Rudy Vallee

Rudy Vallee (July 28, 1901 - July 3, 1986) was a popular United States singer, actor, bandleader, and entertainer. Born Hubert Prior Vall?e in Island Pond, Vermont, he grew up in Westbrook, Maine. In high school he took up the saxophone and acquired the nickname "Rudy" after then famous saxophonist Rudy Weidoeft.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Vallee played clarinet and saxophone in various bands around New England in his youth, in the mid 1920s played with the Savoy Havana Band in London, England. He then returned to the States to form his own band, Rudy Vallee and the Connecticut Yankees. With this band he started taking vocals (supposedly reluctantly at first). He had a rather thin tenor voice and seemed more at home singing sweet ballads than attempting vocals on jazz numbers. However his singing, together with his suave manner and handsome good looks attracted great attention, especially from young women. Vallee was given a recording contract, and in 1928 started performing on the radio.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Vallee became the most prominent of a new style of popular singer, the "crooner". 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 radio.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Vallee became also perhaps the first complete example of the 20th century mass media pop-star. Flappers (the predecessors of "bobbie-soxers") mobbed him wherever he went. His live appearances were usually sold out, and even if his singing could hardly be heard in those venues not yet equipt 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 trademark megaphone he sang through.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1929 Vallee did his first film "Vagabond Lover". His first films were made to cash in on his singing popularity, but Hollywood was pleasantly surprised to find that Vallee could act as well. Also in 1929 Vallee started hosting The Fleishchman?s Yeast Musical Variety Hour. Vallee would continue hosting popular radio variety shows through the 1940s, including: "The Royal Gelatin Hour, directed by Rudy Vallee", which featured various film performers of the era, such as Fay Wray and Richard Cromwell, in dramatic skits.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Along with his group, "The Connecticut Yankees," Vallee's best known popular recordings included: "The Stein Song" (aka University of Maine fighting song) in the early part of the decade and "Vieni, Vieni" in the latter '30s. A note of trivia: "Vieni, Vieni" can be heard in the background as Jimmy Stewart enters the restaurant in Frank Capra's holiday classic, It's a Wonderful Life.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Vallee acted in a number of Hollywood films in the 1930s and 1940s. One of his best acting roles is as the millionaire playboy in whom Claudette Colbert relies in the 1942 screwball comedy directed by Preston Sturges, "The Palm Beach Story".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1955, Vallee displayed his comedic abilities in Gentlemen Marry Brunettes, co-starring Jane Russell, Alan 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 acclaimed Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Gentlemen Marry Brunettes was popular throughout Europe at the time and was released in France as A Paris Pour les Quatre ("Paris For The Four"), and in Belgium as Cevieren Te Parijs.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In middle age Vallee's voice matured into a robust baritone. (In his later years he told a collector of his early records that "Everything I did before 1950 you can shit on.") He performed on Broadway in the show "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" and appeared in the film of the same name. He appeared in the campy 1960s Batman television show as the character "Lord Marmaduke Fogg". He toured with a one-man theater show into the 1980s.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

His reputation in Hollywood was that of a tightwad, but he wasn't the only one. He was widely suspected of being bisexual, although not much hard evidence exists; he was married briefly to the much-younger, sexy actress Jane Greer, but remained single throughout most of his life.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rudy Vallee died on July 3, 1986 at the age of 84, and he was interred in St. Hyacinth's Cemetery, Westbrook, Maine.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

July 28: July 28 is the 209th day (210th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 156 days remaining....

1901: 1901 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar)....

July 3: July 3 is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 181 days remaining....

Rudy Vallee related Images and Photos (experimental)

Time Out for Rhythm Allen Jenkins Rosemary Lane Ann Miller Rudy Vallee on Window Card 1941	Rudy Gay	Rudy Gay	Rudy Galindo
Rudy Galindo	Automne sur la vallee de l'Inn	Rudy Fernandez 2010-11 Action	Mountaineering 400M Vallee De La Vallouise
Memphis Grizzlies v Utah Jazz: Rudy Gay	Memphis Grizzlies v Washington Wizards: Rudy Gay and Al Thornton	Orlando Magic v Portland Trail Blazers: Rudy Fernandez and J.J. Redick	Miami Heat v Memphis Grizzlies: LeBron James Rudy Gay Marc Gasol and Darrell Arthur