings1957as Ninotchka Yoschenko
IMDb rating 6.84.7K votes
Party Girl1958as Vicki Gaye
IMDb rating 7.04.2K votes
Tension1949as Mary Chanler
IMDb rating 7.34.1K votes
Two Weeks in Another Town1962as Carlotta
IMDb rating 6.43.3K votes
It's Always Fair Weather1955as Jackie Leighton
IMDb rating 7.04.4K votes

Most often with

Vincente Minnelli directed four of these films, Gene Kelly two and Stanley Donen two. Gene Kelly appears in nine of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Gene Kelly

Fred Astaire

Judy Garland

June Allyson

Ray Bolger

Lena Horne

Vincente MinnelliDirector, 4 films

Gene KellyDirector, 2 films

Stanley DonenDirector, 2 films

Films together

Gene Kelly9 films together, 1945 to 1994
Gene Kelly's page
- That's Entertainment! III1994IMDb rating 7.5Charisse as Self - HostKelly as Self - Host
- You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story1990IMDb rating 7.8Charisse as HimselfKelly as Himself
- That's Dancing!1985IMDb rating 7.2Kelly as Himself - Host
- That's Entertainment!1974IMDb rating 7.8Kelly as Self - Host / Narrator
- It's Always Fair Weather1955IMDb rating 7.0Charisse as Jackie LeightonKelly as Ted Riley
- Brigadoon1954IMDb rating 6.8Charisse as Fiona CampbellKelly as Tommy Albright
- Singin' in the Rain1952IMDb rating 8.3Charisse as DancerKelly as Don Lockwood
- Words and Music1948IMDb rating 6.4Charisse as Margo GrantKelly as Gene Kelly
- Ziegfeld Follies1945IMDb rating 6.4Charisse as Ballerina (segment "Beauty")Kelly as Gentleman ('The Babbit and the Bromide')
Fred Astaire6 films together, 1945 to 1994
Fred Astaire's page
- That's Entertainment! III1994IMDb rating 7.5Charisse as Self - Host
- That's Dancing!1985IMDb rating 7.2Astaire as Himself
- That's Entertainment!1974IMDb rating 7.8Astaire as Self - Host / Narrator
- Silk Stockings1957IMDb rating 6.8Charisse as Ninotchka YoschenkoAstaire as Steve Canfield
- The Band Wagon1953IMDb rating 7.4Charisse as Gabrielle GerardAstaire as Tony Hunter
- Ziegfeld Follies1945IMDb rating 6.4Charisse as Ballerina (segment "Beauty")Astaire as Fred Astaire ('Here's to the Ladies') / Raffles ('This Heart of Mine') / Tai Long ('Limehouse Blues') / Gentleman ('The Babbit and the Bromide')
Judy Garland4 films together, 1945 to 1948
Judy Garland's page
- Words and Music1948IMDb rating 6.4Charisse as Margo GrantGarland as Judy Garland
- The Harvey Girls1946IMDb rating 7.0Charisse as Deborah AndrewsGarland as Susan Bradley
- Till the Clouds Roll By1946IMDb rating 6.4Charisse as Dance SpecialtyGarland as Marilyn Miller
- Ziegfeld Follies1945IMDb rating 6.4Charisse as Ballerina (segment "Beauty")Garland as The Star ('A Great Lady Has An Interview')
June Allyson4 films together, 1946 to 1994
June Allyson's page
- That's Entertainment! III1994IMDb rating 7.5Charisse as Self - HostAllyson as Self - Host
- That's Entertainment!1974IMDb rating 7.8
- Words and Music1948IMDb rating 6.4Charisse as Margo GrantAllyson as Alisande La Carteloise
- Till the Clouds Roll By1946IMDb rating 6.4Charisse as Dance SpecialtyAllyson as Jane Witherspoon / Lou Ellen Carter
Ray Bolger4 films together, 1946 to 1994
Ray Bolger's page
- That's Entertainment! III1994IMDb rating 7.5Charisse as Self - Host
- That's Dancing!1985IMDb rating 7.2Bolger as Himself - Host
- That's Entertainment!1974IMDb rating 7.8
- The Harvey Girls1946IMDb rating 7.0Charisse as Deborah AndrewsBolger as Chris Maule
Lena Horne4 films together, 1945 to 1994
Lena Horne's page
- That's Entertainment! III1994IMDb rating 7.5Charisse as Self - HostHorne as Self - Host
- Words and Music1948IMDb rating 6.4Charisse as Margo GrantHorne as Lena Horne
- Till the Clouds Roll By1946IMDb rating 6.4Charisse as Dance SpecialtyHorne as Julie LaVerne / Lena Horne
- Ziegfeld Follies1945IMDb rating 6.4Charisse as Ballerina (segment "Beauty")Horne as Lena Horne ('Love')
Vincente MinnelliDirector, 4 films, 1946 to 1962
All films by Vincente Minnelli
- Two Weeks in Another Town1962IMDb rating 6.4Charisse as Carlotta
- Brigadoon1954IMDb rating 6.8Charisse as Fiona Campbell
- The Band Wagon1953IMDb rating 7.4Charisse as Gabrielle Gerard
- Till the Clouds Roll By1946IMDb rating 6.4Charisse as Dance Specialty
Gene KellyDirector, 2 films, 1952 to 1955
All films by Gene Kelly
- It's Always Fair Weather1955IMDb rating 7.0Charisse as Jackie Leighton
- Singin' in the Rain1952IMDb rating 8.3Charisse as Dancer
Stanley DonenDirector, 2 films, 1952 to 1955
All films by Stanley Donen
- It's Always Fair Weather1955IMDb rating 7.0Charisse as Jackie Leighton
- Singin' in the Rain1952IMDb rating 8.3Charisse as Dancer

Box office

What Cyd Charisse's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$46.6 million

9 of the 21 films have a worldwide figure.

9Worldwide figure
2US gross only
1Never in cinemas
9Figure not found

Top grosser

The Silencers1966Sarita$16.3 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 99% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
The Silencers1966as Sarita
$16M35.0% of the total
2
Singin' in the Rain1952as Dancer
$7.2M15.4% of the total
3
Till the Clouds Roll By1946as Dance Specialty
$6.7M14.4% of the total
4
Ziegfeld Follies1945as Ballerina (segment "Beauty")
$5.3M11.5% of the total
5
The Band Wagon1953as Gabrielle Gerard
$3.5M7.5% of the total
6
Two Weeks in Another Town1962as Carlotta
$2.5M5.4% of the total
7
Party Girl1958as Vicki Gaye
$2.4M5.1% of the total
8
It's Always Fair Weather1955as Jackie Leighton
$2.4M5.1% of the total