Ray Bolger: More than a Scarecrow
Holly Van Leuven
Abstract
Ray Bolger: More Than a Scarecrow is the first book-length biography of the American eccentric dancer and popular culture figure, best known for his role in the 1939 film musical The Wizard of Oz. The book traces Bolger’s career from repertory and vaudeville into New York movie houses, Broadway, nightclubs, the major film studios, Las Vegas resorts, and television programs. Bolger’s dance lineage is also traced through eccentric dancers like Fred Stone and “Irish prince” soft-shoe dancers like George Primrose and Jack Donahue. Special attention is given to Bolger’s involvement in the nascent U ... More
Ray Bolger: More Than a Scarecrow is the first book-length biography of the American eccentric dancer and popular culture figure, best known for his role in the 1939 film musical The Wizard of Oz. The book traces Bolger’s career from repertory and vaudeville into New York movie houses, Broadway, nightclubs, the major film studios, Las Vegas resorts, and television programs. Bolger’s dance lineage is also traced through eccentric dancers like Fred Stone and “Irish prince” soft-shoe dancers like George Primrose and Jack Donahue. Special attention is given to Bolger’s involvement in the nascent United Service Organizations (USO) Camp Shows, including his participation in the first ever camp show unit, which went to the Caribbean in November 1941, and later the first unit to entertain in the South Pacific. An entire chapter is dedicated to the creation and performance of Where’s Charley?, Bolger’s most important show and the one for which he earned a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. The Where’s Charley? material explores Bolger’s collaboration with his wife, Gwendolyn Rickard Bolger, who became the first female producer of a musical comedy on Broadway with her contributions to the production. Bolger’s later life as a political spokesperson, a television guest star, and a pop culture personality are also explored.
Keywords:
Broadway,
Where’s Charley,
eccentric dance,
tap dance,
vaudeville,
film studios,
The Wizard of Oz,
musical theater,
variety shows,
variety arts
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2019 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780190639044 |
| Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: February 2019 |
DOI:10.1093/oso/9780190639044.001.0001 |
