- While appearing in a nightclub act with his wife at Lake Tahoe, he received an emergency phone call to replace Frank Sinatra as Billy Bigelow in the film version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's stage hit "Carousel", after Sinatra walked out on the filming when he discovered that every scene was to be filmed twice - once for regular CinemaScope and once for CinemaScope 55. Within three days MacRae, who was already familiar with the Broadway show and had wanted to play the role, reported to the set. Ironically, the producers then discovered a way to shoot in CinemaScope 55 and then convert it to regular CinemaScope without filming the movie twice.
- Suffered a stroke in 1982, but managed to tour occasionally upon his recovery. However, he underwent a carotid artery operation in the fall of 1985. At that time, he was diagnosed with cancer and was forced to retire completely.
- Had five children with Sheila MacRae: Meredith MacRae (born 1944); Heather MacRae (1946); William Gordon MacRae (1948); Robert Bruce MacRae (1954) and Gar MacRae.
- He performed in two musical films with music by Richard Rodgers: Carousel (1956) and Oklahoma! (1955). Both of his Rodgers and Hammerstein musical film roles were opposite leading lady Shirley Jones, who made her film debut in the former.
- At age 19, he won a talent contest sponsored by Picture Magazine, earning a two-week engagement at the New York World's Fair Outdoor Dancing Pavilion singing for Harry James and Les Brown.
- Was supposed to co-star with Judy Holliday in the original Broadway musical production of "Bells Are Ringing" in 1956. However, there were contractual problems and he was replaced by Sydney Chaplin.
- Some of his bigger songs with Capitol Records were "A Fellow Needs a Girl" and "Body and Soul".
- In high school (Nottingham High School in Syracuse, New York), he was quite athletic, participating in football, hockey, swimming, baseball, basketball, track, and lacrosse. The National Rifle Association awarded him a marksmanship medal.
- He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio at 6325 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.
- Father of actresses Meredith MacRae and Heather MacRae.
- At age 11, he was an emcee for a local radio station.
- Following his death from pneumonia, he was interred at the Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln, Nebraska. He passed away on January 24, 1986, less than two months away from what would have been his 65th birthday on March 12.
- Ex-father-in-law of Greg Mullavey.
- Born of Scottish immigrant parents.
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