Lucille Bremer
| Lucille Bremer | |
|---|---|
 Bremer as Sally Hessler in Till the Clouds Roll By in 1946 | |
| Born |
February 21, 1917 Amsterdam, New York, United States |
| Died |
April 16, 1996 (aged 79) La Jolla, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress/dancer |
| Years active | 1942—1948 |
| Spouse(s) | Abelardo Louis Rodriguez (1948-1963) (divorced) (four children) |
Lucille Bremer (February 21, 1917 – April 16, 1996) was an American film actress and dancer.
Biography
Lucille Bremer was born in Amsterdam, New York, but soon moved to Philadelphia Pennsylvania, where she studied ballet. At age 12, she danced with the Philadelphia Opera Company.[1]
Once in New York, she danced in various specialty acts, most notably in the 1939/40 New York's World's Fair "American Jubilee". She auditioned and began her career as a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, at age 16.[1] She was voted as "most likely to succeed" by her Rockette peers.[2] She was also known as "5th from the right" in the Rockettes line up. Bremer also auditioned as a dancer for various Broadway shows, along with fellow stars Vera-Ellen and June Allyson, appearing as a 'Pony Girl' in the Broadway musical Panama Hattie
Bremer's first attempt for a career in films was unsuccessful Her screen test with Warner Bros. was unsuccessful; "It was so bad I realized why nothing had happened," she said later.[2] She returned to dancing, performing at the Copacabana Nightclub in New York City and the Club Versailles, where she was spotted by Arthur Freed, a producer at Metro Goldwyn Mayer.[2]
She was taken to Hollywood, where her screen test impressed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer mogul Louis B. Mayer. An accomplished dancer, she was also considered to display potential as a dramatic actress. She also screen tested and was offered a contract with Goldwyn Studios, but decided on MGM studios to properly showcase her dancing talent. She studied acting at MGM with the great acting coach Lillian Burns.
Bremer made her screen debut in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) as Judy Garland's sister, and followed this with a co-starring role opposite Fred Astaire in Yolanda and the Thief (1945), and a featured dance performance, once again with Astaire, in two memorable sequences in Ziegfeld Follies (1946). Her last major film was Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), but after this, MGM began to lose interest in promoting her. After a few minor films, she played her last starring role in Behind Locked Doors (1948).
Reportedly disappointed with her Hollywood career, she elected not to renew her contract and left the film industry. She had also met and fallen in love with the son of the former president of Mexico, Abelardo Luis Rodriguez,[3] who bore the same name as his father. She and Rod Rodriguez were married at Catalina Island in August 1948. She moved with him to Baja California Sur, Mexico, at the beginning of the Golden Age of Baja and started the private resort Rancho Las Cruces, as well as the original Palmilla Hotel and the Hacienda Hotel. With her contacts in Hollywood, and her husband "Rod" Rodriguez's influence, they drew people from Hollywood who sought to enjoy this newly found paradise. She and her husband were also business partners with Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball, and Bing Crosby to name a few.
After her divorce (in 1963), Bremer settled in La Jolla, California, where she owned a children's clothing boutique. She continued to travel between La Jolla, California, and Baja California Mexico. She died in 1996 from a heart attack at age 79. Her ashes were scattered in the Sea of Cortez as well as scattered next to the church she and her husband had built on the Rancho Las Cruces resort property. A plaque bearing her name, as well as that of Desi Arnaz, was erected on the left side of the church in her honor.
She left four children (Nicholas, Torre, Cristina, and Karen) and numerous grandchildren (Francesca, Amanda, Andres, Alexis, Kamal, and David) and great-grandchildren. Her son, Niki (Nicolas) continues to manage and run the Rancho Las Cruces resort where they recently celebrated their 65th anniversary of the resort in May 2015. Her other children, Cristina, Kali (Karen) and Torre continue to live in the Baja California Mexico area where they also manage their own properties as well. Her children and grandchildren continue to spend their time between La Jolla, California, and Baja California Mexico. Rod Rodriguez is still alive today at age 98 and resides in the La Jolla, California area.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Penny Arcade (short film) | Woman |
| 1944 | This Love of Mine (short film) | Dancer |
| 1944 | Meet Me in St. Louis | Rose Smith |
| 1945 | Yolanda and the Thief | Yolanda |
| 1946 | Ziegfeld Follies | Princess ("This Heart of Mine") / Moy Ling ("Limehouse Blues") |
| 1946 | Till the Clouds Roll By | Sally Hessler |
| 1947 | Dark Delusion | Cynthia Grace |
| 1948 | Adventures of Casanova | Lady Bianca |
| 1948 | Ruthless | Christa Mansfield |
| 1948 | Behind Locked Doors | Kathy Lawrence |
References
- 1 2 Oliver, Myrna (April 20, 1996). "Lucille Bremer; Film Actress, Astaire Dancing Partner". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Flight of a Rocket". Albuquerque Journal. New Mexico, Albuquerque. January 7, 1945. p. 26. Retrieved November 20, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Actress Lucille Bremer Marries". The Spokesman-Review. August 5, 1948. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lucille Bremer. |
- Lucille Bremer at the Internet Movie Database
- Lucille Bremer at the Internet Broadway Database
- Lucille Bremer at AllMovie
- "Class Act - Lucille Bremer"