Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysHalloween PicksScary Good HorrorHispanic Heritage MonthMAMISTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Biography
  • Awards
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Cyd Charisse(1922-2008)

  • Actress
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Cyd Charisse, circa 1956. Vintage silver gelatin © 1978 Glenn Embree MPTV
Trailer for this film based on the best selling novel
Play trailer3:07
Kaksi viikkoa vieraassa kaupungissa (1962)
8 Videos
99+ Photos
Cyd Charisse was born Tula Ellice Finklea on March 8, 1922, in Amarillo, Texas. Born to be a dancer, she spent her early childhood taking ballet lessons and joined the Ballet Russe at age 13. In 1939, she married Nico Charisse, her former dance teacher. In 1943, she appeared in her first film, Kuu on pyöreä (1943), billed as Lily Norwood. The same year, she played a Russian dancer in Tehtäväni Moskovassa (1943), directed by Michael Curtiz. In 1945, she was hired to dance with Fred Astaire in Ziegfeldin tähtirevyy (1945), and that uncredited appearance got her a seven-year contract with MGM. She appeared in a number of musicals over the next few years, but it was Singin' in the Rain (1952) with Gene Kelly that made her a star. That was quickly followed by her great performance in Iskelmäkaruselli (1953). As the 1960s dawned, musicals faded from the screen, as did her career. She made appearances on television and performed in a nightclub revue with her second husband, singer Tony Martin. Cyd Charisse died at age 87 of a heart attack on June 17, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.
BornMarch 8, 1922
DiedJune 17, 2008(86)
BornMarch 8, 1922
DiedJune 17, 2008(86)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Awards
    • 3 wins & 3 nominations

Photos192

Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse in Lumottu laakso (1954)
Cyd Charisse in Lumottu laakso (1954)
Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse in Lumottu laakso (1954)
Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse in Lumottu laakso (1954)
Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse in Lumottu laakso (1954)
Cyd Charisse and Owen McGiveney in Lumottu laakso (1954)
Cyd Charisse, Virginia Bosler, Barry Jones, Hugh Laing, Tudor Owen, Albert Sharpe, and Jimmy Thompson in Lumottu laakso (1954)
Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, and Barry Jones in Lumottu laakso (1954)
Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, Van Johnson, and Barry Jones in Lumottu laakso (1954)
Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, and Van Johnson in Lumottu laakso (1954)
Cyd Charisse in Lumottu laakso (1954)
Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse in Lumottu laakso (1954)

Known for:

Silkkisukat (1957)
Silkkisukat
6.8
  • Ninotchka Yoschenko
  • 1957
Viva Las Vegas! (1956)
Viva Las Vegas!
6.1
  • Maria Corvier
  • 1956
Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse in Iskelmäkaruselli (1953)
Iskelmäkaruselli
7.4
  • Gabrielle Gerard
  • 1953
Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, Dan Dailey, Dolores Gray, and Michael Kidd in Kuin paistetta päivän (1955)
Kuin paistetta päivän
7.0
  • Jackie Leighton
  • 1955

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actress

  • Meurtres à l'Empire State Building (2008)
    Meurtres à l'Empire State Building
    6.4
    TV Movie
    • Vicky Adams
    • 2008
  • Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney, Peri Gilpin, and Jane Leeves in Frasier (1993)
    Frasier
    8.2
    TV Series
    • Polly (voice)
    • 1995
  • Gene Barry and Peter Barton in Burke's Law (1994)
    Burke's Law
    6.5
    TV Series
    • Amanda Richardson
    • 1995
  • Uimapukukierros (1989)
    Uimapukukierros
    5.1
    TV Movie
    • Mrs. Allison
    • 1989
  • John Rubinstein and Jack Warden in Aika velikultia (1984)
    Aika velikultia
    7.0
    TV Series
    • Barbara Carlisle
    • 1986
  • Angela Lansbury in Murder, She Wrote (1984)
    Murder, She Wrote
    7.2
    TV Series
    • Myrna Montclair LeRoy
    • 1985
  • David Birney and Morgan Brittany in Glitter (1984)
    Glitter
    6.5
    TV Series
    • Ethel Woodley
    • 1984
  • Rakkauden lahja (1984)
    Rakkauden lahja
    6.7
    TV Movie
    • 1984
  • The Fall Guy (1981)
    The Fall Guy
    7.1
    TV Series
    • Diana
    • 1984
  • Ricardo Montalban and Hervé Villechaize in Seikkailujen saari (1977)
    Seikkailujen saari
    6.6
    TV Series
    • Julie Mars
    • Queen Delphia
    • 1978–1983
  • Portrait of an Escort (1980)
    Portrait of an Escort
    5.9
    TV Movie
    • Sheilah Croft
    • 1980
  • Fred Grandy, Bernie Kopell, Ted Lange, Gavin MacLeod, and Lauren Tewes in Lemmenlaiva (1977)
    Lemmenlaiva
    6.2
    TV Series
    • Eve Mills
    • 1979
  • Kam Fong, Al Harrington, Jack Lord, and James MacArthur in Hawaii Five-O (1968)
    Hawaii Five-O
    7.4
    TV Series
    • Alicia Warren
    • 1978
  • Vaarojen Atlantis (1978)
    Vaarojen Atlantis
    5.5
    • Atsil
    • 1978
  • Bruce Dern, Madeline Kahn, Art Carney, and Augustus von Schumacher in Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
    Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
    4.8
    • President's Girl 4
    • 1976

Soundtrack

  • That's Entertainment! III (1994)
    That's Entertainment! III
    7.5
    • performer: "Baby, You Knock Me Out" (1955), "The Heather on the Hill" (1947), "Two-Faced Woman" (1953), "Dance of Fury" (1948), "The Girl Hunt" (1952) (uncredited)
    • 1994
  • Tanssiva Hollywood (1985)
    Tanssiva Hollywood
    7.2
    • performer: "The Red Blues"
    • 1985
  • Hollywood, Hollywood! (1976)
    Hollywood, Hollywood!
    7.3
    • performer: "All Of You" (1955), "Broadway Rhythm" (1935), "That's Entertainment (Reprise)" (1953) (uncredited)
    • 1976
  • Viihteen kulta-aika (1974)
    Viihteen kulta-aika
    7.8
    • performer: "On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe" (1946), "Dancing In The Dark" (1931) (uncredited)
    • 1974
  • The Dean Martin Show (1965)
    The Dean Martin Show
    8.1
    TV Series
    • performer: "I Got Rhythm", "Katie Went to Haiti"
    • 1968
  • Fred Astaire and Barrie Chase in The Hollywood Palace (1964)
    The Hollywood Palace
    8.2
    TV Series
    • performer: "Walking Happy"
    • performer: "Let's Dance", "Ballet Blues", "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening"
    • 1965–1967
  • Dean Martin in Matt Helm - agenttiässä (1966)
    Matt Helm - agenttiässä
    5.9
    • performer: "The Silencers", "Santiago"
    • 1966
  • Silkkisukat (1957)
    Silkkisukat
    6.8
    • performer: "Paris Loves Lovers", "It's a Chemical Reaction that's all", "Without Love", "Red Blues" (uncredited)
    • 1957
  • Viva Las Vegas! (1956)
    Viva Las Vegas!
    6.1
    • performer: "Rehearsal Ballet", "Sleeping Beauty Ballet" (excerpt), "Frankie and Johnny", "The Gal with the Yaller Shoes", "My Lucky Charm"
    • 1956
  • MGM Parade (1955)
    MGM Parade
    6.6
    TV Series
    • performer: "Baby, You Knock Me Out" (1955) (uncredited)
    • 1955
  • Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, Dan Dailey, Dolores Gray, and Michael Kidd in Kuin paistetta päivän (1955)
    Kuin paistetta päivän
    7.0
    • performer: "Baby, You Knock Me Out" (1955) (uncredited)
    • 1955
  • Syvällä sydämessäni (1954)
    Syvällä sydämessäni
    6.3
    • performer: "One Alone", "One Flower Grows Alone In Your Garden"
    • 1954
  • Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse in Lumottu laakso (1954)
    Lumottu laakso
    6.8
    • performer: "Waiting for My Dearie", "The Heather on the Hill", "The Heather on the Hill" (reprise) (uncredited)
    • 1954
  • Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse in Iskelmäkaruselli (1953)
    Iskelmäkaruselli
    7.4
    • performer: "The Beggars Waltz" (1931), "Dancing in the Dark" (1931), "You and the Night and the Music" (1934), "New Sun in the Sky" (1931), "The Girl Hunt" (1953) ("That's Entertainment" (1953), uncredited)
    • 1953
  • Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, June Allyson, Mickey Rooney, Lena Horne, and Ann Sothern in Laulan ja nauran (1948)
    Laulan ja nauran
    6.4
    • performer: "On Your Toes", "This Can't Be Love", "The Girl Friend", "Blue Room"
    • 1948

Videos8

Official Trailer
Trailer 1:01
Official Trailer
Trailer
Trailer 3:10
Trailer
Singin' in the Rain
Trailer 4:02
Singin' in the Rain
The Band Wagon
Trailer 3:10
The Band Wagon
The Unfinished Dance
Trailer 3:35
The Unfinished Dance
Meet Me in Las Vegas
Trailer 3:42
Meet Me in Las Vegas
Two Weeks In Another Town
Trailer 3:07
Two Weeks In Another Town
Brigadoon
Trailer 3:45
Brigadoon

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative name
    • Lily Norwood
  • Height
    • 1.68 m
  • Born
    • March 8, 1922
    • Amarillo, Texas, USA
  • Died
    • June 17, 2008
    • Los Angeles, California, USA(complications from a heart attack)
  • Spouses
      Tony MartinMay 15, 1948 - June 17, 2008 (her death, 1 child)
  • Children
      Nicholas Charisse
  • Parents
      Ernest Enos Finklea Jr.
  • Relatives
      Nana Visitor(Niece or Nephew)
  • Other works
    Appeared on "The Perry Como Special".
  • Publicity listings
    • 2 Print Biographies
    • 1 Portrayal
    • 2 Interviews
    • 24 Articles
    • 2 Pictorials
    • 18 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Said her husband could tell who she had been dancing with that day on an MGM set. If she came home covered with bruises, it was the very demanding Gene Kelly, if not, it was the smooth and agile Fred Astaire.
  • Quotes
    [on Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly] I can watch Astaire anytime. I don't think he ever made a wrong move. He was a perfectionist. He would work on a few bars for hours until it was just the way he wanted it. Gene was the same way. They both wanted perfection, even though they were completely different personalities.
  • Nicknames
    • Maria Istomina
    • Felia Sidorova
    • Maria Istomena
    • Natacha Tulaelis
    • Celia Siderova

FAQ15

Powered by Alexa
  • When did Cyd Charisse die?
  • How did Cyd Charisse die?
  • How old was Cyd Charisse when she died?

Related news

Contribute to this page

Suggest an edit or add missing content
  • Learn more about contributing
Edit page

More to explore

Production art
Photos
Hollywood Power Couples
See the gallery
Production art
Photos
Radical On-Screen Transformations
See the gallery

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

Demo reel thumbnail
Make your IMDb page stand out by adding a demo reel
Upload your demo reel

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

Make your IMDb page stand out by adding a demo reel
Upload your demo reel
Demo reel thumbnail

How much have you seen?

Keep track of how much of Cyd Charisse’s work you have seen. Go to your list.

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
Get the IMDb App
Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
  • Get the IMDb App
  • Help
  • Site Index
  • IMDbPro
  • Box Office Mojo
  • IMDb Developer
  • Press Room
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices
IMDb, an Amazon company

© 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.