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Rudy Vallée (July 28, 1901 – July 3, 1986) was an American singeractorbandleader, and entertainer. He was one of the first modern pop stars of the teen idol type.

Contents[]

 [hide*1 Early life

Early life[edit][]

Rudy Vallée was born Hubert Prior Vallée in Island PondVermont, the son of Charles Alphonse and Catherine Lynch Vallée. Both of his parents were born and raised in Vermont; however his grandparents were immigrants. The Vallées were francophone Canadians from neighboring Quebec, while the Lynches were from Ireland. Vallée grew up inWestbrookMaine.

In 1917, he decided to enlist for World War I, but was discharged when the Navy authorities found out that he was only 15. He enlisted in Portland, Maine on March 29, 1917, under the false birthdate of July 28, 1899. He was discharged at the Naval Training Station, Newport, Rhode Island, on May 17, 1917 with 41 days of active service.[1]

Career[edit][]

Kitty From Kansas City (1931)===Music[edit]===

After playing drums in his high school band, Vallée played clarinet and saxophone in various bands aroundNew England as a teenager. From 1924 through 1925, he played with the Savoy Havana Band at the Savoy Hotel in London, where his fellow band-members discouraged his attempts to become a vocalist.[2] He then returned to the United States to obtain a degree in philosophy from Yale, where he played in the Yale Collegians with future New Yorker cartoonist Peter Arno.[3]

After graduation, he formed his own band, "Rudy Vallée and the Connecticut Yankees", having named himself after influential saxophonist Rudy Wiedoeft.[4] With this band, which featured two violins, two saxophones, apiano, a banjo and drums, he started singing (supposedly reluctantly at first). He had a rather thin, waveringtenor voice and seemed more at home singing sweet ballads than jazz numbers. However, his singing, together with his suave manner and boyish good looks, attracted great attention, especially from young women.[5] Vallée was given a recording contract and in 1928, he started performing on the radio.

Vallée became the most prominent and, arguably, the first of a new style of popular singer, the crooner.[5] Previously, popular singers needed strong projecting voices to fill theaters in the days before the electric microphone. Crooners had soft voices that were well suited to the intimacy of the new medium of the radio. Vallée's trombone-like vocal phrasing on "Deep Night" would inspire later crooners such as Bing CrosbyFrank Sinatra, and Perry Como to model their voices on jazz instruments.[citation needed]

[1]Caricature of Rudy Vallée in the 1934 Betty Boop cartoon Poor Cinderella

Vallée also became what was perhaps the first complete example of the 20th century mass media pop star.[5] Flappers mobbed him wherever he went.[5] His live appearances were usually sold out, and even if his singing could hardly be heard in those venues not yet equipped with the new electronic microphones, his screaming female fans went home happy if they had caught sight of his lips through the opening of the emblematic megaphone he often sang through. A brief caricature of him in theFleischer Brothers' color Betty Boop theatrical short cartoon from 1934 Poor Cinderella depicts him singing through a megaphone.[6]

Vallée's recording career began in 1928 recording for Columbia Records' cheap labels (HarmonyVelvet Tone, and Diva). He signed to Victor in February 1929 and remained with them through to late 1931, leaving after a heated dispute with company executives over title selections. He then recorded for the short-lived, but extremely popular "Hit of the Week" label (which sold records laminated onto cardboard). In August 1932, he signed with Columbia and stayed with them through 1933; he returned to Victor in June 1933. His records were issued on Victor's new budget label, Bluebird, until November 1933 when he was moved up to the full-priced Victor label. He stayed with Victor until signing with ARC in 1936, who released his records on their PerfectMelotoneConqueror andRomeo labels until 1937 when he returned to Victor.

Along with his group, The Connecticut Yankees, Vallée's best known popular recordings included: "The Stein Song" (aka University of Maine fighting song) in 1929 [7]and "Vieni, Vieni" in the latter 1930s. Vallée sang fluently in three Mediterranean languages,[which?] and always varied the keys,[citation needed] thus paving the way for later pop crooners such as Dean MartinAndy Williams and Vic Damone. Another memorable rendition of his is "Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries", in which he imitatesWillie Howard's voice in the final chorus. One of his record hits was "The Drunkard Song," popularly known as "There Is a Tavern in the Town." Vallée couldn't stop laughing for the last couple of verses – supposedly he struggled to keep a straight face at the corny lyrics, and the band members egged him on. He managed a second take reasonably well. The "laughing" version was so infectious, however, that Victor released both takes (take 1 was issued on Victor 24721 with a regular Victor label, and take 2 was issued on Victor 24739 on a special white label that read in bright red: "Dear Rudy, What do you say we let the public have this one? The slip-up makes the record sound funnier" – E. Wallerstein" and "O.K. – R. Vallée".)

[2]Rudy Vallée megaphone crafted in between shows at the New York Palace in May 1929

Vallée's last hit song was the 1943 reissue of the melancholy ballad "As Time Goes By", popularized in the feature filmCasablanca in 1943 (due to the mid-1940s recording ban, Victor reissued the version he had recorded 12 years earlier[8]). During World War II, Vallée enlisted in the United States Coast Guard to help direct the 11th district Coast Guard band as aChief Petty Officer. Eventually he was promoted to Lieutenant and led the 40 piece band to great success. In 1944 he was placed on the inactive list and he returned to radio.[9]

Vallée's song compositions included "Oh! Ma-Ma! (The Butcher Boy)" in 1938, recorded by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra, "Deep Night", which was recorded by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, "If You Haven't Got a Girl", "Violets", "Where To", "Will You Remember Me?", "We'll Never Get Drunk Any More", "Sweet Summer Breeze", "Actions Speak Louder Than Words", "Ask Not", "Forgive Me", "Charlie Cadet", "Somewhere In Your Heart", "You Took Me Out Of This World", "Old Man Harlem" withHoagy Carmichael, which was recorded by the Dorsey Brothers band, "I'm Just a Vagabond Lover", and "Betty Co-Ed".

In middle age, Vallée's voice matured into a robust baritone. In 1967 he recorded a new record album. Called "Hi-Ho Everybody" it was produced by Snuff Garrett and Ed Silvers for Dot Records on its Viva label; arranged by Al Capps. The engineers were Dave Hassinger and Henry Leroy. Included on the album were songs: "Winchester Cathedral", "Michelle", "My Blue Heaven", "Sweet Heart of Sigma Chi", "Who Likes Good Pop Music?", "Bluebird", "Who", "Lady Godiva", "Mame", "The Whiffenpoof Song", "Strangers in The Night", and "One of Those Songs".

In 1995, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, CaliforniaWalk of Stars was dedicated to him.[10]

Radio[edit][]

In 1929, Vallée began hosting The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour, a very popular radio show at the time. Vallée continued hosting popular radio variety shows through the 1930s and 1940s. The Royal Gelatin Hour featured various film performers of the era, such as Fay Wray and Richard Cromwell in dramatic skits.

When Vallée took his contractual vacations from his national radio show in 1937, he insisted his sponsor hire Louis Armstrong as his substitute[11] (this was the first instance of an African-American fronting a national radio program). Vallée also wrote the introduction for Armstrong's 1936 book Swing That Music.

Acting[edit][]

[3]Mary Healy and Rudy Vallee, fromSecond Fiddle

In 1929, Vallée made his first feature film, The Vagabond Lover for RKO Radio. His first films were made to cash in on his singing popularity. His initial performances were rather wooden, but his acting greatly improved in the late 1930s and 1940s, and by the time he began working with Preston Sturges in the 1940s he had become a successful comedic supporting player. He appeared opposite Claudette Colbert in the 1942 Preston Sturges screwball comedy The Palm Beach Story. Other films in which he appeared include I Remember MamaUnfaithfully Yours and The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer.

In 1955, Vallée was featured in Gentlemen Marry Brunettes, co-starring Jane RussellAlan Young, and Jeanne Crain. The production was filmed on location in Paris. The film was based on the Anita Loos novel that was a sequel to her acclaimedGentlemen Prefer BlondesGentlemen Marry Brunettes was popular throughout Europe at the time and was released in Franceas A Paris Pour les Quatre ("Paris for the Four"), and in Belgium as Tevieren Te Parijs.

Vallée performed on Broadway as J.B. Biggley in the 1961 musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and reprised the role in the 1967 film version. He appeared in the campy 1960s Batman television show as the villain Lord Marmaduke Ffogg and in 1971 made a television appearance as a vindictive surgeon in the Night Gallery episode "Marmalade Wine."[12] He toured with a one-man theater show into the 1980s, occasionally opening for The Village People.

Personal life[edit][]

Vallée was married briefly to actress Jane Greer, but that ended in divorce in 1944. His previous marriage to Leonie Cauchois was annulled and the one to Fay Webb ended in divorce. After divorcing Jane Greer, he married Eleanor Norris in 1946, who wrote a memoir, My Vagabond Lover. Their marriage lasted until his death in 1986.

Always loyal to Yale University, he never forgot his Maine roots, and maintained an estate at Kezar Lake in Maine.[13]

Vallée died of cancer at his home on July 3, 1986. He is interred in St. Hyacinth's Cemetery in Westbrook, Maine.[14]

Selected filmography[edit][]

Film
Year Film Role Notes
1929 Glorifying the American Girl Himself
1932 The Musical Doctor Dr. Vallee
1934 George White's Scandals Jimmy Martin
1935 Sweet Music Skip Houston
1938 Gold Diggers in Paris Terry Moore Alternative title: The Gay Impostors
1939 Second Fiddle Roger Maxwell
1941 Time Out for Rhythm Daniel "Danny" Collins
1942 The Palm Beach Story John D. Hackensacker III
1943 Happy Go Lucky Alfred Monroe
1945 Man Alive Gordon Tolliver
1946 The Fabulous Suzanne Hendrick Courtney, Jr.
1947 The Sin of Harold Diddlebock Lynn Sargent Alternative title: Mad Wednesday
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer Tommy Alternative title: Bachelor Knight
1948 I Remember Mama Dr. Johnson
Unfaithfully Yours August Henshler
1949 Mother Is a Freshman John Heaslip Alternative title: Mother Knows Best
The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend Charles Hingleman
Father was a Fullback Mr. Roger "Jess" Jessup
My Dear Secretary Charles Harris
1950 The Admiral Was a Lady Peter Pedigrew (Jukebox king)
1954 Ricochet Romance Worthington Higgenmacher
1955 Gentlemen Marry Brunettes Himself
1957 The Helen Morgan Story Himself Alternative titles: Both Ends of the Candle

Why Was I Born?

1967 How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying J.B. Biggley
1968 Live a Little, Love a Little Louis Penlow
The Night They Raided Minsky's Narrator
1975 Sunburst Proprietor Alternative title: Slashed Dreams
1976 Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood Autograph Hound
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1956–1957 December Bride Himself 2 episodes
1957 The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour Himself 1 episode
1967 Batman Lord Marmaduke Ffogg 3 episodes
1969 Petticoat Junction Herbert A. Smith 1 episode
1970 Here's Lucy Himself 1 episode
1971 Night Gallery Dr. Francis Deeking 1 episode
1971–1972 Alias Smith and Jones Winford Fletcher 2 episodes
1976 Ellery Queen Alvin Winer 1 episode
1979 CHiPs Arthur Forbinger 1 episode
1984 Santa Barbara Elderly Con 1 episode
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