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| The Life and Times of the Original Crooner and Show Biz Legend, Rudy Vallee |
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| Edgar Bergen and his famous sidekick Charlie McCarthy pay a visit to Rudy Vallee and his Fleischmann Yeast Hour, 1939. |
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| The Rudy Vallee Celebrity Gallery |
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Born Hubert Prior Vallee in 1901, he changed his name to Rudy after the
famous saxophonist Rudy Wiedoft. During his college days, Vallee played
Wiedoft's records over and over, earning the 'Rudy' nickname from his
fellow students at the University of Maine. Vallee later met his idol and the
two Rudys developed a friendship that lasted until Wiedoft died. One of
Rudy's saxophones, which once belonged to Wiedoft, was later sold to a
Little Rock Attorney as a gift for then governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton.
When Rudy transferred to Yale, he formed a band called the Yale
Collegians, and made his singing debut at the Heigh Ho Club in New York
City, after hastily volunteering to handle the vocals himself because he was
fearful of losing the engagement. This launched the crooning--a natural,
soft, untrained style amplified by use of a megaphone--that he made
famous before Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. When WABC Radio in
New York broadcast Rudy's shows from the Heigh Ho Club, he began
using the "new" microphone, engaging in a sensuous dance and sliding his
fingers up an down the column.
famous saxophonist Rudy Wiedoft. During his college days, Vallee played
Wiedoft's records over and over, earning the 'Rudy' nickname from his
fellow students at the University of Maine. Vallee later met his idol and the
two Rudys developed a friendship that lasted until Wiedoft died. One of
Rudy's saxophones, which once belonged to Wiedoft, was later sold to a
Little Rock Attorney as a gift for then governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton.
When Rudy transferred to Yale, he formed a band called the Yale
Collegians, and made his singing debut at the Heigh Ho Club in New York
City, after hastily volunteering to handle the vocals himself because he was
fearful of losing the engagement. This launched the crooning--a natural,
soft, untrained style amplified by use of a megaphone--that he made
famous before Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. When WABC Radio in
New York broadcast Rudy's shows from the Heigh Ho Club, he began
using the "new" microphone, engaging in a sensuous dance and sliding his
fingers up an down the column.
Rudy Vallee's first two records were A Dream and Nola, recorded in
1921, and his final recordings were in 1973 narrating Grimm's Fairy
Fales. He was first to record the classic song As Time Goes By, 13 years
before Casablanca was made. The Fleischmann Hour, nationally known
as the Rudy Vallee Hour--the first-ever radio talk show and the idea of
radio pioneer Bertha Brainard--debuted in 1928 with millions of listeners,
made Vallee a superstar and was a staple of radio listerners in the 1930s.
It was a live variety revue and Rudy's guests were a mixture of the famous
and the unknown.
He was the first to invite black musicians to be on his show, and in
appreciation, artists such as Louis Armstrong and Josephine Baker
invited Rudy to their clubs in Harlem. Among his blunders: turning down
The Andrew Sisters and believing that Barbra Streisand had no talent.
During his first nine months in New York, he became a legend. At 28 he
wrote his autobiography, Vagabond Dreams Come True. He saved the
life of the sheet music industry during the Great Depression when sales of
everything but Rudy's music virtually stopped. Vallee's starred in the film
The Vagabond Lover in 1929, the first of 33 he would make.
In 1961 Rudy stared in the smash Broadway hit, How To Succeed In
Business Without Even Trying, making a huge comeback. The show
ran for four years, and Rudy later starred in the movie version.
1921, and his final recordings were in 1973 narrating Grimm's Fairy
Fales. He was first to record the classic song As Time Goes By, 13 years
before Casablanca was made. The Fleischmann Hour, nationally known
as the Rudy Vallee Hour--the first-ever radio talk show and the idea of
radio pioneer Bertha Brainard--debuted in 1928 with millions of listeners,
made Vallee a superstar and was a staple of radio listerners in the 1930s.
It was a live variety revue and Rudy's guests were a mixture of the famous
and the unknown.
He was the first to invite black musicians to be on his show, and in
appreciation, artists such as Louis Armstrong and Josephine Baker
invited Rudy to their clubs in Harlem. Among his blunders: turning down
The Andrew Sisters and believing that Barbra Streisand had no talent.
During his first nine months in New York, he became a legend. At 28 he
wrote his autobiography, Vagabond Dreams Come True. He saved the
life of the sheet music industry during the Great Depression when sales of
everything but Rudy's music virtually stopped. Vallee's starred in the film
The Vagabond Lover in 1929, the first of 33 he would make.
In 1961 Rudy stared in the smash Broadway hit, How To Succeed In
Business Without Even Trying, making a huge comeback. The show
ran for four years, and Rudy later starred in the movie version.
| Queen Elizabeth II meeting Rudy Vallee at Film Festival Command Performance, 1954. Elizabeth II was crowned only the year before. |
| Jane Russell, second from left, with Eleanor and Rudy Vallee, 1960s. |
| Eleanor Vallee, Jack Lemmon and dapper Rudy Vallee sporting a straw hat, 1964. |
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| The Palm Beach Story with Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea and Rudy Vallee. Paramount Pictures, 1942) |
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| The Rudy Vallee Portrait Gallery |
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| Send personal letters of support of the Rudy Vallee Commemorative Stamp Campaign, which will be submitted with the formal application in March 2008 address it to the: Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee c/o Stamp Development U.S. Postal Service 1735 North Lynn St., Suite 5013 Arlington, VA 22209-6432. Then send it to Promotion in Motion 6464 Sunset Blvd., Suite 755 Hollywood, CA 90028 Or you can send a note through email to info@rudyvalleestamp.com |
| Rudy Vallee directing an orchestra in a scene from Second Fiddle with Sonja Henie and Tyrone Power (20th Century Fox, 1939). |
John Bush of the All Music Guide wrote this of Rudy
Vallee's career. "A stint at the exclusive Heigh-Ho Club in
New York gave him his first widespread exposure (and an
introductory catchphrase, Heigh-Ho Everybody). During
the following year, he gained a large audience through
radio, vaudeville appearances, and a feature film, The
Vagabond Lover.
"He'd begun recording that year, and burst out of the gate
with the immensely popular singles Marie, Honey and
Weary River. Also in 1929, he began hosting the radio
show The Fleischmann Hour, a top-rated program for over
a decade that introduced into the radio world stars including
George Burns, Gracie Allen, Edgar Bergen and
Frances Langford.
"One year later, he paid tribute to his alma mater and
gained the biggest hit of his career. Stein Song (The
University of Maine) spent more than two months as the
most popular song in America, and later became the official
theme song for the school. He continued to appear in films
during the 1930s, including the major successes George
White's Scandals and Gold Diggers in Paris. By the
time of 1942's The Palm Beach Story though, Vallée had
moved from romantic lead to a talented eccentric character
actor."
"He led a Coast Guard orchestra during World War II, and
found his last big hit, thanks to the film Casablanca, with
1946's As Time Goes By, a song recorded more than
fifteen years earlier.
"After the war, Vallée returned to Hollywood for work in film,
radio, performance and later television. The biggest acting
part of his career came in 1961, when he portrayed a
bombastic company president in the Broadway hit How to
Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
"Without Really Trying (he reprised his role for the 1967
film as well). Vallée continued to appear in films until the
mid-'70s, and performed around the country up to his death
ten years later."
Vallee's career. "A stint at the exclusive Heigh-Ho Club in
New York gave him his first widespread exposure (and an
introductory catchphrase, Heigh-Ho Everybody). During
the following year, he gained a large audience through
radio, vaudeville appearances, and a feature film, The
Vagabond Lover.
"He'd begun recording that year, and burst out of the gate
with the immensely popular singles Marie, Honey and
Weary River. Also in 1929, he began hosting the radio
show The Fleischmann Hour, a top-rated program for over
a decade that introduced into the radio world stars including
George Burns, Gracie Allen, Edgar Bergen and
Frances Langford.
"One year later, he paid tribute to his alma mater and
gained the biggest hit of his career. Stein Song (The
University of Maine) spent more than two months as the
most popular song in America, and later became the official
theme song for the school. He continued to appear in films
during the 1930s, including the major successes George
White's Scandals and Gold Diggers in Paris. By the
time of 1942's The Palm Beach Story though, Vallée had
moved from romantic lead to a talented eccentric character
actor."
"He led a Coast Guard orchestra during World War II, and
found his last big hit, thanks to the film Casablanca, with
1946's As Time Goes By, a song recorded more than
fifteen years earlier.
"After the war, Vallée returned to Hollywood for work in film,
radio, performance and later television. The biggest acting
part of his career came in 1961, when he portrayed a
bombastic company president in the Broadway hit How to
Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
"Without Really Trying (he reprised his role for the 1967
film as well). Vallée continued to appear in films until the
mid-'70s, and performed around the country up to his death
ten years later."
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| Coast Guard Lt. Rudy Vallee doing radio show for NBC Radio Show during World War II. |
| Vintage Rudy Vallee Piano Sheet Music from movie Sweet Music, (Warner Bros. 1935). |
| Unfaithfully Yours with Rex Harrison, Linda Darnell and Rudy Vallee , (20th Century Fox, 1948). |
| Rudy Vallee's first big movie, My Vagabond Lover (RKO Radio Pictures, 1929). |
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| December, 1929: Rudy Vallee, in between performances at the Paramount Theatre in Brooklyn, found time to visit with Postmaster Albert Firmin and veteran letter carrier William F. Kenny at the Brooklyn Post Office as part of a holiday send mail early campaign.* |
| Rudy Vallee Assists the Post Office Brooklyn, 1929 |
| Click to Enlarge News Stories & Letters from the Post Office Top Left: 12/29 Brooklyn Newspaper Accounts of Rudy Vallee Assisting Post Office; Top Right: 12/4/29 Post Office Press Release; Bot Left: 12/9/29 Letter from Postmaster Albert Firmin; Bot Right: 12/28/29 Letter from Nat. Fed of Post Office Clerks |
| *Post Office Materials Courtesy of Thousand Oaks Public Library Special Collections |
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| Left control panel for Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries, Right There's A Tavern in the Town |
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1983 Reunion, Paramount
Pictures: Los Angeles PR
Executive Edward Lozzi,
middle, heard that Cary
Grant was visiting the
Paramount Pictures lot when
Rudy Vallee, his client from
1982 to '85, was filming a
commercial for the movie,
Airplane. He went and
invited Grant to visit the set,
it was the first time they had
seen each since working on
The Bachelor and the
Bobby Soxer, also starting
Myrna Loy and Shirley
Temple, 35 years earlier.
Pictures: Los Angeles PR
Executive Edward Lozzi,
middle, heard that Cary
Grant was visiting the
Paramount Pictures lot when
Rudy Vallee, his client from
1982 to '85, was filming a
commercial for the movie,
Airplane. He went and
invited Grant to visit the set,
it was the first time they had
seen each since working on
The Bachelor and the
Bobby Soxer, also starting
Myrna Loy and Shirley
Temple, 35 years earlier.
| Two efforts would honor city's famous son By Leslie Bridgers Reporter - American Journal Westbrook, Maine; Rudy Vallee’s Hometown |
WESTBROOK (Sep 22, 2008): The wife of legendary entertainer Rudy Vallee and the mayor of Westbrook are looking for help in
recognizing the city's most famous resident.
Eleanor Vallee is campaigning to have a commemorative stamp made in honor of her late husband in celebration of his 110th birthday
in 2011. At the same time, Mayor Bruce Chuluda is forming a committee to start organizing a re-dedication of Vallee Square next
summer.
“I think it's appropriate to remind people of the rich heritage in the city of Westbrook,” Chuluda said about why he wants to re-dedicate
the square, adding that there are a lot of new people living in the city who are probably unaware of the fact that it's Vallee's hometown.
Chuluda said it's a coincidence that Eleanor Vallee is campaigning for the commemorative stamp at the same time, but, he said, he
hopes he can help with that, too.
“It would be a great honor, not only for Rudy Vallee, but also for the city,” he said about getting the stamp made.
In Eleanor Vallee's mind, there's no question that the stamp should – and will – be made.
“He's an icon. He's one of the most famous people in America,” said Vallee in a telephone interview from her Los Angeles home. “Frank
Sinatra just got one, so Rudy Vallee certainly should have his. Frank Sinatra learned everything from Rudy.”
Vallee was born in 1901. He grew up in Westbrook, where his father, Charles Vallee, owned a downtown pharmacy. He went to
Westbrook High School, playing in the high school band, and graduated in the class of 1920. Vallee attended the University of Maine
and Yale. He was one of the most popular radio, recording and film entertainers of the 1930s and '40s, and one of the biggest hits of his
career was "Stein Song (The University of Maine)," which later became the official theme song for the school. His career was
resurrected in the 1960s through a starring role in the Broadway show, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." He died in
1986, in Hollywood.
Eleanor Vallee hired Promotion in Motion, a California company, in January to handle the stamp campaign. A Web site, www.
rudyvalleestamp.com, has kicked off the effort and highlights Rudy Vallee’s 50-year show business career.
Eleanor Vallee filed a formal application with the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee in June and received a letter back from the
committee in July, saying the application was accepted for consideration. Now, she's trying to elicit the support of local officials and
hopes residents of Westbrook can help by sending letters of support to the advisory committee.
There are several requirements set by the U.S. Postal Service in order for someone to be eligible to appear on a commemorative
stamp. Stamp subjects must be deceased Americans with widespread national appeal, and the application must be submitted three
years before a significant anniversary.
Eleanor Vallee, an actress and the author of "My Vagabond Lover," a memoir about her life with Vallee, hopes to be able to announce
that the stamp will be coming at the re-dedication next summer, which she plans on attending.
“We'll get it,” she said about the stamp. “Don't worry about it.”
________________________________________
Based in Westbrook, Reporter - American Journal Leslie Bridgers can be reached at 207-854-2577 or by e-mail at
lbridgers@keepmecurrent.com.
recognizing the city's most famous resident.
Eleanor Vallee is campaigning to have a commemorative stamp made in honor of her late husband in celebration of his 110th birthday
in 2011. At the same time, Mayor Bruce Chuluda is forming a committee to start organizing a re-dedication of Vallee Square next
summer.
“I think it's appropriate to remind people of the rich heritage in the city of Westbrook,” Chuluda said about why he wants to re-dedicate
the square, adding that there are a lot of new people living in the city who are probably unaware of the fact that it's Vallee's hometown.
Chuluda said it's a coincidence that Eleanor Vallee is campaigning for the commemorative stamp at the same time, but, he said, he
hopes he can help with that, too.
“It would be a great honor, not only for Rudy Vallee, but also for the city,” he said about getting the stamp made.
In Eleanor Vallee's mind, there's no question that the stamp should – and will – be made.
“He's an icon. He's one of the most famous people in America,” said Vallee in a telephone interview from her Los Angeles home. “Frank
Sinatra just got one, so Rudy Vallee certainly should have his. Frank Sinatra learned everything from Rudy.”
Vallee was born in 1901. He grew up in Westbrook, where his father, Charles Vallee, owned a downtown pharmacy. He went to
Westbrook High School, playing in the high school band, and graduated in the class of 1920. Vallee attended the University of Maine
and Yale. He was one of the most popular radio, recording and film entertainers of the 1930s and '40s, and one of the biggest hits of his
career was "Stein Song (The University of Maine)," which later became the official theme song for the school. His career was
resurrected in the 1960s through a starring role in the Broadway show, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." He died in
1986, in Hollywood.
Eleanor Vallee hired Promotion in Motion, a California company, in January to handle the stamp campaign. A Web site, www.
rudyvalleestamp.com, has kicked off the effort and highlights Rudy Vallee’s 50-year show business career.
Eleanor Vallee filed a formal application with the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee in June and received a letter back from the
committee in July, saying the application was accepted for consideration. Now, she's trying to elicit the support of local officials and
hopes residents of Westbrook can help by sending letters of support to the advisory committee.
There are several requirements set by the U.S. Postal Service in order for someone to be eligible to appear on a commemorative
stamp. Stamp subjects must be deceased Americans with widespread national appeal, and the application must be submitted three
years before a significant anniversary.
Eleanor Vallee, an actress and the author of "My Vagabond Lover," a memoir about her life with Vallee, hopes to be able to announce
that the stamp will be coming at the re-dedication next summer, which she plans on attending.
“We'll get it,” she said about the stamp. “Don't worry about it.”
________________________________________
Based in Westbrook, Reporter - American Journal Leslie Bridgers can be reached at 207-854-2577 or by e-mail at
lbridgers@keepmecurrent.com.
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| Then California Governor Ronald Reagan and Rudy Vallee. |
| An autographed picture of a young Rudy Vallee with his saxophone. |