Lucille Bremer
Lucille Bremer | |
---|---|
La Jolla, California , U.S. | |
Occupation(s) | Actress, dancer |
Years active | 1933–1948 |
Spouse |
Abelardo Louis Rodriguez
(m. 1948; div. 1963) |
Children | 4 |
Lucille Bremer (February 21, 1917 – April 16, 1996) was an American film actress and dancer.
Biography
Bremer was born in
Pre-Hollywood career
Once in New York, she danced in various specialty acts, most notably in the 1939 New York World's Fair "American Jubilee". She auditioned and began her career as a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, at age 16.[1] She was voted as "most likely to succeed" by her Rockette peers.[2] She was also known as "5th from the right" in the Rockettes line up. Bremer also auditioned as a dancer for various Broadway shows, along with fellow stars Vera-Ellen and June Allyson, appearing as a 'Pony Girl' in the Broadway musical Panama Hattie and also in Lady in the Dark.[3]
Bremer's first attempt at a career in films was unsuccessful. She said of her screen test with Warner Bros.: "It was so bad I realized why nothing had happened."[2] She returned to dancing, performing at the Copacabana nightclub in New York City and the Club Versailles, where she was spotted by Arthur Freed, a producer at Metro Goldwyn Mayer.[2] She was listed among six "Samba Sirens" for the Copacabana Revue's in the summer of 1942 outing in Saratoga Springs, New York,[4] and as a singer-dancer as a Hotel Commodore "Commodorable" in 1943.[5]
Career in film
Freed took her to Hollywood, where her screen test impressed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer mogul Louis B. Mayer. She was offered a contract with Goldwyn Studios, but ultimately decided to sign with MGM so that she could showcase her dancing ability. An accomplished dancer, she was considered to display potential as a dramatic actress. She studied acting at MGM with the great acting coach Lillian Burns, and was groomed for stardom as an important member of the legendary Freed Unit.[6]
Bremer made her screen debut to excellent notices in director
Life and career after MGM
One of her last films was alongside Mexican movie star Arturo de Córdova in Adventures of Casanova (1948).
Reportedly disappointed with her Hollywood career, she elected not to renew her contract and left the film industry. She had met and fallen in love with the son of the former president of Mexico, Abelardo Luis Rodriguez,[9] who bore the same name as his father. She and "Rod" Rodriguez were married at Catalina Island in August 1948. She moved with him to Baja California Sur, Mexico, at the beginning of the Golden Age of Baja and started the private resort Rancho Las Cruces as well as the original Palmilla Hotel and the Hacienda Hotel. With her contacts in Hollywood and her husband Rod's influence, they drew people from Hollywood who sought to enjoy this newly found paradise. She and her husband were also business partners with Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball, and Bing Crosby.
After her divorce (in 1963), Bremer settled in La Jolla, California, where she owned a children's clothing boutique. She continued to travel between La Jolla, California, and Baja California Mexico.
Death
Bremer died in 1996 from a heart attack at age 79.[10]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
1942 | Penny Arcade (short film) | Woman |
1944 | This Love of Mine (short film) | Dancer |
Meet Me in St. Louis | Rose Smith | |
1945 | Yolanda and the Thief | Yolanda |
1946 | Ziegfeld Follies | Princess ("This Heart of Mine") / Moy Ling ("Limehouse Blues") |
Till the Clouds Roll By | Sally Hessler | |
1947 | Dark Delusion | Cynthia Grace |
1948 | Adventures of Casanova | Lady Bianca |
Ruthless | Christa Mansfield | |
Behind Locked Doors | Kathy Lawrence |
References
- ^ a b Oliver, Myrna (April 20, 1996). "Lucille Bremer; Film Actress, Astaire Dancing Partner". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
- ^
- ^ "Stage Dancer Signed". Rochester Times-Union (Rochester, N.Y.), July 20, 1943.
- ^ "Monte Proser Presents the Copacabana Revue (advertisement)", The Saratogian (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), July 27, 1942.
- ^ Wilson, Earl. "It Happened Last Night", New York Evening Post, January 22, 1943.
- OCLC 34677177.
- ^ Rocchietta, Sergio; Julien, Pierre (1987). "Question CLXXX, Pharmacie, chanson et musique". Revue d'Histoire de la Pharmacie. 75 (274): 294–296.
- Gale A116672823.
- ^ "Actress Lucille Bremer Marries". The Spokesman-Review. August 5, 1948. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 16, 2023.