Herbert Ross facts for kids

Herbert David Ross (born May 13, 1927 – died October 9, 2001) was a talented American artist. He was an actor, a choreographer (someone who creates dance routines), a director, and a producer. He worked mostly in theater and movies.

Herbert Ross was nominated for two Academy Awards (also known as the Oscars) and a Tony Award for his amazing work. He directed many popular musicals and comedies. Some of his well-known films include Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), Play It Again, Sam (1972), The Sunshine Boys (1975), and The Goodbye Girl (1977). Later, he directed hits like Footloose (1984) and Steel Magnolias (1989).

For his drama film The Turning Point (1977), he was nominated for two Academy Awards. These were for Best Picture and Best Director. He also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Director for this film.

Ross was also very active on Broadway (New York's famous theater district). He created dances for shows featuring stars like Barbra Streisand. His Broadway choreography credits include A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1951) and Finian's Rainbow (1960). He won a Tony Award for Best Choreography for Anyone Can Whistle in 1964.

Early Life and Dance Beginnings

Herbert Ross was born in Brooklyn, New York, on May 13, 1927. His parents, Louis Chester Ross and Martha Grundfast, were immigrants from Russia. When Herbert was nine years old, his mother passed away. His father then moved the family to Miami and opened a small restaurant.

Herbert decided to leave high school early. He moved back to New York to try acting. However, he soon fell in love with dance and began studying it seriously.

Career Highlights

Theatre Work

Herbert Ross started his career as a dancer. In 1942, he made his first stage appearance in a play called Macbeth. The next year, he danced on Broadway for the first time in Something for the Boys. He continued to dance in several other Broadway shows.

By 1950, Ross became a choreographer for the American Ballet Theatre. He then choreographed his first Broadway musical, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1951). He also created dances for TV shows like The Milton Berle Show. His first movie job was as a choreographer for Carmen Jones in 1954.

He choreographed many more Broadway shows, including House of Flowers (1954). In 1960, he directed and choreographed a new version of Finian's Rainbow on Broadway. He also worked on films in England, choreographing The Young Ones (1961) and Summer Holiday (1963). Back on Broadway, he choreographed Anyone Can Whistle (1964), for which he won a Tony Award. He also staged musical numbers for famous films like Funny Girl (1968).

Film Directing

Herbert Ross made his debut as a film director with the musical Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969). His second film, The Owl and the Pussycat (1970), was a big success.

He directed Play It Again, Sam (1972), which starred Woody Allen. Ross then directed Funny Lady (1975) with Barbra Streisand. He also started working with famous writer Neil Simon, directing The Sunshine Boys (1975). This began a long partnership between them.

Ross had two huge hits with Neil Simon's scripts: The Goodbye Girl (1977) and California Suite (1978). He also directed the ballet film Nijinsky (1980).

Later Films

In 1984, Herbert Ross directed the very popular movie Footloose. He followed this with comedies like Protocol (1984) starring Goldie Hawn and The Secret of My Success (1987) with Michael J. Fox.

One of his last big successes was Steel Magnolias (1989), which was based on a play. In the 1990s, he directed several more films, including My Blue Heaven (1990) and Boys on the Side (1995), which was his final movie.

Personal Life

In 1959, Herbert Ross married Nora Kaye, who was a famous ballerina. They worked together on four films. Sadly, Nora passed away from cancer in 1987.

In 1988, he married Lee Radziwill, who was the younger sister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Their marriage ended in divorce in 2001, shortly before his death.

Herbert Ross passed away on October 9, 2001, in New York City, due to heart failure. A special event was held at the Majestic Theater in New York to remember him. He was buried next to Nora Kaye in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Herbert Ross para niños