March Birthdays!

Gene Nelson was born on March 21st 1920.

His full name was,

Leander Eugene Berg.

Gene Nelson first decided he wanted to be a dancer in the early thirties when he was still a teenager.

His first movie was called, "Everything Happens At Night," in whihc he played an uncredited character. However before he was a dancer he toured with and Ice Skating copmany. For a while he served in the army during World War 11. Some of his more famous musicals were,"Oklahoma," "Lullaby of Broadway," "Tea For Two," "Three Sailors and a Girl" and 2 movies he made with Elvis Presley. After Gene Nelson finished film making career, he directed a few television episodes of the rifleman and I dream of Jeannie. He died of cancer in 1996.

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Rex Harrison was born on March 5th 1908. His full name was Reginald Carey Harrison.
When "Reginald" was a kid he changed his name to the latin version of king, which is Rex. He started acting on the stage as a young adult and he said he always preferred stage acting to film. His first famous play was called "French Without Tears." However his most famous play was My Fair Lady. He hated Julie Andrews' acting in the play because he said she portrayed the cockney accent terribly. He said he much preferred Audrey Hepburn (who played her in the film version) to Julie Andrews. He was offered to play the king in the movie The King and I, but turned the role down.

When Rex Harrison was a child he had the measles which caused him to be almost completely blind in his left eye for the rest of his life. Rex Harrison had the reputation of being mean and rude throughout his whole life.
In 1967 Rex Harrison played the movie called Dr. Dolittle. The movie turned out to be a flop.

In 1989 he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth 11. He died 1 year later from cancer.

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Cyd Charisse was born on March 8th 1921. Her real name was Tula Ellice Finklea. Cyd charisse had been doing ballet from a very early age, and it was her main interest. at age 13 she joined a ballet group.
8 years later she played in her first film, called "Escort Girl," in which she played an un-credited dancer.

Something To Shout About was her first movie in which she played a real character.
Harvey Girls was one of her first big hit's alothough she didn't play the leading lady.

Although a good ballerina, she never sange for herself. One of her biggst parts in a film was the character named Fiona in the movie Brigadoon. Other big hit's were: The Band Wagon, It's Always Fair Weather and Silk Stockings. She was originally going to play Nadine in the movie Easter Parade and the lead part in An American in Paris. She was also offered the role of Jo in Funny Face.

She died in 2008 from a heart attack.

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Gordon MacRae was born on March 12th in 1921. His full name was Albert Gordon MacRae. He sang in highschool and later entered a competition which got him a two week singing contract with Harry James and his band. He appeared on broadway and radio for 9 yearsbefore he was offered a part in a movie in 1949. The movie was called, The Big Punch.

Some of his more famous movies were, Tea For Two, Caurosel, By the Light of the Silvery Moon and Oklahoma. He played in 5 movies with Doris Day. They're first was Tea For Two. Originally Frank Sinatra was going to play the leading part in the movie Caurosel, but walked out. McRae was cast.

It was one of his favorite roles to play. He died in 1986 from mouth cancer.

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Shirley Jones was born on March 31st, in 1934. Her full name is Shirley Mae Jones. Shirley started training her voice at age 12, and 9 years later was cast in a minor role in the play South Pacific. One year later she played opposite Gordon McRae (her idol) in Oklahoma. It was her first movie role.

One year later she played in the musical, Carousel, again opposite MacRae.
In 1960 she played Marion in the Music Man. During the movie she was pregnant with her second child. Most of her costumes had to be re-fit to hide her stomach. This was one of her last musicals to play in.

Shirley is biggest known for playing the mother in the Partridge Family tv show. The show ran for four seasons. After this show her movie career was over, and from then on she was mainly a television actress.

Shirley Jones lives with her husbad, Marty Ingels and is the mother of 3 children.