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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.
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.
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. |
| Then California Governor Ronald Reagan and Rudy Vallee. |
| 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). |
| An autographed picture of a young Rudy Vallee with his saxophone. |
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). |
| (RKO My 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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| Close to Home: Stamp Would Honor Late Rudy Vallee The singer's wife lobbies the Postal Service for a commemorative stamp of her late husband By Melanie Creamer, Staff Writer October 8, 2008 |
James Dean has a commemorative stamp from the U.S. Postal Service.
Marilyn Monroe has one, and Frank Sinatra's stamp was just released. Now, it's Rudy Vallee's turn.
Eleanor Vallee, author of "My Vagabond Lover: An Intimate Biography of Rudy Vallee," is on a crusade to get a
commemorative stamp for her late husband, who grew up in Westbrook and became one of America's most loved
entertainers.
Vallee's application has been formally accepted for consideration by the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee. Now,
she needs one last surge of support to move the application process forward. She is encouraging local and state
officials and the public to write letters of support to the committee. She said her husband is more than deserving
of the recognition.
"This campaign is the most important thing to me. Rudy was an icon," his wife said.
Her goal is to secure the stamp by July for the rededication of Vallee Square, the building at 863 Main St. in
Westbrook that once housed the Vallee Drug Store, where Rudy worked as a soda fountain jerk.
"He always got a kick out of coming back to his old town. Rudy loved it there. Everyone was so gracious to us,"
his wife said, noting that she plans to attend the ceremony.
Rudy Vallee, famous for singing through his trademark megaphone, became popular in the late 1920s with the
Savoy Havana Band at London's famous Savoy Hotel. In 1928, he emerged on the national scene with the debut of
a radio talk show called the Rudy Vallee Hour, which drew millions of listeners and made Vallee a superstar. He
appeared in 33 movies, starred on Broadway, and had a number of record-selling hits.
Vallee's career spanned 50 years and involved every aspect of the entertainment business, said Brad Butler, an
account executive for Promotion in Motion, a public relations firm based in Los Angeles that was hired to run the
stamp campaign.
"He was a very interesting guy, small-town guy, who came out of nowhere and set the tone for guys like Bing
Crosby, Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra. He was the first popular singer that caused women to throw their
undergarments on stage. He was a ground-breaking entertainer. He was an icon in the entertainment business,"
Butler said.
The advisory committee receives roughly 50,000 applications each year. If the committee approves the request for
the commemorative stamp, it will be released July 28, 2011, Vallee's 110th birthday.
To learn more about his life or to send a letter of support, go to www.rudyvalleestamp.com
Marilyn Monroe has one, and Frank Sinatra's stamp was just released. Now, it's Rudy Vallee's turn.
Eleanor Vallee, author of "My Vagabond Lover: An Intimate Biography of Rudy Vallee," is on a crusade to get a
commemorative stamp for her late husband, who grew up in Westbrook and became one of America's most loved
entertainers.
Vallee's application has been formally accepted for consideration by the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee. Now,
she needs one last surge of support to move the application process forward. She is encouraging local and state
officials and the public to write letters of support to the committee. She said her husband is more than deserving
of the recognition.
"This campaign is the most important thing to me. Rudy was an icon," his wife said.
Her goal is to secure the stamp by July for the rededication of Vallee Square, the building at 863 Main St. in
Westbrook that once housed the Vallee Drug Store, where Rudy worked as a soda fountain jerk.
"He always got a kick out of coming back to his old town. Rudy loved it there. Everyone was so gracious to us,"
his wife said, noting that she plans to attend the ceremony.
Rudy Vallee, famous for singing through his trademark megaphone, became popular in the late 1920s with the
Savoy Havana Band at London's famous Savoy Hotel. In 1928, he emerged on the national scene with the debut of
a radio talk show called the Rudy Vallee Hour, which drew millions of listeners and made Vallee a superstar. He
appeared in 33 movies, starred on Broadway, and had a number of record-selling hits.
Vallee's career spanned 50 years and involved every aspect of the entertainment business, said Brad Butler, an
account executive for Promotion in Motion, a public relations firm based in Los Angeles that was hired to run the
stamp campaign.
"He was a very interesting guy, small-town guy, who came out of nowhere and set the tone for guys like Bing
Crosby, Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra. He was the first popular singer that caused women to throw their
undergarments on stage. He was a ground-breaking entertainer. He was an icon in the entertainment business,"
Butler said.
The advisory committee receives roughly 50,000 applications each year. If the committee approves the request for
the commemorative stamp, it will be released July 28, 2011, Vallee's 110th birthday.
To learn more about his life or to send a letter of support, go to www.rudyvalleestamp.com
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| Left control panel for Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries, Right There's A Tavern in the Town |
| Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries and There's A Tavern in the Town is a light hearted yet serious song that represents an era and the style and grace of Rudy Vallee. |
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
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.
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
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.