Rudy Vallee(1901-1986)
- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Rudy Vallee started his career as a saxophone player and singer and later
became a bandleader. In the 1920s and early '30s he had a hit radio program,
The Fleishmann's Yeast Hour (although his explosive, ego-driven personality
made his cast and crew hate him). In the early 1930s he was ranked with the
likes of
Bing Crosby
and the tragic Russ Columbo in the
Hit Parade. A huge hit on radio in 1933 with his program, initially known as
'The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour,' Vallee was considered a slavedriver by his staff.
He was known to instigate fist fights with virtually anyone who got on his nerves.
During his show's run he slugged photographers, threw sheet music at pianists'
heads, and socked hecklers in their noses. While audiences loved him, most of his
staff hated him. As a very popular star in nightclubs, on records, and in movies, he
helped other singers, such as Alice Faye--who was his band singer for a
while--and
Frances Langford to start their
careers. In his early movies he often played the romantic lead, but later he switched
to stuffy and comic parts. He also appeared on Broadway. The mid-'60s Broadway hit
"How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" was filmed in 1967 with him in
his original Broadway role.
