Customer Reviews

Vera-Ellen: The Magic and the Mystery

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Anyone who has seen 1949's "On the Town" or 1954's "White Christmas" has likely been mesmerized by the extraordinary dancing of Vera-Ellen, as beautiful and impressive as any dancer presented by the Hollywood studio system at the time. What author David Soren, a professor at the University of Arizona and obviously a devoted fan, reveals is a woman who was so consumed by her perfectionist standards as a dancer that she may have lost sight of other aspects of her life that needed attention, in particular, her health. The extent of Soren's research is impressive from her family history through her professional career to what is known of her reclusive life between her retirement in the late 1950's and early death at age sixty.

While interesting, the early chapters are strictly for her hardcore fans as Soren goes extensively into her family background and early beginnings as a stage dancer and eventually the youngest Rockette ever at Radio City Music Hall. The book gets inevitably more interesting as it covers her Hollywood years. As a dancer, she was often transcendent, partnering with the likes of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, both of whom apparently adored and respected her. She was pretty and personable as a leading lady but not wildly talented as an actress. Yet, her aspirations to be taken seriously were dashed by an unsupportive studio, MGM, who saw fit to give her just one chance at a dramatic part in a low-budget 1953 potboiler with Edward G. Robinson called "Big Leaguer". In fact, one is struck by the extent of control that MGM had in shaping not only her career but her appearance and her life overall.

Similar to what has been documented with Judy Garland, Vera-Ellen was pressured to stay thin and developed odd eating habits (such as her obsession with steak), and indeed the most revealing chapter focuses on her alleged anorexia, a medical condition that did not have anywhere near the prominence in the 1950's it does now. When looking at "White Christmas" with this knowledge, it does strike me how skinny she looks, and only now do I see the concerted effort the producers made to hide her aging neck. The chapters chronicling her life after her last movie, 1957's "Let's Be Happy", show an ego-dictated existence that seems to be sadly unraveling - a child she bore at age 42 died of SIDS three months after birth, her subsequent second divorce, her solitary life in a Hollywood mansion. In her later years, she rarely resurfaced in public, and her obsession with not disappointing fans makes her seem sadly like Norma Desmond in "Sunset Boulevard". However, Soren does a great service by providing a readable book on a performer who based on her handful of wondrous screen appearances, should not be relegated to the whatever-happened trivia pile.

I found this an excellent book of an actress/dancer that so little had been heard of for so long and I was delighted to have come across it whilst looking for information on her, on the Internet. For anyone interested in the old musicals, this book is a must. Eileen, Cyprus.

There is something quite creepy in the story of Vera-Ellen's rise to fame, how she dazzled all too briefly in a few musicals of the late forties and fifties, how she was misused and discarded by MGM, and how she sacrificed her health and private life for a career that ultimately brought her pain, lonelieness and an early death. This almost reads like a "What not to Do" manual for young upcoming performers. At first, Vera-Ellen did all the right things. Her perfectionism made her a brilliant dancer, but it also fuelled a neurotic obsession with her weight that went into overdrive when MGM told her she should be thinner.
That started the decline which - in this biography reads like a Gothic horror story. In every appearance, even when extreme dieting had started to age her prematurely, she exuded a joyous exuberance which matched her classy dancing talents. And yet her contributions to the Hollywood musical are mostly ignored, most woundingly in "The MGM Stock Company" where she is pictured in the group cover pic, but does not rate her own chapter, even tho minor character actors do. David Soren goes overboard in praising her acting talents. His obvious adoration of her is touching. But we still need a more balanced account of Vera-Ellen's life and achievments. Sadly, with the star herself and most of her peers gone, we may never get it. Thank God that video and DVDs have preserved her vibrant talent.

I could never understand why someone who had been in as many major films as Vera-Ellen had virtually nothing available about her in print. After all, she danced with both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly in several films each and is in the holiday classic "White Christmas". This book seeks to provide what information is available and although many unresolved questions linger, it's a great start to finding out more about who I think was the best female dancer in films. I enjoyed the book very much and would recommend it without hesitation to anyone interested in film and/or modern dance. It's such a shame she retired from films relatively young, but as the book describes, Vera-Ellen's career seemed to be doomed at every turn by miffed studio heads, bad timing and just inexplicable oversights of her abilities by those doing the hiring in Hollywood. There are a number of photos of her in her retirement years as well as classic film stills. A great read.

What a terrific book about the all-around greatest female dancer ever! Vera-Ellen was so talented that it defied merit. She never really received the fame or recognition that she deserved for her outstanding talent. She could hold her own with Fred and Gene, (and boy, do I love that Gene), plus outdance the other females dancers as well. Other female dancers were down right excellent too, (think Cyd Charrise, Leslie Caron, Ann Miller) but each in their own specialty dance field: Vera-Ellen was all of them combined! I enjoyed this book immensly, and was sadened to learn that although she ultimately died from cancer, she destroyed herself with what we now know today as anorexia. Such a shame for such a talent. As long as her old films are still out there, she will always be remembered for the phenomenal dancer and gracious lady she was. (Yes, I have a treasured copy of this book for myself :)

I eagerly awaited this book for about a year, and when it finally reached my hands, I was not dissapointed. David Soren wrote a compilation of quotes and articles and known facts relating to Vera-Ellen, and made a magnificent book of the result. Vera-Ellen will always remain quite mysterious to her fans, but will never cease her undying magic, her legacy that will never be realized, for few women dance as she danced. Though copies of Mr. Soren's book remain scarce, the copies available are well worth the trouble taken to acquire it. I wish all Vera-Ellen fans luck in their search to obtain a copy. God bless, Betsy

I would highly recommend this book. I have been a big fan of Vera-Ellen for years. David Soren has written a very wonderful
biography on her. It's a loving tribute to a lady who was
a wonderful dancer, and actress as well. She was truly a very kind and giving person in real life. I'd give this book more stars if I could. There are many photos of her in it as well!
In my opinion she is the best female dancer ever.

She is definitly a lovely, shining angel in heaven.

Even if you have a slight curiosity about Vera-ellen's life this is a must read. Not only does it provide intimate insight into her thoughts about her life and career it also describes her experience with the star maker machinery of the movie business at that time. Also, it' a great guide for watching her movies. As shown on the screen, she was a wonderful human being; like Regan said "the camera never lies".

If you love Vera-Ellen, you'll delight in this book. If you want to learn about her life, you'll not be missing any details here. Careful editing would have made this a better book.... yawn.

a well wriiten biography of the wonderful dancer, Vera-Ellen.
Although small in size, Vera was a dancer that rivaled dancers such as Cyd Charrise, Ginger Rogers, Ann Miller.... A dancer of fine detail, quick and deliberate starts,stops, effortless full leg extensions and boundless energy. Usually Vera was the one to watch who spun tirelessly in circles and remained on her toes throughout with breath to spare. Although White Christmas is the movie, with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney in which she's mostly associated with. You'll discover she started out singing in choruses in various movies and became a dynamic actress/dancer.This biography contains many photos of Vera from a small girl until her later adult years. always a professional and true natural talent, you'll find she was a disciplined performer who celebrated the sheer joy of dance with her every move.
a great insight to the life of a woman who will never be forgotten and was credit to the entertainment industry.