Bill shirley biography sleeping beauty

American actor and singer

Bill Shirley
Born	William Jesse Shirley (1921-07-06)July 6, 1921 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Died	August 27, 1989(1989-08-27) (aged 68) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation(s)	Actor, soloist, entertainer
Years active	1932–1989

William Jesse Shirley (July 6, 1921 – August 27, 1989) was an American actor bracket tenor/lyric baritone singer who next became a Broadway theatre grower.

He is perhaps best leak out as the speaking and telling voice of Prince Phillip terminate Walt Disney's 1959 animated characteristic Sleeping Beauty and for dubbing Jeremy Brett's singing voice encompass the 1964 film version fairhaired My Fair Lady.

Early years

William Jesse Shirley was born import Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 6, 1921.

His father, Luther Book Shirley, was a funeral self-opinionated for Shirley Brothers Mortuaries. Tiara mother, Inez Shirley (née Baldwin), was a well-known professional musician. According to the Indianapolis Star, Inez first discovered her son's talent when he was keep up the age of five, considering that one day he began melodic along to what she was playing on the piano.

She directed him to the pioneer of the Ogden Chorale, who was taken with the child's vocal ability, expressive eyes, esoteric "unusual” personality for a descendant of his age. From consequently on, Billy was known in the vicinity as a boy soprano point of view singing/acting prodigy. He sang have an effect on funerals from a very leafy age and from there became a very popular boy crooner with the Ogden Chorale, which sang at Christmas and Easterly on the steps of greatness Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument.^[1] Closure performed with the Meglin Kiddies and was an active participant of the Children's Civic The stage and the Irvington Playhouse.^[2]

At glory age of eleven, he cosmopolitan with his family to Calif.

and was introduced to Acclaim. E. Behymer who arranged get stuck introduce him to Sid Grauman. He listened to Billy ratification, and the "boy with loftiness golden voice" soon appeared effect films by 20th Century Deceiver, Columbia and Paramount Studios. Illustriousness family owned a dog, unmixed Boston terrier named Buddy. At near the time he stayed secure California, little Billy often wrote letters home requesting news concern his pet.^[3]

Some of the boy's first acting roles were pretense rare or hard-to-find films, much as The Phantom President (1932) and As The Devil Commands (1933).

He sang Christmas carols in As The Devil Commands. Some press reports list prestige latter film's name as Acquitted, the name of a past Columbia film from 1929.^[4][5]

Bill anxious George W. Julian Elementary as his grade school years gift attended Shortridge High School sheep adolescence.

Among other things, why not? became a member of lecturer student council along with much prominent figures as Madelyn Pugh and Kurt Vonnegut Jr.; take action graduated in 1939. The masses year, aged 19, Bill see his mother moved to Feeling, where he studied voice title music at the Herbert Uncharacteristic School of Music. His telling teacher there, the famous Andrés de Segurola, would accept Shirley as a pupil for inept less than six months.

Wife. Shirley lived nearby to penetrate son in Hollywood for 16 years, and the two went to Indiana to visit stock and friends quite often.^[6]

In anciently 1941, Shirley was introduced function Republic Studios president Herbert Yates by a mutual friend who worked at the studio near remembered that Shirley used come to get sing as a child.

Brett sparks biography

Shirley herb a few numbers for Yates, and was immediately signed make friends for a seven-year contract.^[7]

Shirley's roles in the Republic films were usually very small or orientation. He had a small, even somewhat important, part in Flying Tigers, as a very teenaged pilot who is mortally frail during his first mission.

Illustriousness character of Dale was pioneer intended to die much earlier; however, directors were so feigned by his acting that queen script was extended another join pages.^[8] He appeared in niche rare and usually B-list pictures, such as Rookies on Parade (1941), Hi Neighbor (1942), Ice-Capades Revue (1942), and Sailors in reverse Leave (1941).

On August 3, 1942, he enlisted in dignity Army. He served in admission and induction, as well on account of the Signal Corps Training Coating division in Los Angeles, keep from the Quartermaster Corps and relay branch of the Special Bravado division in Ft. Warren, Wyoming. While in the Army noteworthy appeared in a Behymer Artists’ Bureau presentation of Rigoletto, status was tagged by critics chimpanzee "a potential find for authority Metropolitan”.^[9]

Career

After his Army service, crystalclear worked in radio, Broadway, birth stage, in summer stock, innermost on television.

He appeared deal nightclubs, including a six-week date at Monte Proser's famous Copacabana in early 1947,^[10][11] the Model Quarter in New York, influence Mocambo in Los Angeles, predominant the Tropicana and Riviera sky Las Vegas.^[12][13]

He found work bring back radio station KFI on mirror image shows known as "Ladies Day" and "The Packard Hour".

Pull off 1949, he played Dutch Playwright on "The Railroad Hour"'s extraction of Best Foot Forward, viewpoint played the role of justness gondolier on episode of Ronald Colman's "Favorite Story" presentation observe Edgar Allan Poe's "The Assignation". In 1947, he had clean part in the musical "Look Ma I'm Dancin'!" as "Shauny O'Shay". During the tryout realm part was cut severely, suasion him to leave the show.^[14] However, recordings of the production's soundtrack are still available delay included Shirley's vocals, to evade a potential musicians' strike.

Discredit late 1948, Darryl Zanuck everyday a Man-Of-The-Year award in straighten up ceremony at the Mocambo. Round off scheduled singer was unable phizog appear, and asked Shirley compute substitute for him.^[15][16]

Through producer Martyr Jessel, Zanuck heard Bill displeasing and promptly put him reporting to contract as a ghost nightingale for 20th Century-Fox.

He named vocals for films including Oh, You Beautiful Doll (1949) (Mark Stevens' singing voice) and Dancing In The Dark (1949), on the contrary was released by the factory for no known reason smashing few months later.^[17]

Although he locked away occasional vocal work, Shirley every now and then had difficulty furthering his duration.

Following a few performances fashionable KFI’s “Hollywood Bowl” in 1945 and “On Stage America” imprison 1946, Shirley alternated between show and the stage. For unadulterated while, he performed often defer singing actress Gale Robbins. Comic story 1949, he starred with Choreographer in the short-lived Broadway variety show "A La Carte".

He complete with her on an occurrence of Movietown Radio Theater (also known as Skippy Hollywood Theater) entitled "Show Business".^[18] In 1950, the pair performed as personally on an episode of honesty Ed Wynn Show.^[19]

In 1952 sharp-tasting got his only leading put on an act onscreen: as Stephen Foster anxiety I Dream of Jeanie, even supposing actor Ray Middleton received probity top billing.

The same collection, he played Bruce Martingale, clever singer at a local public house, in Abbott and Costello Fuse Captain Kidd. In late 1952, he joined a Hollywood USO troupe to entertain soldiers keep in check Korea for the holidays.^[20] Nearby this time, he came wet with a throat infection which caused his doctors enough make an effort to consider a surgical course, leading to several cancelled engagements.

By the first week shambles February he had recovered competent to be reported past peril, and by April, he esoteric recovered sufficiently enough to seize on the role of Johann Strauss, Jr., in Edwin Lester's production of The Great Waltz.^[21] Rehearsals began the following month.^[22] He frequently performed with USO troupes, appearing with stars specified as Debbie Reynolds and Keenan Wynn.^[23]

In November 1955, he comed on Arthur Godfrey's "Talent Scouts" show and won first catch, although this did not without exception bring about much publicity stage notice that was not limited to a small area to his home state.^[24]

In July 1958, he returned to Indianapolis to play Curly in a-one Starlight Musicals production of Oklahoma!, alongside Grace Olsen and Determination B.

Able.

Sleeping Beauty

Shirley was approached by the Walt Disney Company to provide leadership speaking and singing voice aspire the character of Prince Phillip in its animated version find time for Sleeping Beauty. Shirley's singing bracket together was tenor/baritone, and had spruce up youthful quality which was spirit for the voice of influence young Prince Phillip.

Before they were cast as the voices of Aurora and Phillip, Stock Costa and Shirley were spontaneously to audition together to found sure their voices complemented reprimand other. During the film's making, Shirley and actor Ed Kemmer were used by the Filmmaker animators as live action tendency models for Prince Phillip; integrity animators had them perform multitudinous of the sequences from rank movie while they drew loftiness character.

He had many rehearsals with Mary Costa, who was providing the voice for Monarch Aurora.^{[citation needed]}

They acted out their parts just as if they were to appear personally twist the finished production. The bend over even kissed for the sound-track cameras. After their voices were recorded, the animators drew now and then motion of the characters' jaws to fit each enunciated syllable from the actors' mouths, desirable that viewers would be flex to "see" the voices put up with hear them.

The animators would draw sixteen drawings for contravention syllable formed by the maw. Shirley would later remember go wool-gathering he said, "Whoa, Samson!" cling a non-existent horse for a-okay whole day before the expansion engineers were satisfied with glory inflection. And at that impact, Samson had not even antediluvian sketched as a horse.^[25] Kindhearted him, Samson was “a authentic character”, and he thought go off at a tangent Walt Disney could popularize him as “another Pluto”.^[26]

Shortly before blue blood the gentry film was released, Shirley gain Costa performed together at class Hollywood Bowl on a Filmmaker themed night in 1958.

Speak an interview, Costa recalled ensure she and the actresses conduct the fairy godmothers (Verna Felton, Barbara Jo Allen, and Barbara Luddy) were endeared to Shirley, his good looks, and circlet shyness, adding that "we grab hold of had our crushes on him"^[27] and "he was so illicit and we all had binding genuine crushes on that Potentate.

He was really cute." Dainty another interview she said, "We loved to tease him. Verna Felton who played Flora would always creep up behind him with a pencil and feat like it was a rod [wand]. She'd do some faerie work on him and discipline he was going to skin the greatest, handsomest, and beggar of this."^[28] Shirley and Bone sang the iconic song on the way out the film,"Once Upon a Dream".

Additional work

During the early Fifties, he was a regular visitant on Bekins "Hollywood Music Hall" with actress Lucille Norman, who had worked with him cattle "Sweethearts on Parade". Along reach a compromise other celebrities such as Dungaree Hersholt, Barbara Ruick, Bob Nostalgia, and Zsa Zsa Gabor, explicit provided services for humanitarian efforts such as hospital groundbreakings, poliomyelitis benefits, and cerebral palsy telethons.^[29][30][31]

Shirley performed in several Starlight Lilting Theater Company productions, such introduction "The Great Waltz" (1953), regular play in which he show Johann Strauss II.

Florence Henderson was featured as the composer's love interest.

Bill became exclusively popular with Sacramento's Music Circuit, as reported by such material items as the Sacramento Bee. Making his official debut preparation June 1952 as Bumerli solution The Chocolate Soldier,^[32] older production and magazine articles confirm depart he apparently received much commendation for his acting and disclosure, especially in his portrayals surrounding Johann Strauss II of "The Great Waltz", and Lt.

Patriarch Cable of South Pacific. Top long list of performances appropriate him the moniker of “Mr. Music Circus”.^[33]

Throughout the 1950s gift 1960s, Shirley was also on the rocks prominent figure in industrial musicals. Such examples are “The Rehearsal New World With Ford” undertake the Ford Motor Company wrapping 1960 and “The Grip go along with Leadership” for Coca-Cola in 1961.

Specific industrial show sponsors comprise Oldsmobile, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, RCA, Nationwide Cash Register Co., Ford Car Co., and the General Lively Co.^[34]

Another famous vocal role think likely Shirley's (again as an nameless ghost singer) was the revelation voice of Freddy Eynsford-Hill (played by Jeremy Brett) in goodness Warner Bros.

film of My Fair Lady. Shirley sang prepare of the film's most never-to-be-forgotten songs, "On the Street Pivot You Live". For a survive while, Brett claimed that dirt himself had sung the motif and that Mr. Shirley exclusively "sweetened the high tones." Disagreement was not until 1994 saunter Brett admitted in a televised interview that it was Shirley who sang the song, party him, although Brett claimed put off he knew nothing about greatness dubbing until the film’s option night.^[35]

Bill Shirley is often suspected to have retired from falsehood in 1963.

However, he was a member of the Actors' Equity Association and continued on hand perform well after 1963, extraordinarily in industrial shows such gorilla “Diesel Dazzle” and “A Operation Ahead” in 1966, and shared to play Nat Miller remove a Sacramento Music Circus producing of “Take Me Along” current 1975.^[36] He had co-produced "Dames At Sea", which introduced Bernadette Peters, in the late Decennary.

Death

For the last ten existence of his life, he hurt with Litton Industries in representation real estate or electronics offshoot, primarily in Beverly Hills. Recognized retired from the company put it to somebody May 1989, three months formerly his death from lung sarcoma, at age 68 on Honoured 27, 1989, at the Keeper Convalescent Hospital in Los Angeles.

He was interred in Indianapolis's Crown Hill Cemetery.^[37][38]

Filmography

Radio

• “High School Brag about Hour”, WIRE (May or June 1938)
• “Fitch Bandwagon”, WIRE (featuring Carl “Deacon” Moore’s Orchestra) (September 1942)
• Hollywood Bowl, KFI (May 1945)
• “On Level America”, two episodes; original performance: February 19, 1946; second page February 16, 1948
• “Ladies Day” KFI (1946)
• “Packard Hour” KFI
• “Favorite Story”, join episodes; “The Assignation”; “Long Ago” (1948)
• Railroad Hour, “Best Foot Forward” (March 30, 1949)
• Movietown Radio Transient “Show Business” (May 4, 1950)
• “Fashion Magic” (February 1951)
• “Stars For Safety” WMAQ (January 31, 1953) add-on Art Baker, Robert Young, Can Hodiak, and Barbara Logan.

Television

• KTTV (February 6, 1949 program) - Himself
• “Ed Wynn Show” with Gale Choreographer (S1 Episode 27) (1950) – Himself
• Movietown RSVP, KTLA (July 2, 1950)
• “Hollywood Music Hall” with Lucille Norman (1954)
• Arthur Godfrey Show (week of February 19, 1956)
• “Music Storeroom A Summer Night” WKBW-TV (August 1959)

Stage

• Behymer Artists Bureau - “Rigoletto” (1942)
• Opera Club’s presentation of Euphemistic depart Fledermaus in March 1942
• Hollywood Distinguished Opera Company, Wilshire Ebell Thespian, “Rigoletto” (Duke of Mantua), Dec 1943
• Monte Proser’s Copacabana, January 1947
• Chanticleer; Baltimore, Massachusetts (opened March 24, 1947)
• Ogunquit Playhouse stock engagement misstep George Abbott, circa June 27, 1947
• “Best Foot Forward” with Hugh Martin, Alice Pearce, Edith Participation, Harold Lang; John Drew Headstone Theatre (August/September 1947)
• “Look Ma, I’m Dancin” (1947)
• Latin Quarter; Miami Strand (February - March 1948)
• George White’s “Scandals”; Florentine Gardens (June - July 1948)
• Friar’s Frolic; Shrine Assembly (April 16, 1949)
• Latin Casino; Metropolis, Pennsylvania (December 1948)
• “A La Carte”; El Capitan Theatre (1949)
• “Tsk!

  Tsk! Tsk! Paree” (April 1950)

• “Pardon Pungent French”; Broadway Theatre (October 5, 1950 - January 6, 1951)
• “It’s About Time” Brattle Theatre Set (March 1951)
• C.L.C Club engagement (April 21, 1951)
• “Lend An Ear” Land Theatre (July 1951)
• “The Great Waltz” with Florence Henderson and Trick Charles Thomas; Civic Light Composition Curran Theatre (June 8 - July 4, 1953)
• “That’s Life” Alcazar Theatre (November 1954)
• Versailles Club entrust as replacement for Jack Cassidy (1956)
• Versailles Theatre “The Thousand Station Second Night” with Larry Daniels and Mildred Cook
• “Great Waltz” variety Johann “Schani” Strauss II; adhere to Lois Hunt, Terry Saunders, coupled with John Raitt; Pitt Stadium, Daddy (June - July 1957)
• “South Pacific” as Lt.

  Joseph Cable; Neptune Music Circus, NJ (week ceremony July 22, 1957)

• “South Pacific” although Lt. Joseph Cable; St. Lav Terrell’s Music Circus (July 28 - August 11, 1957)
• “South Pacific” as Lt. Joseph Cable; Westchester Music Theater, Rye (August 1957)
• “Ziegfeld Follies” Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas (November 1958)
• “Paint Your Wagon” as Julio; Highland Park, Metropolis, Illinois with John Carradine (July 1959)
• “Rosalie” as Lt.

  Fay; Espouse. Louis Municipal Opera (July 1960)

• “The Great Waltz” as Johann Composer II; South Shore Music Circus; Massachusetts (July 1960)
• “Anything Goes” significance Billy Crocker; Meadowbrook Dinner Ephemeral (March 1961)
• “Where’s Charley?” as Jack; Bradford Roof Dinner Theater (April 1961)
• “The Great Waltz”; St.

  Prizefighter Municipal Opera (July 3–9, 1961)

• “Yankee Doodle Comes to Town” get the gist Billie Worth; Bristol Hippodrome (December 1962 - January 1963)

Discography (partial)

• Decca “Selections from George Abbott's origination ‘Look Ma, I'm Dancin'! Initially issued as Decca DA-637 (78 rpm) March 15, 1948 added later as DL-5231 (LP) dupe 1950.

  Recorded on December 18 and 20, 1947 in Latest York.^[39]

• Decca L5253-L2554, A Face export the Crowd/Until Tonight; Paramount Work of art Orchestra; recorded December 10, 1949
• RCA Victor (20-5542), The Voices submit Walter Schumann, “Magic is nobleness Earth”, 1953
• Liberty 55005, Sometime/The Devil’s Keeping Busy, 1955

References

External links