Rudy Vallee
Actor1901–1986· Island Pond, Vermont, USA

Rudy Vallee

Rudy Vallee started his career as a saxophone player and singer and later became a band leader. In the 1920s and early 30s he had a hit radio program, The Fleishmann's Yeast Hour (where he was hated by his cast and crew due to his explosive ego-driven personality). In the early 1930's he was ranked with the likes of Bing Crosby and the tragic Russ Columbo in the Hit Parade. A huge hit on radio in 1933 with his program, initially known as 'The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour,' Vallee was considered a slave driver by his staff. He was known to instigate fist fights with virtually anyone who got on his nerves. During the run of his show he slugged photographers, threw sheet music in the faces of pianists' heads and if provoked, would sock hecklers in the nose. While audiences loved him, he was hated by most of his staff. As a very popular star in night clubs and on records, as well as in movies, he helped other singers like Alice Faye - who was for a while his band singer - and Frances Langford to start their careers. In his early movies he often played the romantic lead, but he switched later to stuffy and comic parts. He also appeared on Broadway. The mid-60's Broadway hit "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" was filmed in 1967 with him in his original Broadway role.

78 acting credits

Acting · 78

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
7.5
TV

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962

The Mike Douglas Show
5.8
TV

The Mike Douglas Show

1961

Batman
7.3
TV

Batman

1966

Petticoat Junction
5.8
TV

Petticoat Junction

1963

The Merv Griffin Show
6.6
TV

The Merv Griffin Show

1962

What's My Line?
7.0
TV

What's My Line?

1950

Night Gallery
7.8
TV

Night Gallery

1970

The Name of the Game
7.0
TV

The Name of the Game

1968

CHiPs
6.9
TV

CHiPs

1977

Here's Lucy
6.7
TV

Here's Lucy

1968

The Colgate Comedy Hour
6.9
TV

The Colgate Comedy Hour

1950

Alias Smith and Jones
7.0
TV

Alias Smith and Jones

1971

The Ed Sullivan Show
6.8
TV

The Ed Sullivan Show

1948

Kraft Television Theatre
7.8
TV

Kraft Television Theatre

1947

Ellery Queen
7.5
TV

Ellery Queen

1975

Your Show of Shows
7.3
TV

Your Show of Shows

1950

December Bride
6.3
TV

December Bride

1954

The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
8.7
TV

The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour

1957

The RKO Story: Tales From Hollywood
9.0
TV

The RKO Story: Tales From Hollywood

1987

The Chicago Teddy Bears
6.7
TV

The Chicago Teddy Bears

1971

A Trip Thru a Hollywood Studio
5.8
Film

A Trip Thru a Hollywood Studio

1935

Betty Boop: Queen of the Cartoons
8.0
Film

Betty Boop: Queen of the Cartoons

1995

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
6.3
Film

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

1975

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
6.7
Film

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

1967

The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
6.9
Film

The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer

1947

Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
4.3
Film

Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood

1976

The Helen Morgan Story
5.3
Film

The Helen Morgan Story

1957

Unfaithfully Yours
7.2
Film

Unfaithfully Yours

1948

Going Hollywood: The '30s
9.0
Film

Going Hollywood: The '30s

1984

The Palm Beach Story
7.0
Film

The Palm Beach Story

1942

Live a Little, Love a Little
5.6
Film

Live a Little, Love a Little

1968

Sweet Music
6.8
Film

Sweet Music

1935

International House
5.5
Film

International House

1933

I Remember Mama
7.2
Film

I Remember Mama

1948

Breakdowns of 1938
5.8
Film

Breakdowns of 1938

1938

My Dear Secretary
6.1
Film

My Dear Secretary

1948

The Night They Raided Minsky's
5.7
Film

The Night They Raided Minsky's

1968

Father Was a Fullback
6.5
Film

Father Was a Fullback

1949

The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
6.4
Film

The Sin of Harold Diddlebock

1947

Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do
Film

Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do

2015

Gold Diggers in Paris
6.8
Film

Gold Diggers in Paris

1938

The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend
5.9
Film

The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend

1949

Man Alive
5.6
Film

Man Alive

1945

Too Many Blondes
8.0
Film

Too Many Blondes

1941

Second Fiddle
5.1
Film

Second Fiddle

1939

The Phynx
3.7
Film

The Phynx

1970

It's in the Bag!
6.3
Film

It's in the Bag!

1945

Glorifying the American Girl
5.6
Film

Glorifying the American Girl

1929

The Admiral Was a Lady
6.4
Film

The Admiral Was a Lady

1950

Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood No. 6
6.0
Film

Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood No. 6

1942

The Golden Twenties
7.0
Film

The Golden Twenties

1950

The Fabulous Suzanne
5.7
Film

The Fabulous Suzanne

1946

Hansel and Gretel
Film

Hansel and Gretel

1958

Things You Never See on the Screen
5.0
Film

Things You Never See on the Screen

1935

So This Is New York
6.7
Film

So This Is New York

1948

Hollywood on Parade No. B-9
Film

Hollywood on Parade No. B-9

1934

Screen Snapshots (Series 23, No. 1): Hollywood in Uniform
7.0
Film

Screen Snapshots (Series 23, No. 1): Hollywood in Uniform

1943

Ricochet Romance
8.0
Film

Ricochet Romance

1954

11th. Naval District "United States Coast Guard Band"
5.5
Film

11th. Naval District "United States Coast Guard Band"

1944

Mother Is a Freshman
9.0
Film

Mother Is a Freshman

1949

Rodeo Dough
6.5
Film

Rodeo Dough

1940

People Are Funny
5.7
Film

People Are Funny

1946

The Perfect Woman
3.0
Film

The Perfect Woman

1981

Men Who Rate a 10
9.0
Film

Men Who Rate a 10

1980

Gentlemen Marry Brunettes
5.3
Film

Gentlemen Marry Brunettes

1955

George White's Scandals
5.4
Film

George White's Scandals

1934

Slashed Dreams
3.7
Film

Slashed Dreams

1975

Jazz Ball
8.0
Film

Jazz Ball

1956

Happy Go Lucky
5.5
Film

Happy Go Lucky

1943

Kitty from Kansas City
5.4
Film

Kitty from Kansas City

1931

The Vagabond Lover
4.7
Film

The Vagabond Lover

1929

Time Out for Rhythm
6.7
Film

Time Out for Rhythm

1941

The Musical Doctor
8.0
Film

The Musical Doctor

1932

Campus Sweethearts
10.0
Film

Campus Sweethearts

1930

Rudy Vallee Melodies
4.8
Film

Rudy Vallee Melodies

1932

Radio Rhythm
9.0
Film

Radio Rhythm

1929

Betty Co-ed
5.7
Film

Betty Co-ed

1931

Lydia
Film

Lydia

Rudy Vallee — BragThat