Harold Nicholas
Biography
Harold Nicholas was an American tap dancer who teamed with his older brother Fayard as the Nicholas Brothers, a duo known as among the greatest dancers in the world. Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to an orchestra leader and a pianist, he grew up around vaudeville and began dancing as a child. Their first booking at the Cotton Club in New York City came when Harold was nine, and the brothers went on to become stars at Twentieth Century Fox. His films included Down Argentine Way (1940), Sun Valley Serenade (1941) and Stormy Weather (1943), where the brothers' Jumpin' Jive routine struck Fred Astaire as the finest movie musical number he had seen. The Pirate (1948) was their last film together, and Harold afterward worked solo as a singer and dancer. Later credits included Uptown Saturday Night (1974), Tap (1989) and The Five Heartbeats (1991), along with stage work in The Tap Dance Kid in 1985 and 1986.
79years old at death
- Born Winston-Salem
- Died New York City
- Star sign: AriesThe sign runs March 21 to April 19
- Also credited as Harold Lloyd Nicholas
Movie Career
- Films
- 8
- Career span
- 58 years1933 to 1991
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Big break
Samuel Goldwyn, a movie mogul, saw the Nicholas Brothers performing in a nightclub. He then put them in Kid Millions in 1934, which started their Hollywood career.
Beyond film
Lee Summers and Kevin Ramsey wrote the tap dance musical If These Shoes Could Talk, whose world premiere took place at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre in 1993. Nicholas played the leading character, a seasoned triple threat and hoofer called "Dr Rhythm," a part created for him.
Harold Nicholas movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Worked with
Harold Nicholas shares four films with Fayard Nicholas, and one with each of the others. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Fayard Nicholas's page
J. Carrol Naish's page
Ann Doran's page
Sidney Poitier's page
Reginald Owen's page
Frank Puglia's page
All films by Vincente Minnelli
All films by Robert Townsend
Andrew L. StoneDirector, 1 film, 1943
All films by Andrew L. Stone
Awards
Two awards and honors.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| 1978 | Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame | Won | |
| Kennedy Center Honors | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.