Another Hollywood Legend Has Passed Away: Cyd Charisse
By pyewacket
@pyewacket (43903)
United States
June 18, 2008 3:17am CST
I was kind of sad to hear that one of the all time great "hoofers" as dancers are known, and Hollywood Legends, Cyd Charisse passed away at age 86 on June 17th and had died of a heart attack.
I grew up with so many of the musicals that she was in..she danced her way with other greats, like Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. I remember her best in that wonderful musical Brigadoon..that haunting musical where Gene Kelly's character stumbles upon the village of Brigadoon, which only appears on occasion every hundred years then disappears into oblivion..and of course you can guess, Gene Kelly's character, Tommy Albright falls in love with Cyd Charisse's character,Fiona Campbell. And who can forget that other fantastic classic she was in...Singing in The Rain did you know that her legs were actually insured for one million dollars...EACH? Did you know she started dancing to strengthen her legs since she had, had polio?
Here's articles about her and of her passing the first one contains a video clip of her dancing in a scene from Dancing In The Rain
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7460370.stm
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,368202,00.html
Have you ever seen any of Cyd Charisse's movies that she was in? What were your favorites? Did you grow up on musicals in general like I was?
6 people like this
10 responses
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Jun 08
Yes it does seem we're losing all the old great ones...I was watching this one show all about past favorite actors...and I'm thinking to myself..gee, they're all gone now..Bogart, Davis, Hepburn, Garland, Gene Kelly, Astaire...
4 people like this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
18 Jun 08
Yes I grew up with Cyd Charisse and Vera Ellen. I loved these movies and Cyd was really talented and very beautiful.
6 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Jun 08
Yes Cyd was a very talented dancer and person.
4 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
18 Jun 08
to be honest, I knew the name but didn't know who the person was, I knew fred astair and watched all his movies, but I also did not know or remember gene kelly.
5 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
19 Jun 08
I really didn't know gene kelly all that much,
I would not be able to pick him out in a movie or crowd,
yea ginger insured her legs for a million dollars with lloyds of london,
3 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (51838)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
19 Jun 08
Oh, Winterose! How could you forget Gene Kelly? He was so gorgeous and sexy...
4 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
19 Jun 08
I loved watching THE dancing pair...Astaire and Rogers..that was some dance team too
4 people like this
@someonesmom (5761)
• Canada
18 Jun 08
That is very sad news about Cyd. It's hard to see all of the great performers passing away, one by one. It really does make me feel my age. I absolutely love Brigadoon, and haven't seen it in many years. It's such a beautiful and touching story. As you know, I'm a fan of most musicals, and have been waiting for even a community theatre or high school, to present Brigadoon. I've seen Singing In The Rain several times on stage, and I do love this one too. I'm sure I've seen the movie versions of both of these, but not in a very long time. Fred and Gene are wonderful as well. Thanks for sharing this here.
5 people like this
@someonesmom (5761)
• Canada
19 Jun 08
It's wonderful to be friends with a fellow musical buff like you, pye. 
I too love Fred and Ginger, and hope I can get to see Brigadoon sometime soon. It's been way too long.
I too love Fred and Ginger, and hope I can get to see Brigadoon sometime soon. It's been way too long.3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
19 Jun 08
I know..i haven't seen Brigadoon in ages either..dying to see it again
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (51838)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
18 Jun 08
Yes, I am a fan of those old musicals... especially Singing in the Rain and American in Paris.
5 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
19 Jun 08
To some musicals seem real corny...well call me corny as I've always loved them..LOL
4 people like this
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
18 Jun 08
pye Brigadoon aired today on Turner Classic Movies. I did not watch it because I had other things I needed to do. It came on after Bachelor Mother (1939)A fun-loving shop girl is mistaken for the mother of a foundling. Cast: Ginger Rogers, David Niven, Charles Coburn. Ginger Rogers did such a great job playing the shop girl who kept having a puzzled look on her face. She finds the baby crying on an orphanage door steps and when she takes the baby in to give it the orphanage they think the baby is hers. Then the story just goes from there. It is so funny. No one will believe her and she ends up keeping the baby and living happily ever after with David Nevins.
I love watching the old movies when I get up in the wee mornings.
My hubby is asleep and I can have the TV to myself.
5 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (51838)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
19 Jun 08
I kinda remember seeing that one...
4 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
19 Jun 08
I don't have cable anymore...waahhhh...but every once in awhile on one of the PBS stations that I can get, they have old movies with all the past greats--and they are on late, late, late..or early, early, depending on your viewpoint. One of my favorite Ginger Rogers movies was The Major and The Minor...were she pretends to be a little girl so she can pay passage on a train at a child's rate..funny
4 people like this
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
19 Jun 08
I love Ginger Rogers, I think I have seen Major and minor. I am learning who these actors of old movies are and loving them
3 people like this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
18 Jun 08
When I heard that we lost Cyd, all I could think of was her dance with Gene in Singin in The Rain.A little later I remembered Brigadoon.Did you know she was to play the lead In An American in Paris but had to bow out because she was pregnant with her son? I thought I was remembering this correctly so I looked it up and while I was looking it up, I found out that she was pursued for Damn Yankees but didn't do the film. she would have done The Ann Miller role in Easter Parade but she had an injured knee.
4 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Jun 08
Yes I had heard about her not being able to do An American In Paris...Leslie Caron got the role instead..ah...No, I didn't know that about her losing out to Damn Yankees..ah..but Ann Miller..another great!
6 people like this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
18 Jun 08
I didn't know about these either until I looked her up.Wow . I think she would have been great in Easter parade but I think Leslie and Gwen did well and were a better choice.
6 people like this
@sumofalltears (3988)
• United States
18 Jun 08
It sure does make me feel old when we lose someone like this. I grew up on the likes of all these great dancers and actors and actresses. There will never be a replacement for all the old ones. The old ones really had to work at what they did, they had to have talent or they wouldn't make it. Todays stars can be lousy actors because they have the special effects to provide the glitz now. I really loved all the old musicals, I was a big fan of Gene Kelly, Donald O'Conner, Fred Astaire and the ladies I liked best were Cyd of course and Ginger Rogers, those people could make a dance come alive for you.
4 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
19 Jun 08
Yup==I grew up with all the old greats myself..and you're right...since those performers couldn't rely on special effects like actors do now they really did have to have talent. Some other greats no longer around either--Ann Miller, and Judy Garland
3 people like this
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
18 Jun 08
ohmyGyes I loved Singing in the rain and all of her movies.
'I grew up on musicals in general also. I am 81 myself
and Singing In The Rain was one of my top favorites. I
think that I saw all the movies she made. my her legs were
'indeed her fortune then, a million for each leg wow.
Yes she was indeed a great star and a great dancer as was
Gene Kelly also. wish we had a few like that now in the
'movies. lol.
4 people like this
@Rosekitty (19368)
• San Marcos, Texas
19 Jun 08
Pye's mommy..since i'm from the black and white days i grew up watching those movies and loving them and sadly hearing this about her will allow her to continue on in her wonderful movies only now on.
Loved both movies you mentioned and have them both!
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
19 Jun 08
Yup I grew up in the black and white days myself and remember so many old movies with all the greats..aww..love your avatar..but gee that poor kitty looks sad...and yes...here are some ((((hugs))))
1 person likes this
