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Gower Champion is a Actor, Director, Musical and Choreographer American born on 22 june 1921 at Geneva (USA)

Gower Champion

Gower Champion
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Birth name Gower Carlyle Champion
Nationality USA
Birth 22 june 1921 at Geneva (USA)
Death 25 august 1980 (at 59 years) at New York City (USA)

Gower Carlyle Champion (June 22, 1919 – August 25, 1980) was an American actor, theatre director, choreographer, and dancer.

Biography

Early years
Champion was born in Geneva, Illinois, the son of John W. Champion and Beatrice Carlisle. He was raised in Los Angeles, California, where he graduated from Fairfax High School. He studied dance from an early age and, at the age of fifteen, toured nightclubs with friend Jeanne Tyler billed as "Gower and Jeanne, America's Youngest Dance Team." In 1939, "Gower and Jeanne" danced to the music of Larry Clinton and his Orchestra in a Warner Brothers & Vitaphone film short-subject, "The Dipsy Doodler" (released in 1940).


Career
During the late 1930s and early 1940s, Champion worked on Broadway as a solo dancer and choreographer. After serving in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II, Champion met Marjorie Belcher, who became his new partner, and the two were married in 1947.

In the early 1950s, Marge and Gower Champion made seven film musicals: Mr. Music (1950, with Bing Crosby), the 1951 remake of Show Boat (with Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson), 1952's Lovely to Look At (a remake of Roberta, also with Keel and Grayson), the autobiographical Everything I Have Is Yours (1952), Give a Girl a Break (1953, with Debbie Reynolds and Bob Fosse), Jupiter's Darling (1955, with Keel and Esther Williams), and Three for the Show (1955, with Betty Grable and Jack Lemmon). All were made for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer except Mr. Music (Paramount) and Three for the Show (Columbia).

Throughout the 1950s, they performed on a number of television variety shows, and in 1957 they starred in their own short-lived CBS sitcom, The Marge and Gower Champion Show, which was based on their actual career experiences.

In 1948, Champion had begun to direct as well, and he won the first of eight Tony Awards for his staging of Lend an Ear, the show that introduced Carol Channing to New York theater audiences. During the 1950s, he only worked on two Broadway musicals — choreographing Make a Wish in 1951 and directing, staging, and starring in 3 For Tonight in 1955 — preferring to spend most of his time in Hollywood. However, in the 1960s, he directed a number of Broadway hits that put him at the top of his profession.

He had a solid success in 1960 with Bye Bye Birdie, a show about an Elvis-like rock star about to be inducted into the army. The show starred relative unknowns Chita Rivera and Dick Van Dyke along with a youthful cast. It ran 607 performances and won four Tony awards, including Best Musical and two for Champion's direction and choreography. Next came Carnival! in 1961, which ran 719 performances and garnered seven Tony nominations, including one for Champion's direction.

In 1964, he directed one of Broadway's biggest blockbusters, Hello, Dolly!. It ran for 2844 performances — almost seven years. Starring Carol Channing, it is best remembered for the title number, where Dolly is greeted by the staff of a restaurant after having been away for years. The show won ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical, as well as two for Champion's direction and choreography.

Champion had his fourth consecutive hit musical with I Do! I Do! in 1966. It featured a cast of two — veterans Mary Martin and Robert Preston — playing a couple seen throughout the years of their marriage. The show ran for 560 performances and got seven Tony nominations, including one for Champion's direction.

His next show, The Happy Time in 1968, broke his streak. It had a relatively disappointing run of only 286 performances. This would be followed by many more disappointments and worse. In the 1970s, Champion directed minor hits (Sugar in 1972 and the revival Irene in 1973), flops (Mack & Mabel in 1974) and complete disasters (Rockabye Hamlet — seven performances in 1976 — and A Broadway Musical, running only one night in 1978, not to mention Prettybelle, which closed out of town in 1971). On top of all this, he and Marge were divorced in 1973.

After the failures of the previous decade, Champion was able to make a comeback with his longest-running show. In 1980, he choreographed and directed a stage adaptation of the movie classic, 42nd Street. It won the Tony for Best Musical, and Champion was nominated for his direction and choreography, winning for the latter. The show ran for 3,486 performances, but Champion did not live to see any. After numerous curtain calls on opening night, producer David Merrick stunned the cast and audience by announcing Champion had died earlier that day.


Personal life
Champion was married in 1947 to actress Marjorie Celeste Belcher, with whom he had two sons: Blake and actor Gregg Champion. In 1976 he married again to Karla Russell, who survived him.

Usually with

George Wells
George Wells
(5 films)
Helen Rose
Helen Rose
(4 films)
Saul Chaplin
Saul Chaplin
(4 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Gower Champion (15 films)

Display filmography as list

Actor

Jupiter's Darling, 1h35
Directed by George Sidney
Origin USA
Genres Musical theatre, Romantic comedy, Adventure, Historical, Musical, Romance
Themes Dance films, Films about music and musicians, Sports films, Musical films, Political films, Films based on plays
Actors Esther Williams, Howard Keel, Marge Champion, Gower Champion, George Sanders, Richard Haydn
Roles Varius
Rating58% 2.900272.900272.900272.900272.90027
Nous sommes en 216 av. J.-C. Après avoir anéanti les légions romaines, le général carthaginois Hannibal marche sur Rome à la tête de son armée, tandis qu’à Rome même, le dictateur Fabius Maximus espère enfin se marier à la belle et indépendante Amythis, sa fiancée depuis 7 ans.
Three for the Show, 1h33
Directed by H. C. Potter
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Romantic comedy, Musical
Themes Musical films, Films based on plays, Films about marriage
Actors Betty Grable, Jack Lemmon, Gower Champion, Marge Champion, Myron McCormick, Paul Harvey
Roles Vernon Lowndes
Rating60% 3.047963.047963.047963.047963.04796
Singing-and-dancing stage star Julie (Betty Grable) is told that husband Marty (Jack Lemmon) is reported missing in action during Korea. After a long waiting period, she makes plans to marry Vernon (Gower Champion), who is Marty's best friend. After the marriage, Marty (who crashed but survived on an island) turns up at one of Julie's shows. Upon discovering Julie's new marriage, Marty demands his rights as her first husband.
Give a Girl a Break, 1h24
Directed by Stanley Donen
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Musical theatre, Musical, Romance
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films
Actors Marge Champion, Kurt Kasznar, Gower Champion, Debbie Reynolds, William Ching, Bob Fosse
Roles Ted Sturgis
Rating62% 3.1417853.1417853.1417853.1417853.141785
When the temperamental star of a new Broadway musical revue in rehearsals walks out, director and choreographer Ted Sturgis (Gower Champion) suggests casting an unknown for the role. When it is announced in the newspapers, throngs of hopefuls show up. The revue's musical composer, Leo Belney (Kurt Kasznar), champions ballerina Joanna Moss, while gofer Bob Dowdy (Bob Fosse) is enchanted by novice Suzy Doolittle (Debbie Reynolds). Then producer Felix Jordan (Larry Keating) persuades Ted's former dance partner, Madelyn Corlane (Marge Champion), to come out of retirement to try out, much to Ted's great discomfort.
Everything I Have Is Yours
Directed by Robert Z. Leonard
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Romantic comedy, Musical
Themes Musical films
Actors Gower Champion, Marge Champion, Dennis O'Keefe, Dean Miller, Monica Lewis, Eduard Franz
Roles Chuck Hubbard
Rating57% 2.8606052.8606052.8606052.8606052.860605
The husband and wife dance team, Chuck and Pamela Hubbard (Gower Champion and Marge Champion), are a pair of happily married dancers. The Hubbards have dreamed for years of taking their act to Broadway, and after much hard work and perseverance, they finally get their shot at the big time, only to discover that Pamela is pregnant, and her doctor forbids her to dance.
Lovely to Look At, 1h41
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, Vincente Minnelli
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Musical theatre, Musical, Romance
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films, Films based on plays, Films based on musicals
Actors Kathryn Grayson, Red Skelton, Howard Keel, Marge Champion, Gower Champion, Ann Miller
Roles Jerry Ralby
Rating61% 3.097833.097833.097833.097833.09783
Tony Naylor, Al Marsh and Jerry Ralby are looking for backers for their new Broadway show. They have just run out of options when Al gets a letter from his Aunt's attorneys and finds he is a part-owner of a dress salon in Paris. Thinking to sell his share, he, Jerry, and Tony fly to Paris, only to find the shop is almost bankrupt. There they also find Stephanie and Clarisse, who own the other shares of the business. Tony is able to convince the anxious creditors to back a fashion show, hoping to put the shop back on top. As the plot progresses, Tony is torn between his growing affection for Stephanie and his desire to finance his show. Meanwhile, Jerry falls for Clarisse, and Al has a crush on Stephanie. Eventually, Al goes for Bubbles, who has followed the boys from New York.
Show Boat
Show Boat (1951)
, 1h47
Directed by George Sidney
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Musical theatre, Musical, Romance
Themes Seafaring films, Films about music and musicians, Transport films, Musical films, Films based on plays, Films based on musicals
Actors Kathryn Grayson, Ava Gardner, Howard Keel, Joe E. Brown, Marge Champion, Gower Champion
Roles Frank Schultz
Rating68% 3.4436653.4436653.4436653.4436653.443665
The basic plot remains the same as in the stage play and the 1936 film version. When the Cotton Blossom, Cap'n Andy Hawks's show boat, arrives in a Mississippi town to give a performance, a fistfight breaks out between leading man Steve Baker (Robert Sterling), and Pete (Leif Erickson), the boat's engineer who has been making passes at Steve's wife, leading lady Julie La Verne (Ava Gardner). But Cap'n Andy (Joe E. Brown) pretends to the assembled crowd that the two were really previewing a scene from one of the boat's melodramas. But Pete knows a dark secret about Julie, and he runs off to tell the local sheriff.
Mr. Music
Mr. Music (1950)
, 1h50
Directed by Richard Haydn
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Musical theatre, Romance
Themes Théâtre, Films based on plays
Actors Bing Crosby, Nancy Olson, Groucho Marx, Charles Coburn, Ruth Hussey, Robert Stack
Roles Gower Champion
Rating60% 3.0489953.0489953.0489953.0489953.048995
New York theater producer Alex Conway (Charles Coburn) travels with composer Paul Merrick (Bing Crosby) to Lawford College, Paul's alma mater, where one of his musicals is being revived by the students. The current campus hero is handsome athlete Jefferson Blake (Robert Stack) so Katherine Holbrook (Nancy Olson), class valedictorian and chairman of the welcoming committee for returning alumni, asks Paul to work in a phrase about Jeff in one of his songs. Paul balks at the suggestion, but Kate's matter-of-fact manner leaves no room for discussion.
Till the Clouds Roll By, 2h12
Directed by Vincente Minnelli, Busby Berkeley, Richard Whorf, Henry Koster
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Biography, Musical
Themes Dance films, Films about music and musicians, Musical films
Actors Judy Garland, Lucille Bremer, Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, Van Heflin, Robert Walker
Roles Dance Specialty
Rating62% 3.147363.147363.147363.147363.14736
La véritable histoire du célèbre compositeur Jerome Kern. Lors de la première représentation de la comédie musicale "Show Boat" à Broadway, le légendaire compositeur Jerome Kern se remémore avec émotion ses débuts et les différentes étapes de sa prestigieuse carrière...
Rhapsody in Blue, 2h15
Directed by Irving Rapper
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Biography, Musical, Romance
Themes Films about music and musicians, Films about classical music and musicians, Jazz films, Musical films
Actors Robert Alda, Joan Leslie, Alexis Smith, Hazel Scott, Julie Bishop, Charles Coburn
Roles Tap Dancer at Remick's (uncredited)
Rating69% 3.494543.494543.494543.494543.49454
La relation tumultueuse du compositeur George Gershwin avec la chanteuse Julie Adams.

Director

The Bank Shot, 1h23
Directed by Gower Champion
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Crime
Themes Heist films, Gangster films, Escroquerie
Actors George C. Scott, Joanna Cassidy, Don Calfa, Sorrell Booke, Bob Balaban, Clifton James
Rating54% 2.7041452.7041452.7041452.7041452.704145
A bank temporarily housed in a mobile home while a new building is built, looks like an easy target to break into. On the other hand, why not steal the whole bank, and rob it in a safer location?
My Six Loves, 1h41
Directed by Gower Champion
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Actors Debbie Reynolds, Cliff Robertson, David Janssen, Barry Livingston, Eileen Heckart, Hans Conried
Rating64% 3.241523.241523.241523.241523.24152
Janice Courtney is a big success on Broadway, but the busy actress collapses from exhaustion. A doctor orders her to return to her Connecticut home for a long rest.

Scriptwriter

Give a Girl a Break, 1h24
Directed by Stanley Donen
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Musical theatre, Musical, Romance
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films
Actors Marge Champion, Kurt Kasznar, Gower Champion, Debbie Reynolds, William Ching, Bob Fosse
Roles Musical
Rating62% 3.1417853.1417853.1417853.1417853.141785
When the temperamental star of a new Broadway musical revue in rehearsals walks out, director and choreographer Ted Sturgis (Gower Champion) suggests casting an unknown for the role. When it is announced in the newspapers, throngs of hopefuls show up. The revue's musical composer, Leo Belney (Kurt Kasznar), champions ballerina Joanna Moss, while gofer Bob Dowdy (Bob Fosse) is enchanted by novice Suzy Doolittle (Debbie Reynolds). Then producer Felix Jordan (Larry Keating) persuades Ted's former dance partner, Madelyn Corlane (Marge Champion), to come out of retirement to try out, much to Ted's great discomfort.