Vera-Ellen

Birthday: 16 February 1921, Norwood, Ohio, USA

Birth Name: Vera Ellen Westmeier Rohe

Height: 163 cm

Vera-Ellen began dancing at the age of 10, and a few years later became one of the youngest Rockettes. She appeared in several Broadway musicals until she was spotted by film producer Samuel Goldwyn in 1945. She was only 24 years old when Goldwyn cast her opposite Danny Kaye in Wonder Man (1945). She danced with Fred Astaire in Three Little Words (1950) and with Gene Kelly in On the Town (1949). Blonde, slim of build, and a dancing sensation, she appeared in a string of light-hearted but successful films. Vera-Ellen retired from acting in the late 1950s. Show less «

The six boys who danced with me in this show escorted me to the depot and their farewell wish was to...Show more »

The six boys who danced with me in this show escorted me to the depot and their farewell wish was to remember me dancing, so right there on the station platform we went into our routine as best we could under the circumstances. Naturally we attracted quite a crowd and we got so involved in our dancing, I almost missed the train but the boys managed to get me on just as the train pulled out. Show less «

I don't remember if I liked [dancing] because I was good at it, or if I was good at it because I lik...Show more »

I don't remember if I liked [dancing] because I was good at it, or if I was good at it because I liked it. Maybe a little of both. Show less «

I'm a dancer and I can never really get away from my career. On the days when I don't dance at the s...Show more »

I'm a dancer and I can never really get away from my career. On the days when I don't dance at the studio, I have to practice for at least an hour in the evening to keep in shape. Dancing is like breathing -- missing a day doing either is very bad. Show less «

Fred Astaire will never say, though he's always asked, which of his dancing ladies was his favorite ...Show more »

Fred Astaire will never say, though he's always asked, which of his dancing ladies was his favorite partner. If you ask me, he preferred the solo turns. Show less «

[when she was ill in 1977 and interviewed in a tabloid] I'm retired. I stopped when I was ahead. I d...Show more »

[when she was ill in 1977 and interviewed in a tabloid] I'm retired. I stopped when I was ahead. I don't need my work anymore, and I don't need the applause. Show less «

I was called a bookish child. Mother sent me to a ballet teacher in Cincinnati when I was nine years...Show more »

I was called a bookish child. Mother sent me to a ballet teacher in Cincinnati when I was nine years old. I guess I was an awkward child and the family wanted me to be graceful. When I found out I liked to dance and people seemed to like to watch me, I was determined to go places. Show less «

[on raising eyebrows on Oscar night 1958, wearing a form-fitting gold lame sheath] Why not? It's the...Show more »

[on raising eyebrows on Oscar night 1958, wearing a form-fitting gold lame sheath] Why not? It's the way Oscar dresses. Show less «

Vera-Ellen

Vera-Ellen's FILMOGRAPHY

Vera-Ellen'S roles

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