Gower Champion
| Gower Champion | |
|---|---|
Gower and Marge Champion in 1957
|
|
| Born |
Gower Carlyle Champion June 22, 1919 Geneva, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | August 25, 1980 (aged 61) Manhattan, New York City, US |
| Cause of death | blood cancer |
| Occupation | Actor, theatre director, choreographer, dancer |
| Years active | 1939–80 |
| Spouse(s) |
Marjorie Belcher (1947-73) Karla Russell Champion (1976-80) |
| Children | Blake Gregg |
| Awards |
Hollywood Walk of Fame 6162 Hollywood Boulevard |
Gower Carlyle Champion (June 22, 1919 – August 25, 1980) was an American actor, theatre director, choreographer, and dancer.
Champion was born in Geneva, Illinois, the son of John W. Champion and Beatrice Carlisle. He was raised in Los Angeles, California, where he graduated from Fairfax High School. He studied dance from an early age and, at the age of fifteen, toured nightclubs with friend Jeanne Tyler billed as "Gower and Jeanne, America's Youngest Dance Team." In 1939, "Gower and Jeanne" danced to the music of Larry Clinton and his Orchestra in a Warner Brothers & Vitaphone film short-subject, "The Dipsy Doodler" (released in 1940).
During the late 1930s and early 1940s, Champion worked on Broadway as a solo dancer and choreographer. After serving in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II, Champion met Marjorie Belcher, who became his new partner, and the two were married in 1947.
In the early 1950s, Marge and Gower Champion made seven film musicals: Mr. Music (1950, with Bing Crosby), the 1951 remake of Show Boat (with Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson), 1952's Lovely to Look At (a remake of Roberta, also with Keel and Grayson), the autobiographical Everything I Have Is Yours (1952), Give a Girl a Break (1953, with Debbie Reynolds and Bob Fosse), Jupiter's Darling (1955, with Keel and Esther Williams), and Three for the Show (1955, with Betty Grable and Jack Lemmon). All were made for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer except Mr. Music (Paramount) and Three for the Show (Columbia).
...
Wikipedia