Rudy Vallee
Also Known As: Hubert Prior Vallée
Biography: Rudy Vallee started his career as a saxophone player and singer and later became a band leader. In the 1920s and early 30s he had a hit radio program, The Fleishmann's Yeast Hour (where he was hated by his cast and crew due to his explosive ego-driven personality). In the early 1930's 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 slave driver by his staff. He was known to instigate fist fights with virtually anyone who got on his nerves. During the run of his show he slugged photographers, threw sheet music in the faces of pianists' heads and if provoked, would sock hecklers in the nose. While audiences loved him, he was hated by most of his staff. As a very popular star in night clubs and on records, as well as in movies, he helped other singers like Alice Faye - who was for a while his band singer - and Frances Langford to start their careers. In his early movies he often played the romantic lead, but he switched later to stuffy and comic parts. He also appeared on Broadway. The mid-60's Broadway hit "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" was filmed in 1967 with him in his original Broadway role.
Department: Acting
Place of Birth: Island Pond, Vermont, USA
Adult: No
Birthday: July 28, 1901
Age: 123 years old
Gender: Male
Deathday: July 06, 1986
Popularity:
Known For:
International House
Overview: Foreign investors converge on a luxury hotel in China to bid on a new kind of radioscope. But, this is a hotel where Burns and Allen are the in-house medical staff, a measles risk sends the whole building into quarantine, and a madcap millionaire crashes dinner in his autogyro. Hotel and radioscope become a stage for an all-star cast of comedians and musicians, from vaudeville to the new generation.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1933-05-27
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The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
Overview: Twenty-three years after scoring the winning touchdown for his college football team mild-mannered Harold Diddlebock, who has been stuck in a dull, dead-end book-keeping job for years, is let go by his pompous boss, advertising tycoon J.E. Wagglebury, with nothing but a tiny pension. Harold, who never touches the stuff, takes a stiff drink with his new pal... and another, and another. What happened Wednesday?
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1947-04-04
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People Are Funny
Overview: A comedy based on NBC's "People Are Funny" radio (and later television) program with Art Linkletter with a fictional story of how the program came to be on a national network from its humble beginning at a Nevada radio station. Jack Haley is a producer with only half-rights to the program while Ozzie Nelson and Helen Walker are the radio writers and supply the romance. Rudy Vallee, always able to burlesque himself intentional and, quite often, unintentional, is the owner of the sought-after sponsoring company. Frances Langford, as herself, sings "I'm in the Mood for Love" while the Vagabonds quartet (billed 12th and last) chimes in on "Angeline" and "The Old Square Dance is Back Again."
Genres: Comedy Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1946-01-11
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How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Overview: A young but bright former window cleaner rises to the top of his company by following the advice of a book about ruthless advancement in business.
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1967-03-09
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The Palm Beach Story
Overview: A New York inventor, Tom Jeffers, needs cash to develop his big idea, so his adoring wife, Gerry, decides to raise it by divorcing him and marrying an eccentric Florida millionaire, J. D. Hackensacker III.
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1942-08-28
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Unfaithfully Yours
Overview: Before he left for a brief European visit, symphony conductor Sir Alfred De Carter casually asked his staid brother-in-law August to look out for his young wife, Daphne, during his absence. August has hired a private detective to keep tabs on her. But when the private eye's report suggests Daphne might have been canoodling with his secretary, Sir Alfred begins to imagine how he might take his revenge.
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1948-12-10
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The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
Overview: Teenager Susan Turner, with a severe crush on playboy artist Richard Nugent, sneaks into his apartment to model for him and is found there by her sister Judge Margaret Turner. Threatened with jail, Nugent agrees to date Susan until the crush abates.
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1947-09-01
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I Remember Mama
Overview: Norwegian immigrant Marta Hanson keeps a firm but loving hand on her household of four children, a devoted husband and a highly-educated lodger who reads great literature to the family every evening. Through financial crises, illnesses and the small triumphs of everyday life, Marta maintains her optimism and sense of humor, traits she passes on to her aspiring-author daughter, Katrin.
Genres: Family Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1948-03-09
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The Admiral Was a Lady
Overview: Ex-WAVE encounters four fun-loving, work-hating men, all of whom want to marry her.
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1950-08-04
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Second Fiddle
Overview: Studio publicist discovers Minnesota skating teacher and takes her to Hollywood. She goes back to Minnesota but he follows her.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1939-06-30
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The Phynx
Overview: A rock band is invented by the government as a cover to find hostages in a remote castle in Albania held by communist enemies of the USA.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1970-03-06
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Live a Little, Love a Little
Overview: Photographer Greg Nolan moonlights in two full-time jobs to pay the rent, but has trouble finding time to do them both without his bosses finding out.
Genres: Comedy Music Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1968-10-23
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My Dear Secretary
Overview: A budding young writer thinks it's her lucky day when she is chosen to be the new secretary for Owen Waterbury, famous novelist. She is soon disppointed, however, when he turns out to be an erratic, immature playboy. Opposites attract, of course, but not without sub-plots that touch on competitiveness within marriage and responsibility.
Genres: Drama Romance Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1948-11-05
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The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend
Overview: Saloon-bar singer Freddie gets very angry whenever boyfriend Blackie seems to be playing around. She always packs a six-shooter, so this is bad news for anything that happens to be in the way. As this is usually the local judge's rear-end, Freddie and friend Conchita are soon hiding out teaching school in the middle of nowhere.
Genres: Comedy Western Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1949-05-27
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Hansel and Gretel
Overview: Musical adaptation of the Brothers Grimm story broadcast as a live television special on NBC.
Genres: TV Movie Fantasy Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1958-04-27
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Time Out for Rhythm
Overview: A producer and his partner clash over two women in show business.
Genres: Comedy Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1941-06-05
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So This Is New York
Overview: A small town man inherits a significant fortune and takes his family to New York City whereupon they are continually shocked at the alien culture of the Big Apple.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1948-06-01
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Slashed Dreams
Overview: A couple on vacation in the woods is stalked by a pair of rapists.
Genres: Thriller
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1975-04-24
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Mother Is a Freshman
Overview: Widow Abby Abbott is having serious money problems and has to dip into the family trust in order to pay for her daughter Susan's college tuition. The catch: Abby must also become a co-ed or she can't touch the money. After passing her entrance exams, Abby goes to college and becomes very popular, especially with a handsome English professor whom Susan has a crush on.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1949-03-12
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Father Was a Fullback
Overview: Coach George Copper's college football team is losing game after game, much to the dismay of stiff-and-stuffy but influential alumni Roger Jessup, and also having trouble at home with his oldest daughter, Connie. The team keeps losing and Coach Cooper is about to lose his job as his efforts to win the last game of the season, against the team's Big Rival, end in disaster. But, unknown to he and his wife, Elizabeth, Connie has sold an article, called "I Was a Bubble Dancer" to a 'True-Confession" magazine, and the girl-who-couldn't-get-a-date becomes suddenly popular and, because of her, the high-school football star from another town decides to play his college-ball for Coach Cooper. Jessup is forced to keep Cooper on as the school's football coach.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1949-09-30
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Rudy Vallee Melodies
Overview: Betty Boop, trying to keep a party lively, is aided by Rudy Vallee, who comes to live-action life from a sheet music cover and sings several songs with the Bouncing Ball.
Genres: Animation
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1932-08-04
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Betty Co-ed
Overview: A young dog calls on Betty but fraternity hazers kidnap him. With a Bouncing Ball, Rudy Vallee sings the title tune.
Genres: Animation
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1931-08-01
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Gold Diggers in Paris
Overview: When the representative of the Paris International Dance Exposition arrives in New York to invite the Academy Ballet of America to compete for monetary prizes, the taxi driver mistakenly brings him to the Club Ballé, a nightclub on the brink of declaring bankruptcy. The owners, Terry Moore and Duke Dennis, jump at the chance to go, despite being aware of the mistake. They hire ballet teacher, Luis Leoni, and his only pupil, Kay Morrow, to join the group, hoping to teach their two dozen show girls ballet en route to Paris by ship. Also going along and rooming with Kay is Mona, Terry's ex-wife, who wants to keep an eye on her alimony checks. Naturally, Kay and Terry fall in love.
Genres: Comedy Music Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1938-06-11
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Glorifying the American Girl
Overview: A young woman, who wants to be in the Follies, is making ends meet by working at a department store's sheet music department, where she sings the latest hits. She is accompanied on piano by her childhood boyfriend, who is in love with her, despite her single-minded interest in her career. When a vaudeville performer asks her to join him as his new partner, she sees it as an opportunity to make her dream come true. Upon arriving in New York City, our heroine finds out that her new partner is only interested in sleeping with her and makes this a condition of making her a star. Soon, however, she is discovered by a representative of Ziegfeld.
Genres: Music Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1929-12-07
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George White's Scandals
Overview: Reporter Miss Lee is looking for a story and approaches George White as he's assembling the latest edition of his famous revue. As it turns out, she has lots of backstage gossip to choose from
Genres: Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1934-03-15
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Happy Go Lucky
Overview: A gold-digger hopes to land a rich husband in Trinidad, but gets mixed up with a beach boy and voodoo.
Genres: Comedy Music Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1943-01-04
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11th. Naval District "United States Coast Guard Band"
Overview: A patriotic wartime short showcasing the U.S. Coast Guard Band, led by singer Rudy Vallee, and saluting the Naval branches of the military.
Genres: Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1944-01-01
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The Vagabond Lover
Overview: A zany musical about an amateur musician in search of work who impersonates a big band leader.
Genres: Comedy Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1929-12-01
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Sweet Music
Overview: A midwest band leader and his lead singer share a love-hate relationship as they try for success in New York.
Genres: Music Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1935-02-23
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Betty Boop: Queen of the Cartoons
Overview: From the A&E "Biography" series, a review of the birth, development and cinematic history of Betty Boop, the flapper cartoon character who has been a popular icon since the 1930s.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1995-01-01
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Man Alive
Overview: A reportedly dead man haunts his wife and her boyfriend.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1945-11-16
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Going Hollywood: The '30s
Overview: Robert Preston hosts this documentary that shows what people of the 1930s were watching as they were battling the Depression as well as eventually getting ready for another World War.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1984-01-01
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The Helen Morgan Story
Overview: Torch singer Helen Morgan rises from sordid beginnings to fame and fortune only to lose it all to alcohol and poor personal choices.
Genres: Drama Music Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1957-10-02
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The Golden Twenties
Overview: Feature-length compilation of 1920s newsreel footage, with commentary about news, sports, lifestyles, and historical figures.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1950-04-08
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Rodeo Dough
Overview: After a trip to Hollywood, two young ladies attempt to hitchhike home but end up at a star-filled rodeo.
Genres: Comedy Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1940-11-09
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It's in the Bag!
Overview: The ringmaster of a flea circus inherits a fortune...if he can find which chair it's hidden in.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1945-04-21
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Gentlemen Marry Brunettes
Overview: Two Broadway showgirls, who are also sisters, are sick and tired of New York as well as not getting nowhere. Quitting Broadway, the sisters decided to travel to Paris to become famous.
Genres: Music Romance Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1955-10-29
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Too Many Blondes
Overview: The plot centers on a husband-wife radio team, Dick (Rudy Vallee) and Virginia (Helen Parrish). When Dick is caught in an innocent but compromising situation with brassy blonde showgirl Hortense (Iris Adrian), Virginia is encouraged to inaugurate divorce proceedings by her oily ex-beau Ted (Jerome Cowan). It all winds up in Mexico, with Dick ardently chasing Virginia until she catches him.
Genres: Music Drama Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1941-08-01
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Men Who Rate a 10
Overview: Variety special hosted by Barbara Eden, Gloria Swanson, and Brooke Shields that celebrates the men whose sex appeal transcends age and the ages.
Genres: Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1980-10-07
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Hollywood on Parade No. B-9
Overview: Jimmy Durante asks popular song writing team Mack Gordon and Harry Revel to demonstrate some of their songs. There is interplay with impersonator Florence Desmond, Ben Turpin, Rudy Vallee and many others.
Genres: Comedy Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1934-04-28
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Ricochet Romance
Overview: Marjorie Main is the whole show in the Universal programmer Ricochet Romance. Playing the outspoken new cook at a rundown dude ranch, Marjorie forces everyone around her to pitch in and bring some life back into the place. She also sets her sights on old layabout Chill Wills, scheming to rope the critter into marriage. Veteran comedy director Charles W. Lamont moves the proceedings along with style, never missing an opportunity for a low-comedy slapstick turn. The most surprising aspect of Ricochet Romance is that it is not an entry in Marjorie Main's Ma and Pa Kettle series.
Genres: Comedy Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1954-11-01
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A Trip Thru a Hollywood Studio
Overview: This short shows the entrances of the various Hollywood studios, then specifically visits Warner Bros. / First National Studios. We start at the casting office, then see Busby Berkeley and choreographer Bobby Connolly working with chorus girls on production numbers. Then come some candid shots of several contract stars. Finally we see comedian Hugh Herbert filming a scene for an upcoming release, then the various behind the scenes steps that transition the raw film in the camera into the finished product.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1935-02-02
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Breakdowns of 1938
Overview: Flubs and bloopers that occurred on the set of some of the major Warner Bros. pictures of 1938.
Genres: Documentary Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1938-12-31
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Things You Never See on the Screen
Overview: Flubs and bloopers that occurred on the set of some of the major Warner Bros. pictures of 1935.
Genres: Documentary Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1935-12-01
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Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Overview: Period music, film clips and newsreel footage combined into a visual exploration of the American entertainment industry during the Great Depression.
Genres: Documentary History
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1975-08-06
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The Fabulous Suzanne
Overview: Suzanne, a waitress, comes up with a sure-fire method for winning at the racetrack and, later, when she inherits a fortune from a customer of the restaurant, she use the same system for investing her money. Her stock broker tries to dissuade her, but she persists and her investments increases her wealth.
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1946-12-15
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Screen Snapshots (Series 23, No. 1): Hollywood in Uniform
Overview: Actors are seen in their new roles as military men during WWII: Robert Stack displaying his remarkable skill as an artillery training officer; Tyrone Power as a Marine drill instructor; Rudy Vallee leading a military band; and Glenn Ford in the everyday grind of a Marine private.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1943-08-15
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Jazz Ball
Overview: A made-for-TV musical revue, compiled from soundies and film and TV performances by jazz greats from the 1930s to the 1950s.
Genres: Music Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1956-01-01
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Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood No. 6
Overview: Narrator Hopper covers two war benefit affairs, a garden party and a USO fashion show, at Pickfair, "The White House of Hollywood."
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1942-10-05
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Kitty from Kansas City
Overview: Sun bonneted Betty Boop takes a train to "Rudy Valley" where she gains weight and Rudy Vallee performs the title song with Bouncing Ball.
Genres: Animation Music Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1931-11-01
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Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do
Overview: A retrospective of Chita Rivera's film, television and stage career, including interviews with Dick Van Dyke, Ben Vereen, Carol Lawrence and others. Originally aired as Episode 2 of Season 43 of the PBS series Great Performances.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2015-11-06
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The Musical Doctor
Overview: Rudy Vallee cures patients at Dr. Vallee's Musical Hospital by means of music.
Genres: Music Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1932-10-28
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The Night They Raided Minsky's
Overview: Rachel arrives in New York from her Amish community intent on becoming a dancer. Unfortunately Billy Minsky's Burlesque is hardly the place for her Dances From The Bible. But the show's comedian Raymond sees a way of wrong-footing the local do-gooders by announcing the new Paris sensation "Mme Fifi" and putting on Rachel's performance as the place is raided. All too complicated, the more so since her father is scouring the town for her and both Raymond and his straight-man Chick are falling for Rachel.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1968-12-22
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Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
Overview: A would-be filmmaker and actress shake up the industry with a trick dog who gets discovered by a studio bus driver in the 1920s.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1976-07-26
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Radio Rhythm
Overview: Rudy Vallee and His Connecticut Yankees perform a short program, in the style of his shorter radio programs.
Genres: Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1929-08-10
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The Perfect Woman
Overview: An alien king sends two of his most loyal--and, as it turns out, stupidest--subjects to Earth to find him a queen to help rule his planet.
Genres: Science Fiction Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1981-01-01
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