About
Rudy Vallee
Overview
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
Acting |
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2015 | Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do | Actor | Self (archive footage) | N/A N/A |
1995 | Betty Boop: Queen of the Cartoons | Actor | Self (archive footage) | 59 Average |
1984 | Going Hollywood: The '30s | Actor | (archive footage) | N/A N/A |
1980 | Men Who Rate a 10 | Actor | Self | N/A N/A |
1976 | Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood | Actor | Autograph Hound | 58 Average |
1975 | Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? | Actor | Self (archive footage) | 59 Average |
1975 | Slashed Dreams | Actor | Proprietor | 58 Average |
1970 | The Phynx | Actor | Rudy Vallee | 58 Average |
1968 | The Night They Raided Minsky's | Actor | Opening Narrator (voice) | 58 Average |
1968 | Live a Little, Love a Little | Actor | Louis Penlow | 58 Average |
1967 | How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying | Actor | Jasper B. Biggley | 59 Average |
1958 | Hansel and Gretel | Actor | Father | N/A N/A |
1957 | The Helen Morgan Story | Actor | Himself | 58 Average |
1956 | Jazz Ball | Actor | Self (archive footage) | 59 Average |
1955 | Gentlemen Marry Brunettes | Actor | Rudy Vallee | 58 Average |
1954 | Ricochet Romance | Actor | Worthington Higgenmacher | 59 Average |
1950 | The Admiral Was a Lady | Actor | Peter Pedigrew | 59 Average |
1950 | The Golden Twenties | Actor | Self (archive footage) | N/A N/A |
1949 | Father Was a Fullback | Actor | Mr. Jessup | 59 Average |
1949 | The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend | Actor | Charles Hingleman | 58 Average |
1949 | Mother Is a Freshman | Actor | John Heaslip | N/A N/A |
1948 | Unfaithfully Yours | Actor | August Henshler | 61 Fair |
1948 | My Dear Secretary | Actor | Charles Harris | 58 Average |
1948 | So This Is New York | Actor | Herbert Daley | 58 Average |
1948 | I Remember Mama | Actor | Dr. Johnson | 60 Fair |
1947 | The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer | Actor | Tommy Chamberlain | 60 Fair |
1947 | The Sin of Harold Diddlebock | Actor | Lynn Sargent | 59 Average |
1946 | The Fabulous Suzanne | Actor | Hendrick Courtney Jr. | 58 Average |
1946 | People Are Funny | Actor | Ormsby Jamison | 59 Average |
1945 | Man Alive | Actor | Gordon Tolliver | 58 Average |
1945 | It's in the Bag! | Actor | Rudy Vallee | 58 Average |
1944 | 11th. Naval District "United States Coast Guard Band" | Actor | Himself - Bandleader | 59 Average |
1943 | Screen Snapshots (Series 23, No. 1): Hollywood in Uniform | Actor | Himself | 58 Average |
1943 | Happy Go Lucky | Actor | Alfred Monroe | 59 Average |
1942 | Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood No. 6 | Actor | 59 Average |
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1942 | The Palm Beach Story | Actor | John D. Hackensacker III | 61 Fair |
1941 | Too Many Blondes | Actor | Dick Kerrigan | N/A N/A |
1941 | Time Out for Rhythm | Actor | Daniel 'Danny' Collins | 59 Average |
1940 | Rodeo Dough | Actor | Rudy Vallee | 59 Average |
1939 | Second Fiddle | Actor | Roger Maxwell | 58 Average |
1938 | Breakdowns of 1938 | Actor | Rudy (archive footage) (uncredited) | 59 Average |
1938 | Gold Diggers in Paris | Actor | Terry Moore | 59 Average |
1935 | Things You Never See on the Screen | Actor | Self | 59 Average |
1935 | Sweet Music | Actor | Skip Houston | 59 Average |
1935 | A Trip Thru a Hollywood Studio | Actor | Himself (uncredited) | 59 Average |
1934 | Hollywood on Parade No. B-9 | Actor | Self | N/A N/A |
1934 | George White's Scandals | Actor | Jimmy Martin | 58 Average |
1933 | International House | Actor | Himself | 58 Average |
1932 | The Musical Doctor | Actor | Dr. Vallee | N/A N/A |
1932 | Rudy Vallee Melodies | Actor | Self | 58 Average |
1931 | Kitty from Kansas City | Actor | Singer with Handlebar Moustache | 58 Average |
1931 | Betty Co-ed | Actor | Himself | 59 Average |
1929 | Glorifying the American Girl | Actor | Self | 58 Average |
1929 | The Vagabond Lover | Actor | Rudy Bronson | 58 Average |
1929 | Radio Rhythm | Actor | Rudy Vallee | N/A N/A |
Writing |
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1947 | The Unfaithful | Writing | Lyricist | 59 Average |
Sound |
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1929 | The Vagabond Lover | Sound | Songs | 58 Average |