Herbert Ross
{{Short description|American film director (1927–2001)}}
{{for|the British-Canadian systematic entomologist|Herbert Holdsworth Ross}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2013}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Herbert Ross
| image =
| imagesize = 230px
| caption = Herbert Ross in 1977
| birth_name = Herbert David Ross
| birth_date = {{birth date|mf=yes|1927|5|13}}
| birth_place = New York City, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|mf=yes|2001|10|9|1927|5|13}}
| death_place = New York City, U.S.
| resting_place = Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
| othername =
| yearsactive = 1942–1995
| spouse = {{plainlist|
- {{marriage|Nora Kaye|1959|1987|reason=died}}
- {{marriage|Lee Radziwill|1988 |2001|reason=divorce}}
}}
| website =
}}
Herbert David Ross (May 13, 1927 – October 9, 2001) was an American actor, choreographer, director and producer who worked predominantly in theater and film. He was nominated for two Academy Awards and a Tony Award.
He is known for directing musicals and comedies such as Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), The Owl and the Pussycat (1970), Play It Again, Sam (1972), The Sunshine Boys, Funny Lady (both 1975), The Goodbye Girl (1977), California Suite (1978), and Pennies From Heaven (1981). His later films include Footloose (1984), and Steel Magnolias (1989). For the drama The Turning Point (1977) he received two Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Director and received the Golden Globe Award for Best Director.
He is also known for his work on Broadway as a choreographer for productions for Barbra Streisand, Stephen Sondheim, Richard Rodgers, and Arthur Laurents. His credits include A Tree Grows in Brooklyn in 1951, Finian's Rainbow in 1960, I Can Get It for You Wholesale in 1962, and Do I Hear a Waltz? in 1965. He was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Choreography for Anyone Can Whistle in 1964.
Early life
Ross was born on May 13, 1927, in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Louis Chester Ross,{{Cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/47/Herbert-Ross.html|title=Herbert Ross Biography (1927-2001)}} a postal clerk, and his wife Martha (née Grundfast). His parents were Russian-Jewish immigrants.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/11/12/archives/that-hollywood-touch-hollywood.html|title = That Hollywood Touch|newspaper = The New York Times|date = November 12, 1978|last1 = Janos|first1 = Leo}} When Ross was nine, his mother died and his father moved the family to Miami and opened a luncheonette.{{cite news|last1=Lyman|first1=Rick|title=Herbert Ross, Broadway Choreographer Turned Hollywood Director, Dies at 74|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/11/movies/herbert-ross-broadway-choreographer-turned-hollywood-director-dies-at-74.html|access-date=26 January 2017|work=The New York Times|date=11 October 2001}}
After dropping out of high school, Ross went to New York to pursue an acting career but became smitten with dance and studied dance.
Career
= Theatre =
Dancer
In 1942, Ross' stage debut came as "Third Witch" in a touring company of Macbeth. The next year brought his first Broadway performance credits with Something for the Boys, as a dancer. Ross was a dancer in Follow the Girls (1943–44), Laffing Room Only (1944–45), Beggar's Holiday (1946–47), and Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'!.
Choreographer
By 1950, he was a choreographer with the American Ballet Theatre and choreographed his first Broadway production, the Arthur Schwartz-Dorothy Fields musical adaptation of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1951). For TV he choreographed All Star Revue, The Milton Berle Show, and The Steve Allen Plymouth Show. Ross's first film assignment came as an uncredited choreographer on Carmen Jones (1954).{{cite news|last1=Kisselgoff|first1=Anna|title=Review/Dance; From Perfectionism to Pastiche In the Films of Herbert Ross|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/06/movies/review-dance-from-perfectionism-to-pastiche-in-the-films-of-herbert-ross.html|access-date=26 January 2017|work=The New York Times|date=6 January 1994}}
Back on Broadway he choreographed House of Flowers (1954) for Peter Brook, and The Body Beautiful (1958). He choreographed some TV specials: The Jerry Lewis Show (1957), Wonderful Town (1958), Meet Me in St Louis (1959) and A Christmas Festival (1959). On Broadway Ross directed and choreographed a revival of Finian's Rainbow (1960). In 1965, Ross choreographed the original production of On a Clear Day, You Can See Forever and, without credit, took over the helm from the director of record, Robert Lewis, when the musical ran into trouble in Boston during its pre-Broadway tryout tour.
Ross went to England where he choreographed the feature film The Young Ones (1961), starring Cliff Richard. He returned to Broadway to be musical director on The Gay Life (1961–62) and I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1962), the latter directed by Arthur Laurents and starring Barbra Streisand. He did The Bacchantes (1961) for TV. Ross then choreographed a second Cliff Richard musical in England, Summer Holiday (1963). On Broadway he choreographed Tovarich (1963) with Vivien Leigh and Anyone Can Whistle (1964) with Laurents. For TV he did musical numbers for The Fantasticks (1964), The Bell Telephone Hour, Delia Scala Show (1962), Rinaldo in campo (1963), and The Nut House!! (1964) and staged numbers for the films Inside Daisy Clover (1965), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and Doctor Dolittle (1967).
On Broadway Ross directed and choreographed Kelly (1965), and choreographed Do I Hear a Waltz? (1965) and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1965-66). He did some additional staging on The Apple Tree (1966–67) directed by Mike Nichols. Ross was choreographer and director of musical numbers for Funny Girl (1968), produced by Ray Stark.{{cite news|last1=Bosworth|first1=Patricia|title=On Stage and Screen, It's All Coming Up Ross's|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/11/20/archives/on-stage-and-screen-its-all-coming-up-rosss-ross-is-everywhere.html|access-date=26 January 2017|work=The New York Times|date=20 November 1977}}
= Film =
His film directorial debut came with the musical version of Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), made by MGM-British, with Peter O'Toole and Petula Clark. It was produced by Arthur P. Jacobs who had made Doctor Dolittle two years prior, and just like that film, Goodbye, Mr. Chips was a box-office disappointment. However, Ross' second feature as director, The Owl and the Pussycat (1970), was a big hit. The film was produced by Ray Stark and starred Streisand.
Ross did T.R. Baskin (1971) then Play It Again, Sam (1972), the latter produced by Jacobs and starring Woody Allen based on his play. Ross made The Last of Sheila (1973) co-written by Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins, and Funny Lady (1975) with Stark and Streisand. Ross directed The Sunshine Boys (1975) based on a play and script by Neil Simon, starting a long collaboration between the two men; Stark produced. Ross directed The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976), and The Turning Point (1977); Ross produced the latter.
Ross had two big hits with Simon scripts produced by Stark, The Goodbye Girl (1977) and California Suite (1978). Ross returned to Broadway to direct Neil Simon's Chapter Two (1977–79). After doing the ballet film Nijinsky (1980){{cite news|last1=Canby|first1=Vincent|title=The Screen: 'Nijinsky,' Filmed by Herbert Ross; Pointeless|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1980/03/20/archives/the-screen-nijinsky-filmed-by-herbert-ross-pointeless.html|access-date=26 January 2017|work=The New York Times|date=20 March 1980}} he directed Simon's I Ought to Be in Pictures (1980–81) on Broadway. He followed this with Pennies from Heaven (1981) and the film version of I Ought to Be in Pictures (1982). His last film with Simon was Max Dugan Returns (1983).
=Later career=
Ross had a huge hit with Footloose (1984). He followed this with two comedies, Protocol (1984) with Goldie Hawn and The Secret of My Success (1987) with Michael J. Fox. Less successful was Dancers (1987).{{cite news|last1=Kisselgoff|first1=Anna|title=DANCE VIEW; Dancers': More Than Meets The Eye|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/25/theater/dance-view-dancers-more-than-meets-the-eye.html|access-date=26 January 2017|work=The New York Times|date=25 October 1987}}{{cite news|last1=Maslin|first1=Janet|authorlink=Janet Maslin|title=FILM REVIEW; Another Buddy Story, With a Twist or Two|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/03/movies/film-review-another-buddy-story-with-a-twist-or-two.html|access-date=26 January 2017|work=The New York Times|date=3 February 1995}}{{cite news|last1=Gates|first1=Anita|title=TAKING THE CHILDREN; Zipping Through School, but, Boy, Is He Dumb|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/19/movies/taking-the-children-zipping-through-school-but-boy-is-he-dumb-214795.html|access-date=26 January 2017|work=The New York Times|date=19 February 1995}}
Ross had one last big hit with another play adaptation, Steel Magnolias (1989). In the 1990s, he directed My Blue Heaven (1990), True Colors (1991), Undercover Blues (1993) and Boys on the Side (1995).
Personal life
In 1959, he married Nora Kaye, a ballerina,{{cite news|last1=Martin|first1=John|title=NORA KAYE MAKES 'SWAN LAKE' DEBUT; Her Performance High Point of Ballet Program at the Lewisohn Stadium EGLEVSKY AS THE PRINCE Markova, Massine, Laing and Tudor Dance in 'Aleko' --'Bluebeard' Also Seen|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1943/06/26/archives/nora-kaye-makes-swan-lake-debut-her-performance-high-point-of.html|access-date=26 January 2017|work=The New York Times|date=26 June 1943}} with whom he produced four films.{{cite news|last1=Kisselgoff|first1=Anna|title=Nora Kaye Recollects|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/06/08/archives/nora-kaye-recollects.html|access-date=26 January 2017|work=The New York Times|date=8 June 1977}} In 1987, his wife Nora died of cancer.{{cite news|last1=Anderson|first1=Jack|title=Nora Kaye Honored In Memorial Tribute By Artist Colleagues|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/05/obituaries/nora-kaye-honored-in-memorial-tribute-by-artist-colleagues.html|access-date=26 January 2017|work=The New York Times|date=5 January 1988}}
In September 1988, he married for the second time to Lee Radziwiłł,{{cite news|last1=Nemy|first1=Enid|title=Anthony Stanislas Radziwill, 40, Award-Winning TV Producer|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/12/nyregion/anthony-stanislas-radziwill-40-award-winning-tv-producer.html|access-date=26 January 2017|work=The New York Times|date=12 August 1999}} the younger sister of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.{{cite news|title=Lee Bouvier Radziwill Weds Herbert Ross, Film Director|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/24/style/lee-bouvier-radziwill-weds-herbert-ross-film-director.html|access-date=26 January 2017|work=The New York Times|date=24 September 1988}} The marriage ended in divorce in 2001, shortly before his death.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/24/style/lee-bouvier-radziwill-weds-herbert-ross-film-director.html |title=Lee Bouvier Radziwill Weds Herbert Ross, Film Director|work=New York Times |date=September 24, 1988 |access-date=June 21, 2007 }} In 2013, Radziwiłł described their relationship as follows:{{cite news|last1=Haslam|first1=Nicky|title=The Real Lee Radziwill|url=https://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/07/the-real-lee-radziwill/|access-date=26 January 2017|work=The New York Times Magazine|date=February 7, 2013}}
He was certainly different from anybody else I'd been involved with, and the film world sounded exciting. Well, it wasn't. I hated Hollywood, and the provincialism of the industry ... Herbert had been married to the ballerina Nora Kaye until she died, and unbeknownst to me was still obsessed by her. It was 'Nora said this, Nora did it like that, Nora liked brown and orange.'
On October 9, 2001, Ross died from heart failure in New York City.{{cite news|title=Paid Notice: Deaths ROSS, HERBERT D.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/12/classified/paid-notice-deaths-ross-herbert-d.html|access-date=26 January 2017|work=The New York Times|date=12 October 2001}}{{cite news|title=Paid Notice: Deaths ROSS, HERBERT|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/16/classified/paid-notice-deaths-ross-herbert.html|access-date=26 January 2017|work=The New York Times|date=16 October 2001}} A memorial was held for him at the Majestic Theater on West 44th Street in New York where Leslie Browne, Barbara Cook, Arthur Laurents, Marsha Mason, Mike Nichols and Mary-Louise Parker spoke of Ross.{{cite news|title=Memorial for Herbert Ross|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/14/nyregion/memorial-for-herbert-ross.html|access-date=26 January 2017|work=The New York Times|date=14 December 2001}} He was interred with Kaye in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.[http://www.nndb.com/people/415/000032319/ NNDB]
Works
= Film =
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title !width=65| Director !width=65| Producer !Note |
|---|
| 1954
| {{no}} | {{no}} | Choreographer; uncredited |
| 1961
| {{no}} | {{no}} | rowspan=3|Choreographer |
| 1963
| {{no}} | {{no}} |
| 1968
| {{no}} | {{no}} |
| 1969
| {{yes}} | {{no}} | Directorial debut |
| 1970
| {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 1971
| {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 1972
| {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 1973
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | Debut (Film producer) |
| rowspan=2 |1975
| {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| Funny Lady
| {{Yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 1976
| {{yes}} | {{Yes}} | |
| rowspan=2|1977
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| The Goodbye Girl
| {{Yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 1978
| {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 1980
| {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 1981
|{{yes}} | {{Yes}} | |
| 1982
| {{yes}} | {{Yes}} | |
| 1983
| {{yes}} | {{Yes}} | |
| rowspan=2 |1984
| {{Yes}} | {{no}} | |
| Protocol
| {{Yes}} | {{no}} | |
| rowspan=2 |1987
| {{yes}} | {{Yes}} | |
| Dancers
| {{Yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 1989
| {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 1990
| {{yes}} | {{Yes}} | |
| rowspan=2 |1991
| {{Yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| Soapdish
| {{no}} | {{yes|Executive}} | |
| 1993
| {{yes}} | {{no}} | |
| 1995
| {{Yes}} | {{Yes}} | Final film |
= Television =
| class="wikitable unsortable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
| 1954
| Director | Television film; Debut |
| 1964-66
| Producer | 6 episodes |
= Theatre =
| class="wikitable unsortable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
| 1942
| Macbeth | Actor (Third Witch) | Debut (Touring) |
| 1943
| Dancer | Debut (Broadway) |
| 1944
| Laffing Room Only | Ensemble | Broadway |
| 1946
| Bartender / Dancer | Broadway |
| 1948
| "Look, Ma, I'm Dancin'!" | Ensemble | Broadway |
| 1950
| rowspan=6 |Choreographer | |
| 1951
| Debut (Broadway production) |
| 1952
| Broadway |
| 1954
| rowspan=2 |Broadway |
| 1958 |
| 1960
| Broadway, revival |
| 1961
| rowspan=2|Musical staging | Broadway |
| 1962
|I Can Get It for You Wholesale | Broadway |
| 1963
| rowspan=4|Choreographer | rowspan=6 |Broadway |
| 1964 |
| rowspan=4 |1965 |
| On a Clear Day You Can See Forever |
| Kelly
| Director; Choreographer |
| The Apple Tree
| Addt. Musical staging |
| 1977
| rowspan=2|Director | Neil Simon |
| 1980
| Neil Simon |
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable unsortable" | ||||
| Year
!Award !Category !Nominated work !Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Tony Award | Best Choreography | Anyone Can Whistle | {{nom}} |
| rowspan=2|1977 | rowspan=2|Academy Awards | Best Picture | rowspan=5|The Turning Point | {{nom}} |
| Best Director | {{nom}} | |||
| rowspan="3" |1977 | Golden Globe Award | Best Director | {{won}} | |
| Directors Guild of America Award | Outstanding Directing - Feature Film | {{nom}} | ||
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association | Best Director | {{won}} |
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Find a Grave|23131}}
- {{IBDB name|16030}}
- {{IMDb name|6889}}
{{Herbert Ross}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Herbert Ross
|list =
{{Golden Globe Award for Best Director}}
{{Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Director}}
}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Herbert}}
Category:American choreographers
Category:American film producers
Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent
Category:Jewish American film people
Category:Best Director Golden Globe winners
Category:Jewish American male actors
Category:Film directors from Brooklyn
Category:David di Donatello winners
Category:Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery