Herbert Ross
Born
Herbert David Ross

(1927-05-13)May 13, 1927
New York City, U.S.
DiedOctober 9, 2001(2001-10-09) (aged 74)
New York City, U.S.
Resting placeWestwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Years active1942–1995
Spouses
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(m. 1959; died 1987)​
    ​
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    (m. 1988; div. 2001)​

    Herbert David Ross (May 13, 1927 – October 9, 2001) was an American actor, choreographer, director and producer who worked predominantly in theater and film. He was nominated for two Academy Awards and a Tony Award.

    He is known for directing musical and comedies such as Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), The Owl and the Pussycat (1970), Play It Again, Sam (1972), The Sunshine Boys, Funny Lady (both 1975), The Goodbye Girl (1977), California Suite (1978), and Pennies From Heaven (1981). His later films include Footloose (1984), and Steel Magnolias (1989). For the drama The Turning Point (1977) he received two Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Director and received the Golden Globe Award for Best Director.

    He is also known for his work on Broadway as a choreographer for productions for Barbra Streisand, Stephen Sondheim, Richard Rodgers, and Arthur Laurents. His credits include A Tree Grows in Brooklyn in 1951, Finian's Rainbow in 1960, I Can Get It for You Wholesale in 1962, and Do I Hear a Waltz? in 1965. He was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Choreography for Anyone Can Whistle in 1964.

    Early life

    Ross was born on May 13, 1927, in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Louis Chester Ross,[1] a postal clerk, and his wife Martha (née Grundfast). His parents were Russian-Jewish immigrants.[2] When Ross was nine, his mother died and his father moved the family to Miami and opened a luncheonette.[3]

    After dropping out of high school, Ross went to New York to pursue an acting career but became smitten with dance and studied dance.

    Career

    Theatre

    Dancer

    In 1942, Ross' stage debut came as "Third Witch" in a touring company of Macbeth. The next year brought his first Broadway performance credits with Something for the Boys, as a dancer. Ross was a dancer in Follow the Girls (1943–44), Laffing Room Only (1944–45), Beggar's Holiday (1946–47), and Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'!.

    Choreographer

    By 1950, he was a choreographer with the American Ballet Theatre and choreographed his first Broadway production, the Arthur Schwartz-Dorothy Fields musical adaptation of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1951). For TV he choreographed All Star Revue, The Milton Berle Show, and The Steve Allen Plymouth Show. Ross's first film assignment came as an uncredited choreographer on Carmen Jones (1954).[4]

    Back on Broadway he choreographed House of Flowers (1954) for Peter Brook, and The Body Beautiful (1958). He choreographed some TV specials: The Jerry Lewis Show (1957), Wonderful Town (1958), Meet Me in St Louis (1959) and A Christmas Festival (1959). On Broadway Ross directed and choreographed a revival of Finian's Rainbow (1960). In 1965, Ross choreographed the original production of On a Clear Day, You Can See Forever and, without credit, took over the helm from the director of record, Robert Lewis, when the musical ran into trouble in Boston during its pre-Broadway tryout tour.

    Ross went to England where he choreographed the feature film The Young Ones (1961), starring Cliff Richard. He returned to Broadway to be musical director on The Gay Life (1961–62) and I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1962), the latter directed by Arthur Laurents and starring Barbra Streisand. He did The Bacchantes (1961) for TV. Ross then choreographed a second Cliff Richard musical in England, Summer Holiday (1963). On Broadway he choreographed Tovarich (1963) with Vivien Leigh and Anyone Can Whistle (1964) with Laurents. For TV he did musical numbers for The Fantasticks (1964), The Bell Telephone Hour, Delia Scala Show (1962), Rinaldo in campo (1963), and The Nut House!! (1964) and staged numbers for the films Inside Daisy Clover (1965), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and Doctor Dolittle (1967).

    On Broadway Ross directed and choreographed Kelly (1965), and choreographed Do I Hear a Waltz? (1965) and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1965-66). He did some additional staging on The Apple Tree (1966–67) directed by Mike Nichols. Ross was choreographer and director of musical numbers for Funny Girl (1968), produced by Ray Stark.[4][5]

    Film

    His film directorial debut came with the musical version of Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), made by MGM-British, with Peter O'Toole and Petula Clark. It was produced by Arthur P. Jacobs who had made Doctor Dolittle two years prior, and just like that film, Goodbye, Mr. Chips was a box-office disappointment. However, Ross' second feature as director, The Owl and the Pussycat (1970), was a big hit. The film was produced by Ray Stark and starred Streisand.

    Ross did T.R. Baskin (1971) then Play It Again, Sam (1972), the latter produced by Jacobs and starring Woody Allen based on his play. Ross made The Last of Sheila (1973) co-written by Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins, and Funny Lady (1975) with Stark and Streisand. Ross directed The Sunshine Boys (1975) based on a play and script by Neil Simon, starting a long collaboration between the two men; Stark produced. Ross directed The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976), and The Turning Point (1977); Ross produced the latter.[5]

    Ross had two big hits with Simon scripts produced by Stark, The Goodbye Girl (1977) and California Suite (1978). Ross returned to Broadway to direct Neil Simon's Chapter Two (1977–79). After doing the ballet film Nijinsky (1980)[6] he directed Simon's I Ought to Be in Pictures (1980–81) on Broadway. He followed this with Pennies from Heaven (1981) and the film version of I Ought to Be in Pictures (1982). His last film with Simon was Max Dugan Returns (1983).

    Later career

    Ross had a huge hit with Footloose (1984). He followed this with two comedies, Protocol (1984) with Goldie Hawn and The Secret of My Success (1987) with Michael J. Fox. Less successful was Dancers (1987).[7][8][9]

    Ross had one last big hit with another play adaptation, Steel Magnolias (1989). In the 1990s, he directed My Blue Heaven (1990), True Colors (1991), Undercover Blues (1993) and Boys on the Side (1995).

    Personal life

    In 1959, he married Nora Kaye, a ballerina,[10] with whom he produced four films.[11] In 1987, his wife Nora died of cancer.[3][12]

    In September 1988, he married for the second time to Lee Radziwiłł,[13] the younger sister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.[14] The marriage ended in divorce in 2001, shortly before his death.[15] In 2013, Radziwiłł described their relationship as follows:[16]

    He was certainly different from anybody else I'd been involved with, and the film world sounded exciting. Well, it wasn't. I hated Hollywood, and the provincialism of the industry ... Herbert had been married to the ballerina Nora Kaye until she died, and unbeknownst to me was still obsessed by her. It was 'Nora said this, Nora did it like that, Nora liked brown and orange.'[16]

    On October 9, 2001, Ross died from heart failure in New York City.[17][18] A memorial was held for him at the Majestic Theater on West 44th Street in New York where Leslie Browne, Barbara Cook, Arthur Laurents, Marsha Mason, Mike Nichols and Mary-Louise Parker spoke of Ross.[19] He was interred with Kaye in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.[20]

    Works

    Film

    Year Title Director Producer Note
    1954 Carmen Jones No No Choreographer; uncredited
    1961 The Young Ones No No Choreographer
    1963 Summer Holiday No No
    1968 Funny Girl No No
    1969 Goodbye, Mr. Chips Yes No Directorial debut
    1970 The Owl and the Pussycat Yes No
    1971 T.R. Baskin Yes No
    1972 Play It Again, Sam Yes No
    1973 The Last of Sheila Yes Yes Debut (Film producer)
    1975 The Sunshine Boys Yes No
    Funny Lady Yes No
    1976 The Seven-Per-Cent Solution Yes Yes
    1977 The Turning Point Yes Yes
    The Goodbye Girl Yes No
    1978 California Suite Yes No
    1980 Nijinsky Yes No
    1981 Pennies From Heaven Yes Yes
    1982 I Ought to Be in Pictures Yes Yes
    1983 Max Dugan Returns Yes Yes
    1984 Footloose Yes No
    Protocol Yes No
    1987 The Secret of My Success Yes Yes
    Dancers Yes No
    1989 Steel Magnolias Yes No
    1990 My Blue Heaven Yes Yes
    1991 True Colors Yes Yes
    Soapdish No Executive
    1993 Undercover Blues Yes No
    1995 Boys on the Side Yes Yes Final film

    Television

    Year Title Role Notes
    1954 Wonderful Town Director Television film; Debut
    1964-66 The Bell Telephone Hour Producer 6 episodes

    Theatre

    Year Title Role Notes
    1942 Macbeth Actor (Third Witch) Debut (Touring)
    1943 Something for the Boys Dancer Debut (Broadway)
    1944 Laffing Room Only Ensemble Broadway
    1946 Beggar's Holiday Bartender / Dancer Broadway
    1948 "Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'!" Ensemble Broadway
    1950 American Ballet Theatre Choreographer
    1951 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Debut (Broadway production)
    1952 Three Wishes for Jamie Broadway
    1954 House of Flowers Broadway
    1958 The Body Beautiful
    1960 Finian's Rainbow Broadway, revival
    1961 The Gay Life Musical staging Broadway
    1962 I Can Get It for You Wholesale Broadway
    1963 Tovarich Choreographer Broadway
    1964 Anyone Can Whistle
    1965 Do I Hear a Waltz?
    On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
    Kelly Director; Choreographer
    The Apple Tree Addt. Musical staging
    1977 Chapter Two Director Neil Simon
    1980 I Ought to Be in Pictures Neil Simon
    Broadway

    Awards and nominations

    Year Award Category Nominated work Result
    1964Tony AwardBest ChoreographyAnyone Can WhistleNominated
    1977Academy AwardsBest PictureThe Turning PointNominated
    Best DirectorNominated
    1977Golden Globe AwardBest DirectorWon
    Directors Guild of America AwardOutstanding Directing - Feature FilmNominated
    Los Angeles Film Critics AssociationBest DirectorWon

    References

    1. ↑ "Herbert Ross Biography (1927-2001)".
    2. ↑ Janos, Leo (November 12, 1978). "That Hollywood Touch". The New York Times.
    3. 1 2 Lyman, Rick (October 11, 2001). "Herbert Ross, Broadway Choreographer Turned Hollywood Director, Dies at 74". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
    4. 1 2 Kisselgoff, Anna (January 6, 1994). "Review/Dance; From Perfectionism to Pastiche In the Films of Herbert Ross". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
    5. 1 2 Bosworth, Patricia (November 20, 1977). "On Stage and Screen, It's All Coming Up Ross's". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
    6. ↑ Canby, Vincent (March 20, 1980). "The Screen: 'Nijinsky,' Filmed by Herbert Ross; Pointeless". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
    7. ↑ Kisselgoff, Anna (October 25, 1987). "DANCE VIEW; Dancers': More Than Meets The Eye". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
    8. ↑ Maslin, Janet (February 3, 1995). "FILM REVIEW; Another Buddy Story, With a Twist or Two". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
    9. ↑ Gates, Anita (February 19, 1995). "TAKING THE CHILDREN; Zipping Through School, but, Boy, Is He Dumb". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
    10. ↑ Martin, John (June 26, 1943). "NORA KAYE MAKES 'SWAN LAKE' DEBUT; Her Performance High Point of Ballet Program at the Lewisohn Stadium EGLEVSKY AS THE PRINCE Markova, Massine, Laing and Tudor Dance in 'Aleko' --'Bluebeard' Also Seen". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
    11. ↑ Kisselgoff, Anna (June 8, 1977). "Nora Kaye Recollects". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
    12. ↑ Anderson, Jack (January 5, 1988). "Nora Kaye Honored In Memorial Tribute By Artist Colleagues". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
    13. ↑ Nemy, Enid (August 12, 1999). "Anthony Stanislas Radziwill, 40, Award-Winning TV Producer". The New York Times. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
    14. ↑ "Lee Bouvier Radziwill Weds Herbert Ross, Film Director". The New York Times. September 24, 1988. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
    15. ↑ "Lee Bouvier Radziwill Weds Herbert Ross, Film Director". New York Times. September 24, 1988. Retrieved June 21, 2007. Lee Bouvier Radziwill (younger sister of the late former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis), and Herbert Ross were married yesterday evening at the bride's home in New York by Justice E. Leo Milonas of the Appellate Division of State Supreme Court, First Department. After the ceremony, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the sister of the bride, gave a dinner party for the couple at her home in New York. Rudolf Nureyev, the dancer and director of the Paris Opera Ballet, and John Taras, the associate director of American Ballet Theatre, attended the couple.
    16. 1 2 Haslam, Nicky (February 7, 2013). "The Real Lee Radziwill". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
    17. ↑ "Paid Notice: Deaths ROSS, HERBERT D." The New York Times. October 12, 2001. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
    18. ↑ "Paid Notice: Deaths ROSS, HERBERT". The New York Times. October 16, 2001. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
    19. ↑ "Memorial for Herbert Ross". The New York Times. December 14, 2001. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
    20. ↑ NNDB
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