Jump to content

Busby Berkeley

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Busby Berkeley
Busby Berkeleyc.1935
Born
Berkeley William Enos

(1895-11-29)November 29, 1895
Los Angeles, California,U.S.
DiedMarch 14, 1976(1976-03-14)(aged 80)
Palm Desert, California,U.S.
Resting placeDesert Memorial Park,Cathedral City, California
Occupations
  • Film director
  • choreographer
Years active1927–1971

Berkeley William Enos,(November 29, 1895 – March 14, 1976)[1]known professionally asBusby Berkeley,was an American film director andmusicalchoreographer. Berkeley devised elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geometric patterns. Berkeley's works used large numbers ofshowgirlsand props as fantasy elements inkaleidoscopicon-screen performances.

Early life[edit]

Berkeley was born in Los Angeles, California, to Francis Enos (who died when Busby was eight) and stage actressGertrude Berkeley(1864–1946). Among Gertrude's friends, and a performer in Tim Frawly's Stock company run by Busby Berkeley's father, were actressAmy Busbyfrom whom Berkeley gained the appellation "Buzz" or "Busby"[2][3]and actorWilliam Gillette,then only four years away from playingSherlock Holmes.Whether he was christened Busby Berkeley William Enos,[4]or Berkeley William Enos, with Busby's being a nickname, is unknown[2][5]– the "Child's names" entry on his birth certificate is blank.[4]

In addition to her stage work, Gertrude played mother roles in silent films while Berkeley was still a child. Berkeley made his stage début at five, acting in the company of his performing family.

In 1917, he lived inAthol, Massachusetts,working as an advertising and sales manager.[6]DuringWorld War I,Berkeley served in theU.S. Armyas afield artillerylieutenant, drilling 1,200 soldiers in complex choreography.[7]

Career[edit]

Early years[edit]

During the 1920s, Berkeley was a dance director for nearly two dozen Broadway musicals, including hits such asA Connecticut Yankee.As a choreographer, Berkeley was less concerned with the dancing skills of his chorus girls as he was with their ability to form themselves into attractive geometric patterns. His musical numbers were among the larger and better-regimented on Broadway.[8][9]

His earliest film work was inSamuel Goldwyn'sEddie Cantormusicals, where he began developing such techniques as a "parade of faces" (individualizing each chorus girl with a loving close-up), and moving his dancers all over the stage (and often beyond) in as many kaleidoscopic patterns as possible.[10]Berkeley's top shot technique (the kaleidoscope again, this time shot from overhead) appeared seminally in the Cantor films, and also the 1932UniversalfilmNight World(where he choreographed the number "Who's Your Little Who-Zis?" ).

Groundbreaking choreographer[edit]

The "By a Waterfall"production number fromFootlight Parade(1933) made use of one of the largest soundstages ever built, specially constructed byWarner Bros.to film Berkeley's creations.

Berkeley's numbers were known for starting in the realm of the stage, but quickly exceeding this space by moving into a time and place that could only be cinematic, to return to shots of an applauding audience and the fall of a curtain. He used one camera to achieve this, instead of the usual four, to retain control over his vision so no director could edit the film.[11]As choreographer, Berkeley was allowed a certain degree of independence in his direction of musical numbers, and they were often markedly distinct from (and sometimes in contrast to) the narrative sections of the films. He often didn't even see the other sections of the picture.[11]The numbers he choreographed were mostly upbeat and focused on decoration as opposed to substance, some costing around $10,000 per minute more than the picture they were in.[11]One dramatic exception was "Remember My Forgotten Man" fromGold Diggers of 1933,which dealt with the mistreatment of World War I veterans during theGreat Depression.[12]

Berkeley's popularity with an entertainment-hungry Depression audience was secured when he choreographed five musicals back-to-back forWarner Bros.:42nd Street,Footlight Parade,the aforementionedGold Diggers of 1933,Dames,andFashions of 1934,as well asIn CalienteandWonder BarwithDolores del Río.Berkeley always denied any deep significance to his work, arguing that his main professional goals were to top himself and never repeat his past accomplishments.

As the outsized musicals in which Berkeley specialized became passé, he turned to straight directing. The result was 1939'sThey Made Me a Criminal,starringJohn Garfield.Although a success at the box office, it was the only non-musical film Berkeley directed.[13]Berkeley had several well-publicized run-ins withMGMstars such asJudy Garland.In 1943, he was removed as director ofGirl Crazybecause of disagreements with Garland, but the lavish musical number "I Got Rhythm",which he directed, remained in the picture.[14]

Carmen MirandainThe Gang's All Here(1943)

His next stop was at20th Century-Foxfor 1943'sThe Gang's All Here,in which Berkeley choreographedCarmen Miranda's "Lady in the Tutti-Frutti Hat" number. The film made money, but Berkeley and the Fox brass disagreed over budget matters.[9]Berkeley returned to MGM in the late 1940s, where he conceived theTechnicolorfinales for the studio'sEsther Williamsfilms. Berkeley's final film as choreographer was MGM'sBilly Rose's Jumbo(1962).

Later years[edit]

In the late 1960s, the camp craze brought the Berkeley musicals back to the forefront, and he toured the college and lecture circuit giving talks about his career. The 75-year-old Berkeley returned to Broadway to direct a successful revival ofNo No Nanette,starring his oldWarner Brotherscolleague and42nd StreetstarRuby Keeler;both played cameos in the 1970 filmThe Phynxthe same year.

Personal life[edit]

Berkeley being carried into his trial on a stretcher, September 1935

In 1937, Berkley purchased the Guasti Villa, located at 3500 W. Adams Boulevard, in theWest Adamsdistrict of Los Angeles.[15]Built in 1910, Berkley owned the home until 1944.[15]Because of the association with Berkley, the home is nowLos Angeles Historic-Cultural MonumentNo. 478.[16]

Berkeley was married six times.[17]His wives included actressesMerna Kennedy,Esther Muir,the starlet Claire James, and Etta Dunn, who survived him. He was involved in analienation of affectionslawsuit in 1938 involvingCarole Landis,and he was engaged to Lorraine Stein.[18]

Berkeley drank heavily, often having martinis in his daily bath.

In September 1935, Berkeley was responsible for an automobile crash in which two people were killed and five seriously injured.[19]Badly cut and bruised, he was brought to court on a stretcher,[20]whereTimemagazine reported he heard testimony that made him wince:

'Witnesses testified that motorist Berkeley sped downRoosevelt Highwayin Los Angeles County one night, changed lanes, crashing headlong into one car, sideswiped another. Some witnesses said they smelled liquor on him'.[19]

The first two trials for second degree murder ended with hung juries; he was acquitted in a third.

After his mother died and his career began to slow, he attempted suicide, slitting his wrists and taking an overdose of sleeping pills in July 1946.[21]He was admitted to a hospital for an extended stay, an experience which severely affected his mental state.[22]

Berkeley died from natural causes on March 14, 1976, in Palm Springs, California at the age of 80.[23]He is buried in theDesert Memorial Parkin Cathedral City, California.[1][24]

Legacy[edit]

Berkeley was inducted into theNational Museum of Dance's Mr. & Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Hall of Famein 1988.

Broadway credits[edit]

Filmography[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abPalm Springs Cemetery District, "Interments of Interest"
  2. ^abJoseph F. Clarke (1977).Pseudonyms.BCA. p. 112.
  3. ^Amy Busby portrait gallery; New York Public LibraryRetrieved April 28, 2015
  4. ^abSpivak, Jeffrey,Buzz, The Life and Art of Busby Berkeley(University Press of Kentucky, 2010), pp. 6–7.
  5. ^"Busby Berkeley – Hollywood's Golden Age".
  6. ^U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918 for Busby Berkeley Enos
  7. ^Spivak, Jeffrey (November 29, 2010).Buzz: The Life and Art of Busby Berkeley.University Press of Kentucky.ISBN978-0-8131-4008-7.
  8. ^Spivak, Jeffrey (2011).Buzz: the life and art of Busby Berkeley.Le xing ton: University Press of Kentucky.ISBN9780813126449.OCLC703155214.
  9. ^abRubin, Martin (1993).Showstoppers: Busby Berkeley and the tradition of spectacle.New York: Columbia University Press.ISBN0231080549.OCLC26930276.
  10. ^Mackrell, Judith (March 23, 2017)."A kaleidoscope of legs: Busby Berkeley's flamboyant dance fantasies".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.RetrievedDecember 10,2018.
  11. ^abcTuran, Kenneth (August 1, 2008)."Busby Berkeley's dance numbers are still eye-popping".Los Angeles Times.ISSN0458-3035.RetrievedDecember 10,2018.
  12. ^Huddleston, Tom (October 28, 2019)."Where to begin with Busby Berkeley".bfi.org.uk.RetrievedJanuary 7,2024.
  13. ^McGrath, Patrick J. (August 23, 2006).John Garfield: The Illustrated Career in Films and on Stage.McFarland.ISBN978-0-7864-2848-9.
  14. ^Hugh Fordin,The World of Entertainment: The Freed Unit at MGM,1975
  15. ^ab"Guasti Villa, West Adams".Calisphere.org.University of California.RetrievedJuly 8,2024.In 1910, leading vintner Secondo Guasti commissioned Hudson & Munsell Architects to design the mansion in the Beaux Arts and Italian styles. In 1937, the home was purchased by Busby Berkeley, who turned the basement wine cellar into a film editing studio. Then in 1944, the Los Angeles Physicians Aid Association acquired the property as a retirement home.
  16. ^"Guasti Villa - Busby Berkley Estate".LACity.org.Historic Places Los Angeles.RetrievedJuly 8,2024.The property meets the criteria for HCM designation because it is identified with 'a historic personage,' as the home of well-known film director-choreographer Busby Berkeley.
  17. ^Hanley, Robert (1976). "Busby Berkeley, the Dance Director, Dies", in theNew York Times,March 15, 1976, p. 33
  18. ^Fleming, E.J. (2005).Carole Landis: A Tragic Life in Hollywood.Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland and Co.ISBN978-0-7864-2200-5,p. 49
  19. ^abPeople, Sep. 30, 1935,fromTimemagazine
  20. ^Choreographer and film director Busby Berkeley being carried into his manslaughter trial on a stretcher,aLos Angeles Timesphoto from the website of the UCLACharles E. Young Research Library
  21. ^"1583 Alvito Way 18Jul1946 Busby Berkeley Suicide Attempt p1".Los Angeles Times.July 18, 1946. p. 2.RetrievedFebruary 25,2020.
  22. ^Spivak, Jeffrey,Buzz, The Life and Art of Busby Berkeley(University Press of Kentucky, 2010), p. 221.
  23. ^Johns, Howard, (2004).Palm Springs Confidential: Playground of the Stars.Fort Lee, New Jersey: Barricade Books.ISBN1-56980-297-1
  24. ^Brooks, Patricia; Brooks, Jonathan (2006). "Chapter 8: East L.A. and the Desert".Laid to Rest in California: a guide to the cemeteries and grave sites of the rich and famous.Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot Press. pp. 240–2.ISBN978-0-7627-4101-4.OCLC70284362.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toBusby Berkeley.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Busby_Berkeley&oldid=1233232038"