Rudy Vallee
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.
Known For
Credits
- 2015 · Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do as Self (archive footage)
- 1995 · Betty Boop: Queen of the Cartoons as Self (archive footage)
- 1987 · The RKO Story: Tales From Hollywood as Self
- 1984 · Going Hollywood: The '30s as (archive footage)
- 1980 · Men Who Rate a 10 as Self
- 1977 · CHiPs as Arthur Forbinger
- 1976 · Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood as Autograph Hound
- 1975 · Ellery Queen as Alvin Winer
- 1975 · Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? as Self (archive footage)
- 1975 · Slashed Dreams as Proprietor
- 1971 · The Chicago Teddy Bears as
- 1971 · Alias Smith and Jones as
- 1970 · Night Gallery as
- 1970 · The Phynx as Rudy Vallee
- 1968 · The Night They Raided Minsky's as Opening Narrator (voice)
- 1968 · Live a Little, Love a Little as Louis Penlow
- 1968 · Here's Lucy as Rudy Vallee
- 1968 · The Name of the Game as Myron Lesser
- 1967 · How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as Jasper B. Biggley
- 1966 · Batman as Lord Marmaduke Ffogg
- 1963 · Petticoat Junction as
- 1962 · The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
- 1962 · The Merv Griffin Show as Self
- 1961 · The Mike Douglas Show as Self - Co-Host
- 1958 · Hansel and Gretel as Father
- 1957 · The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour as Rudy Vallee
- 1957 · The Helen Morgan Story as Himself
- 1956 · Jazz Ball as Self (archive footage)
- 1955 · Gentlemen Marry Brunettes as Rudy Vallee
- 1954 · Ricochet Romance as Worthington Higgenmacher
- 1954 · December Bride as
- 1950 · The Colgate Comedy Hour as Self
- 1950 · The Admiral Was a Lady as Peter Pedigrew
- 1950 · The Golden Twenties as Self (archive footage)
- 1950 · Your Show of Shows as
- 1950 · What's My Line? as Self - Mystery Guest
- 1950 · What's My Line? as Self - Panelist
- 1949 · Father Was a Fullback as Mr. Jessup
- 1949 · The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend as Charles Hingleman
- 1949 · Mother Is a Freshman as John Heaslip
- 1948 · Unfaithfully Yours as August Henshler
- 1948 · My Dear Secretary as Charles Harris
- 1948 · The Ed Sullivan Show as Self - Singer
- 1948 · The Ed Sullivan Show as Self
- 1948 · So This Is New York as Herbert Daley
- 1948 · I Remember Mama as Dr. Johnson
- 1947 · The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer as Tommy Chamberlain
- 1947 · Kraft Television Theatre as Bromley
- 1947 · The Sin of Harold Diddlebock as Lynn Sargent
- 1946 · The Fabulous Suzanne as Hendrick Courtney Jr.
- 1946 · People Are Funny as Ormsby Jamison
- 1945 · Man Alive as Gordon Tolliver
- 1945 · It's in the Bag! as Rudy Vallee
- 1944 · 11th. Naval District "United States Coast Guard Band" as Himself - Bandleader
- 1943 · Screen Snapshots (Series 23, No. 1): Hollywood in Uniform as Himself
- 1943 · Happy Go Lucky as Alfred Monroe
- 1942 · Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood No. 6 as
- 1942 · The Palm Beach Story as John D. Hackensacker III
- 1941 · Too Many Blondes as Dick Kerrigan
- 1941 · Time Out for Rhythm as Daniel 'Danny' Collins
- 1940 · Rodeo Dough as Rudy Vallee
- 1939 · Second Fiddle as Roger Maxwell
- 1938 · Breakdowns of 1938 as Rudy (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1938 · Gold Diggers in Paris as Terry Moore
- 1935 · Things You Never See on the Screen as Self
- 1935 · Sweet Music as Skip Houston
- 1935 · A Trip Thru a Hollywood Studio as Himself (uncredited)
- 1934 · Hollywood on Parade No. B-9 as Self
- 1934 · George White's Scandals as Jimmy Martin
- 1933 · International House as Himself
- 1932 · The Musical Doctor as Dr. Vallee
- 1932 · Rudy Vallee Melodies as Self
- 1931 · Kitty from Kansas City as Singer with Handlebar Moustache
- 1931 · Betty Co-ed as Himself
- 1929 · Glorifying the American Girl as Self
- 1929 · The Vagabond Lover as Rudy Bronson