Erik Rhodes (actor, born 1906)
| Erik Rhodes | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Ernest Sharpe February 10, 1906 El Reno, Oklahoma Territory, U.S. |
| Died | February 17, 1990 (aged 84) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Years active | 1934–1976 |
| Spouse(s) | Emala Rhodes (1972–1984) (her death) |
Erik Rhodes (February 10, 1906 – February 17, 1990) was an American film and Broadway singer and actor. He is best remembered today for appearing in two classic Hollywood musical films with popular dancing team of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, The Gay Divorcee (1934) and Top Hat (1935).
Born Ernest Sharpe at El Reno, Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, USA, Rhodes started performing on the Broadway stage in A Most Immoral Lady (1928) using his birth name Ernest Sharpe. This was followed by two musicals The Little Show (1929) and Hey Nonny Nonny! (1932).
He first used the name Erik Rhodes when he appeared on Broadway in Gay Divorce (1932) and again in London in 1933. In this show, he gave a memorable comic portrayal of a spirited, feather-brained, thick-accented Italian character that impressed RKO executives enough to bring him to Hollywood to reprise the role in the film version, The Gay Divorcee (1934).
His last film in the pre-war years was On Your Toes (1939). By the end of the war, he was very socially active in New York City often seen with Baron Nicolas de Gunzburg, his onetime companion, and the Nordstrom Sisters at popular watering holes such as the Stork Club and 21 Club.
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