Lucille Bremer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lucille Bremer
Bremer in 1939
Born	(1917-02-21)February 21, 1917 Amsterdam, New York, U.S.
Died	April 16, 1996(1996-04-16) (aged 79) La Jolla, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, dancer
Years active	1933–1948
Spouse(s)	Abelardo Louis Rodriguez ​ ​ (m. 1948; div. 1963)​
Children	4

Lucille Bremer (born February 21, 1917 – died April 16, 1996) was an American actress and dancer. She was known for her roles in classic Hollywood musicals, especially alongside famous stars like Fred Astaire and Judy Garland.

Early Life and Dance

Lucille Bremer was born in Amsterdam, New York. Soon after, her family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There, she began studying ballet at a young age. By the time she was 12, Lucille was already dancing with the Philadelphia Opera Company.

Dancing Before Movies

Lucille later moved to New York City. She performed in many special dance acts. One of her most notable performances was at the 1939 New York World's Fair.

At age 16, she tried out for and became a Rockette. The Rockettes are a famous dance group at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Her fellow Rockettes even voted her "most likely to succeed." She was also known as "5th from the right" in their famous line.

Lucille also auditioned for Broadway shows. She danced in musicals like Panama Hattie and Lady in the Dark. Other future stars like Vera-Ellen and June Allyson were also dancing on Broadway at that time.

Lucille tried to start a film career, but her first screen test was not good. She said it was so bad that she understood why nothing happened. So, she went back to dancing. She performed at popular nightclubs like the Copacabana and Club Versailles. It was at Club Versailles that Arthur Freed saw her. He was a big producer at Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) studios.

Becoming a Movie Star

Arthur Freed brought Lucille to Hollywood. Her screen test there really impressed Louis B. Mayer, who was a very powerful person at MGM. She was offered a contract with MGM. She chose MGM because she wanted to show off her dancing skills. Lucille was a very talented dancer. People also thought she had potential as a serious actress. She took acting lessons at MGM and was prepared to become a big star.

Lucille Bremer with Fred Astaire in Yolanda and the Thief (1945)

Lucille's first movie was Meet Me in St. Louis (1944). It was a huge hit and she received great reviews. She played Rose Smith, the older sister of Judy Garland's character. After this success, she got a starring role with Fred Astaire in the musical Yolanda and the Thief (1945).

Even though Yolanda and the Thief had amazing sets and talented people working on it, it did not do well at the box office. The movie's fantasy story was not popular with audiences during wartime. Lucille, being a new star in her first main role, received much of the blame. Her movie career never fully recovered after that.

She continued to dance with Fred Astaire in Ziegfeld Follies (1946). She had two memorable dance scenes in this successful musical. Her last big musical film was Till the Clouds Roll By (1946). In this movie, she had good acting scenes and danced with Van Johnson. After this, MGM started to lose interest in making her a big star. She made one more small dramatic film with MGM, Dark Delusion (1947). Then, she was loaned to another studio for her last three films in 1948. Lucille played her final starring role in the film noir movie Behind Locked Doors (1948).

Life After Hollywood

Lucille Bremer with Arturo de Córdova in Adventures of Casanova (1948)

One of her last films was Adventures of Casanova (1948). She acted alongside Mexican movie star Arturo de Córdova.

Lucille was reportedly not happy with how her Hollywood career turned out. So, she decided not to renew her contract and left the film industry. She had met and fallen in love with Abelardo Luis Rodriguez. He was the son of a former president of Mexico.

Lucille and "Rod" Rodriguez got married in August 1948. They moved to Baja California Sur, Mexico. There, they started a private resort called Rancho Las Cruces. They also opened the original Palmilla Hotel and the Hacienda Hotel. With Lucille's connections in Hollywood and Rod's influence, they attracted many famous people from Hollywood to their new paradise. Lucille and her husband were also business partners with stars like Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball, and Bing Crosby.

After her divorce in 1963, Lucille Bremer settled in La Jolla, California. She owned a children's clothing store there. She continued to travel between La Jolla, California, and Baja California, Mexico.

Later Years and Passing

Lucille Bremer passed away in 1996 from a heart attack. She was 79 years old.

Filmography