Citizendia

Busby Berkeley
BornNovember 29, 1895
Los Angeles, California
DiedMarch 14, 1976 (aged 80)
Palm Springs, California
OccupationFilm director, Choreographer
Years active1933 - 1951

Busby Berkeley (November 29, 1895 – March 14, 1976), born William Berkeley Enos in Los Angeles, California, was a highly influential Hollywood movie director and musical choreographer. Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, approximately 111 miles (177 km east of Los Angeles and 136 miles (225 km northeast of A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a Film. See also, Choreography (literally "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" (circular dance see chorea) and "γραφή" Events British Film Institute founded March 2 - King Kong premieres in New York City. The year 1951 in film involved some significant events Events Sweden - May Britt is scouted by Italian Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The musical film is a Film genre in which several Songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative See also, Choreography (literally "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" (circular dance see chorea) and "γραφή"

Berkeley was famous for his elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geometric patterns. Berkeley's quintessential works used legions of showgirls and props as fantastic elements in kaleidoscopic on-screen performances. A showgirl is a Dancer or Performer in a stage entertainment show A kaleidoscope is a tube of Mirrors containing loose colored Beads Pebbles or other small colored objects He started as a theatrical director, just as many other movie directors. Unlike many at the time, he felt that a camera should be allowed mobility, and he framed shots carefully from unusual angles to allow movie audiences to see things from perspectives that the theatrical stage never could provide. This is why he played an enormous role in establishing the movie musical as a category in its own right.

Contents

Career

He made his stage debut at five, acting in the company of his performing family. During World War I, Berkeley served as a field artillery lieutenant, where he learned the intricacies of drilling and disciplining large groups of people. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All During the 1920s, Berkeley was a dance director for nearly two dozen Broadway musicals, including such hits as ‘A Connecticut Yankee’. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located As a choreographer, Berkeley was less concerned with the terpsichorean skill of his chorus girls as he was with their ability to form themselves into attractive geometric patterns. For the Fern Genus, see Terpsichore (fern. In Greek mythology, Terpsichore (tərpˈsɪkəri (Τερψιχόρη His musical numbers were among the largest and best-regimented on Broadway. The only way they'd get any larger was if Berkeley moved to films, and he did when 'talkies' arrived. A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image as opposed to a Silent film.

A typical Busby Berkeley geometrical arrangement of dancers from Dames
A typical Busby Berkeley geometrical arrangement of dancers from Dames

His earliest movie jobs were on Samuel Goldwyn's Eddie Cantor musicals, where he began developing such techniques as a "parade of faces" (individualising each chorus girl with a loving close-up), and moving his dancers all over the stage (and often beyond) in as many kaleidoscopic patterns as possible. Dames is a Warner Bros musical Comedy film directed by Ray Enright with dance numbers created by Busby Berkeley. Samuel Goldwyn ( ca. July 1879 &ndash 31 January 1974) was an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award -winning producer Eddie Cantor ( January 31, 1892 - October 10, 1964) was an American Comedian, Singer, Actor, Berkeley's legendary top shot technique (the kaleidoscope again, this time shot from overhead) appeared seminally in the Cantor films, and also the 1932 Universal programmer Night World. Universal Studios (sometimes called Universal Pictures or Universal City Studios) a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is a major Global American A B movie is a motion picture made on a low or modest budget Originally the term was used for films intended for distribution as the less-publicized second half of a Double His numbers were known for starting out in the realm of the stage, but quickly exceeding this space by moving into a time and place that could only be cinematic, only to return to shots of an applauding audience and the fall of a curtain. As choreographer, Berkeley was allowed a certain degree of independence in his direction of musical numbers, and they were often markedly distinct from (and sometimes in contrast to) the narrative sections of the films. The numbers he choreographed were mostly upbeat and focused on decoration as opposed to substance; one exception to this is the number "Remember My Forgotten Man" from Gold Diggers of 1933, which dealt with the treatment of soldiers in a post-World War I Depression. Gold Diggers of 1933 is a Warner Bros Musical film directed by Mervyn LeRoy with songs by Harry Warren (music and Al Dubin World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All

Berkeley's popularity with an entertainment-hungry Great Depression audience was secured when he choreographed four musicals back-to-back for Warner Bros.: 42nd Street, Footlight Parade the aforementioned Gold Diggers of 1933, and Fashions of 1934. Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and 42nd Street is a Warner Bros Musical film directed by Lloyd Bacon with choreography by Busby Berkeley. Gold Diggers of 1933 is a Warner Bros Musical film directed by Mervyn LeRoy with songs by Harry Warren (music and Al Dubin Fashions of 1934 is a 1934 American Musical comedy Film directed by William Dieterle with musical numbers created and directed by Berkeley's innovative and often sexually-charged dance numbers have been analyzed at length by cinema scholars. In particular, the numbers have been critiqued for their display (and some say exploitation) of the female form as seen through the "male gaze", and for their depiction of collectivism (as opposed to traditionally American rugged individualism) in the spirit of Roosevelt's New Deal. The New Deal was the name that United States President Franklin D Berkeley always denied any deep significance to his work, arguing that his main professional goals were to constantly top himself and to never repeat his past accomplishments.

As the outsized musicals in which Berkeley specialised became passé, he turned to straight directing, begging Warners to give him a chance at drama. The result was 1939's They Made Me a Criminal, one of John Garfield's best films. They Made Me a Criminal is a 1939 Warner Bros drama Crime film directed by Busby Berkeley and starring John John Garfield ( March 4, 1913 – May 21, 1952) was an Academy Award -nominated American actor Berkeley's drive for perfection led to a number of well-publicised run-ins with MGM stars such as Judy Garland. Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10 1922 – June 22 1969 was an American actress and singer In 1943, he was removed as director of Girl Crazy because of disagreements with Garland, although the lavish musical number "I Got Rhythm", which he directed, remained in the picture. This article is about the stage musical For other uses see Girl Crazy (disambiguation. " I Got Rhythm " is a song composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, published in 1930 which became a widely-known Jazz standard [1]

His next stop was at 20th Century-Fox for 1943's The Gang's All Here, in which Berkeley choreographed Carmen Miranda's outrageous ‘Lady in the Tutti-Frutti Hat’ number. Carmen Miranda, pron. 'kaɾme͂j mi'rɐ͂dɐ (February 9 1909 – August 5 1955 birth name Maria do Carmo The film made money, but Berkeley and the Fox brass disagreed over budget matters. Berkeley returned to MGM in the late 1940s, where among many other accomplishments he conceived the Technicolor finales for the studio's Esther Williams films. Technicolor is the trademark for a series of color film processes pioneered by Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation For the Fijian academic business woman see Esther Williams (academic Esther Jane Williams (born August 8 1921 is a retired Berkeley's final film as choreographer was MGM's Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962). Billy Rose's Jumbo ( 1962) is a Musical film, produced by MGM and starring Jimmy Durante, Doris Day, Martha Raye

Personal life

In private life, Berkeley was as flamboyant as his work. He went through six wives, an alienation of affections lawsuit involving a prominent movie queen, and a fatal car accident which resulted in his being tried and acquitted of second degree murder. In the late 1960s, the camp craze brought the Berkeley musicals back to the forefront. He toured the college and lecture circuit, and even directed a 1930s-style cold medication commercial, complete with a top shot of a dancing clock. In his 75th year, Busby Berkeley returned to Broadway to direct a successful revival of No No Nanette, starring his old Warner Brothers colleague and “42nd Street” star Ruby Keeler. No No Nanette is a Musical comedy with lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, music by Vincent Youmans, and a book by Otto Harbach Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and Ruby Keeler, born Ethel Hilda Keeler, ( August 25, 1909 – February 28, 1993) was an actress singer and dancer most famous for her

Berkeley died in Palm Springs, California at the age of 80 from natural causes. Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, approximately 111 miles (177 km east of Los Angeles and 136 miles (225 km northeast of [2]

Cultural References

Selected works

Notes

  1. ^ Hugh Fordin, The World of Entertainment: The Freed Unit at MGM, 1975
  2. ^ Johns, Howard, (2004). Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Whoopee! was a Broadway Musical comedy which debuted on 4 December, 1928. Palmy Days is a 1931 written by Eddie Cantor, Morrie Ryskind and David Freedman, directed by A 42nd Street is a Warner Bros Musical film directed by Lloyd Bacon with choreography by Busby Berkeley. Gold Diggers of 1933 is a Warner Bros Musical film directed by Mervyn LeRoy with songs by Harry Warren (music and Al Dubin Roman Scandals is a 1933 film starring Eddie Cantor, Ruth Etting, Gloria Stuart, Edward Arnold and David Manners Fashions of 1934 is a 1934 American Musical comedy Film directed by William Dieterle with musical numbers created and directed by Dames is a Warner Bros musical Comedy film directed by Ray Enright with dance numbers created by Busby Berkeley. Gold Diggers of 1935 is a Warner Bros movie musical directed and choregraphed by Busby Berkeley and starring Dick Powell, Gloria In Caliente, also known as Viva Señorita, is a 1935 film written by Ralph Block, directed by Lloyd Bacon, and starred Dolores del Río Gold Diggers of 1937 is a Warner Bros movie musical directed by Lloyd Bacon with musical numbers created and directed by Busby Berkeley Gold Diggers in Paris is a Warner Bros movie musical directed by Ray Enright with musical numbers created and directed by Busby Berkeley They Made Me a Criminal is a 1939 Warner Bros drama Crime film directed by Busby Berkeley and starring John Babes in Arms is a 1937 Musical theater production which tells the story of a boy who puts on a show to avoid being sent to a work farm Ziegfeld Girl is a 1941 American film starring James Stewart, Judy Garland, Hedy Lamarr, and Lana Turner Babes on Broadway is a 1941 musical movie starring Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Fay Bainter, and Virginia Weidler and directed Lady Be Good is the title of an MGM Musical film which was released in 1941 For Me and My Gal is a 1942 American Musical film directed by Busby Berkeley and starring Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, in Cabin in the Sky is an American Broadway musical which opened in 1940 This article is about the stage musical For other uses see Girl Crazy (disambiguation. Romance on the High Seas (also known in the United Kingdom as It's Magic) is a 1948 musical Romantic comedy film starring Take Me Out to the Ball Game is a 1949 Technicolor movie musical starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra. For the 1966 book of the same name see Call Me Mister. Call Me Mister is a Revue with sketches by Arnold Auerbach Million Dollar Mermaid (also known as The One Piece Bathing Suit - UK is a 1952 MGM biographical Musical film " You'd Be So Easy to Love " is a popular Song written by Cole Porter for the 1936 film Born to Dance, where it was introduced Rose Marie is an Operetta -style musical with music by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart, and book and lyrics by Otto Harbach Billy Rose's Jumbo ( 1962) is a Musical film, produced by MGM and starring Jimmy Durante, Doris Day, Martha Raye No No Nanette is a Musical comedy with lyrics by Irving Caesar and Otto Harbach, music by Vincent Youmans, and a book by Otto Harbach Palm Springs Confidential: Playground of the Stars. Fort Lee, New Jersey: Barricade Books. ISBN 1569802971

External links


Persondata
NAMEBerkeley, Busby
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTIONFilm director
DATE OF BIRTHNovember 29, 1895
PLACE OF BIRTHLos Angeles, California Flag of the United States United States
DATE OF DEATHMarch 14, 1976
PLACE OF DEATHPalm Springs, California Flag of the United States United States
A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a Film. Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, approximately 111 miles (177 km east of Los Angeles and 136 miles (225 km northeast of The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
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