Rudy Vallee
Biography
Rudy Vallee was an American singer, actor, and radio host who became one of the first modern pop stars. Born in Island Pond, Vermont, and raised in Westbrook, Maine, he played drums in his high school band before taking up clarinet and saxophone in New England groups. He spent 1924 and 1925 with the Savoy Havana Band in London. After earning a philosophy degree at Yale University, he started Rudy Vallee and the Connecticut Yankees in 1928 and began singing with the band. He started on radio in 1928 and hosted programs including The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour from 1929. He later became a successful comedic supporting player in The Palm Beach Story (1942), I Remember Mama (1948), Unfaithfully Yours (1948), and The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947). On Broadway he played J.B. Biggley in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying in 1961 and repeated the role in the 1967 film.
84years old at death
- Born Island Pond
- Died North Hollywood
- Star sign: LeoThe sign runs July 23 to August 22
- Also credited as Hubert Prior Vallée and Hubert Prior Vallee
Movie Career
- Films
- 12
- Career span
- 39 years1929 to 1968
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A first
Vallee insisted his radio sponsor hire Louis Armstrong as his vacation substitute in 1937, the first time an African-American hosted a national radio program.
About the name
Vallee named his band Rudy Vallee and the Connecticut Yankees after saxophonist Rudy Wiedoeft, and the group formed in 1928 with two violins, two saxophones, piano, banjo, and drums.
A first
Rudy Vallee's trombone-like vocal phrasing on "Deep Night" inspired Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Perry Como, who went on to model their own voices on jazz instruments.
First role
In 1929, Vallée starred in The Vagabond Lover, his first feature film, which he made for RKO Radio. His early movies were designed to profit from how popular his singing was.
A first
According to George P. Oslin, Vallée received the first singing telegram on July 28, 1933. A fan sent birthday greetings by telegraph, and Oslin had the operator sing "Happy Birthday to You".
Rudy Vallee movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
- The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer1947 Comedy, Romanceas District Attorney Tommy Chamberlain
IMDb rating 7.210K votes
Most often with
Preston Sturges directed two of these films. Nine actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Stanley Andrews's page
Russell Hicks's page
Florence Bates's page
Franklin Pangborn's page
Robert Greig's page
Torben Meyer's page
Preston SturgesDirector, 2 films, 1942 to 1948
All films by Preston Sturges
Also two films together3 more actors
- Dan TobinHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967) and The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947)
- Jack NortonThe Palm Beach Story (1942) and Sweet Music (1935)
- Helen MorganSweet Music (1935) and Glorifying the American Girl (1929)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Awards
One award and honor.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.