Dick Haymes
Arguably one of the best singers of the twentieth century, Dick Haymes was born in Argentina to a Scots/Irish father and Irish mother, but brought to the U.S. as an infant. Dick inherited his vocal gift from his mother who made ends meet during the Depression as a singer and voice teacher. A music gig in 1931 caught the eye of a local band leader and soon Dick was moving up, but it was slow-going. In 1939, while Dick was trying to pitch his songwriting talents to band leader Harry James, he ended up his featured vocalist, instead. During the war years Dick hooked up with the Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey orchestras before deciding to go solo. Nabbing his own radio program in addition to a Decca recording contract, Twentieth Century Fox soon expressed interest in his musical talents. Among his many film leads were State Fair (1945) opposite Jeanne Crain and Vivian Blaine, Diamond Horseshoe (1945) and The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (1947) both paired with Betty Grable, One Touch of Venus (1948) with Ava Gardner, and All Ashore (1953), a second string version of On the Town (1949), with Mickey Rooney and Ray McDonald as his shore-leave buddies. For such a pleasant and unassuming man, Dick's personal life certainly was a shambles aggravated by alcoholism and financial debt. Five marriages came and went (including actresses Joanne Dru, Nora Eddington, Rita Hayworth, and Fran Jeffries) before his sixth one finally stuck. By the 1960s, his life was all but ruined. He managed to travel to Europe and picked up the remnants of his career. His reputation had not tarnished there, and he enjoyed some renewed popularity; he never regained, however, the foothold in the business that he once had. Dick died of lung cancer in 1980. Though not as well remembered as other crooners of his time (Frank Sinatra, Tony Martin, Vic Damone), and not a particularly charismatic performer on film, this rich baritone's legacy IS his music. Some of Dick's more popular recordings include "The More I See You," "How Blue the Night," "For You, For Me, Forever More," "Speak Low," and "Another Night Like This."
Known For | Acting |
---|---|
Most Rating | 2.143 |
Birthday | 1918-09-13 |
Place of Birth | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Also Known As | Richard Benjamin Haymes, |
2011
Under Jakob's Ladder
7/1
Based on a true story, 'Under Jakob's Ladder' is a full-length feature film that takes place in the Soviet Union during 1938. Jakob, a former teacher...
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Under Jakob's Ladder
1945
State Fair
6.6/61
During their annual visit to the Iowa State Fair, the Frake family enjoy many adventures. Proud patriarch Abel has high hopes for his champion swine B...
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State Fair
1948
One Touch of Venus
6.5/24
A window dresser's kiss brings a statue of the Roman goddess of love to life.
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One Touch of Venus
1953
All Ashore
6/1
Three sailors finally get some shore leave, and go in search of fun and girls.
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All Ashore
1946
Do You Love Me
4.3/3
Katharine Hilliard, mousy dean of a stuffy music school, meets and is insulted by swing band leader Barry Clayton on a train. To "show" him she takes...
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Do You Love Me
1945
Diamond Horseshoe
4/1
Joe Davis Sr., headliner at a big nightclub, is visited by medical student son Joe Jr., who to Dad's chagrin wants to be a crooner, and soon comes bet...
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Diamond Horseshoe
1947
The Shocking Miss Pilgrim
8.5/5
In the late 1800s, Miss Pilgrim, a young stenographer, or typewriter, becomes the first female employee at a Boston shipping office. Although the men...
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The Shocking Miss Pilgrim
1944
Irish Eyes Are Smiling
5/3
Climbing to fame, Irish-American composer Ernest R. Ball romances a showgirl, who catches the eye of an underworld character.
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Irish Eyes Are Smiling
1948
Up in Central Park
7/4
A newspaper reporter and the daughter of an immigrant maintenance man help expose political corruption in New York City.
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Up in Central Park
1947
Carnival in Costa Rica
6/2
Two pairs of lovers try to thwart an arranged marriage at Costa Rican fiesta time.
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Carnival in Costa Rica
1938
Dramatic School
6.2/4
Aspiring actress Louise Muban attends the prestigious Paris School of Drama during the day and works at a dreary factory assembling gas meters at nigh...
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Dramatic School
1951
St. Benny the Dip
5/5
A gang of con artists disguise themselves as clerics in order to pull off a job, but soon find that even pretending to be religious people is having a...
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St. Benny the Dip
1948
Words and Music
5.8/18
Encomium to Larry Hart (1895-1943), seen through the fictive eyes of his song-writing partner, Richard Rodgers (1902-1979): from their first meeting,...
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Words and Music
1944
Four Jills in a Jeep
5.7/3
Reenactments of actual USO experiences of its female stars entertaining troops overseas.
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Four Jills in a Jeep
1953
Cruisin' Down the River
0/0
A New Yorker inherits an old river boat and decides to turn it into a night club while falling in love with Sally Jane, the granddaughter of his worse...
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Cruisin' Down the River
1935
Mutiny on the Bounty
7.3/329
Fletcher Christian successfully leads a revolt against the ruthless Captain Bligh on the HMS Bounty. However, Bligh returns one year later, hell bent...
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Mutiny on the Bounty
1945
Fallen Angel
6.4/108
An unemployed drifter, Eric Stanton wanders into a small California town and begins hanging around the local diner. While Eric falls for the lovely wa...
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Fallen Angel
1974
Betrayal
5.3/3
Wealthy widow Helen Mercer hires a young woman, Gretchen Addison, to act as her personal assistant and companion. Unfortunately, Helen is a poor judge...
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Betrayal
1953
Let's Do It Again
4/3
Composer Gary Stuart (Ray Milland) and his wife, Connie (Jane Wyman), have an argument over her alleged affair with Courtney Craig (Tom Helmore). The...
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Let's Do It Again
1943
Du Barry was a Lady
6.1/14
Hat check man Louis Blore is in love with nightclub star May Daly. May, however, is in love with a poor dancer but wants to marry for money. When Loui...
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Du Barry was a Lady
1979
Real Life
6.6/76
A pushy, narcissistic filmmaker persuades a Phoenix family to let him and his crew film their everyday lives, in the manner of the ground-breaking PBS...
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Real Life
1944
I Am an American
5.3/3
The history of a Polish family and its contributions to the war effort throughout American history.
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I Am an American
2003
Rita
8.5/2
Biography of 1940's sex goddess Rita Hayworth.
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Rita
1976
Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
4.1/15
A would-be filmmaker and actress shake up the industry with a trick dog who gets discovered by a studio bus driver in the 1920s.
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