Charles Walters: The Director Who Made Hollywood Dance

by Brent Phillips

From the trolley scene in "Meet Me in St. Louis" (1944) to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers's last dance on the silver screen ( "The Barkleys of Broadway," 1949) to Judy Garland's timeless, tuxedo-clad performance of "Get Happy" ( "Summer Stock," 1950), Charles Walters staged the iconic musical sequences of Hollywood's golden age. During his career, this Academy Award--nominated director and choreographer showcased the talents of stars such as Gene Kelly, Doris Day, Debbie Reynolds, and Frank Sinatra. However, despite his many critical and commercial triumphs, Walters's name often goes unrecognized today.

In the first full-length biography of Walters, Brent Phillips chronicles the artist's career, from his days as a featured Broadway performer and protege of theater legend Robert Alton to his successes at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He takes readers behind the scenes of many of the studio's most beloved musicals, including "Easter Parade" (1948), " Lili" (1953), "High Society" (1956), and T "he Unsinkable Molly Brown" (1964). In addition, Phillips recounts Walters's associations with Lucille Ball, Joan Crawford, and Gloria Swanson, examines the director's uncredited work on several films, including the blockbuster "Gigi "(1958), and discusses his contributions to musical theater and American popular culture.

This revealing book also considers Walters's personal life and explores how he navigated the industry as an openly gay man. Drawing on unpublished oral histories, correspondence, and new interviews, this biography offers an entertaining and important new look at an exciting era in Hollywood history."

Genres: Biography, Film, Nonfiction, Media Tie In

368 pages, Hardcover

First published December 19, 2014

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Charles Walters: The Director Who Made Hollywood Dance by Brent Phillips for the Out of the Past Classic Film Blog - 2016 Summer Reading Classic Film Book Challenge. Ever since I watched him dance with Judy Garland in the finale of the 1943 film Presenting Lily Mars, I have been a fan of Charles ‘Chuck’ Walters. He was elegant, handsome, and confident. I just had a feeling he was different from all the other nameless dancing partners found on the big screen, and boy did I call it! (Although if I’m honest many others, Arthur Freed in particular, called it decades before me.)

Growing up watching MGM musicals on television, unbeknownst to me, I’d fallen in love with Walters’ work: Easter Parade, The Barkleys of Broadway, Summer Stock, Easy To Love and many others. This is what started my love affair with classic Hollywood, leading me to become a film archivist. I had heard through the grapevine that a fellow film archivist was writing a book on classic Hollywood, but didn’t know more until I attended this year’s Nitrate Picture Show at George Eastman Museum in May. Mr. Phillips gave a great presentation about the book, so I couldn’t wait to read it.

The book is set out as if it were a three-act play or movie and with each act following a similar narrative arc, which makes for a nice fluid story. The first act starts as most biographies do, with Walters’ childhood. We also learn of his struggles making it in New York, ending with his success on Broadway as a dance director. The second act is all about his twenty two year career at MGM. How he went from being a “dance doctor” on other directors’ films, to being a successful film director in his own right, with him ending up as the last contract director from the Golden Era still standing at the studio in the mid 1960’s. The final act sums up Walters’ final eighteen years. This section feels short with just two chapters, but this isn’t surprising considering Walters shunning the limelight. He did however direct for television, mostly Lucille Ball specials and a Here’s Lucy episode, but he also lectured at the University of Southern California. His course, “Film Style Analysis”, was an opportunity to discuss and screen his body of work. Walters passed away in 1982 at the age of 70.

The book is not campy or filled with gossipy anecdotes. Instead, its a straight and well researched biography that is cleverly structured and pleasing to read. Walters’ own voice comes out through interviews and the excellent oral histories he gave in 1980, giving the text an aura of earnest sincerity. All of the author’s statements and assertions are supported by citations, and at no point does it feel like Phillips oversteps his sources. If you’ve ever wondered why Charles Walters wanted to be, “A Dancin’ Man”, look no further.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although my opinion may be biased, since I'm a part of the second family mentioned in the acknowledgements, I really enjoyed this book. I of course wanted to read this book since I know the author, but I had previously never heard of Charles Walters so I didn't think I would like this biography.

Phillips has arranged this book into short chapters for an easy read, while still leaving you wanting more at the of each chapter making it difficult to put the book down. Even though I was previously unaware of Walters, I quickly learned that I was familiar with a lot of his work. Odds are, even if you are unfamiliar with the movie being discussed in the book, you will probably know of the stars Walters was working with. I enjoyed how the author didn't just include information about each of Walters' films, but he also brought insight to the behind the scenes drama of his films and how Walters worked and dealt with these stars. overall, I found this book an easy, interesting read.

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of director Charles Walters until I acquired Brent Phillip’s biography. This is an utter shame because Walters directed and choreographed my favorite musical of all time: Good News (1947). I was happy to have an opportunity to correct this egregious error and I dived right into the book.
I used to dance so I have much appreciation for the art form and how Walters applied his skills as a dancer to his work as a director. I really enjoyed learning about Charles Walters and am glad to know a lot more about his work.

Classic film buffs, dancers and musical enthusiasts alike will enjoy this book!

Read my full review here: http://www.outofthepastblog.com/2015/...

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of my favorite celebrity biographies ever which is surprising since I really had no idea who the man was before starting to read. Charles Walters is like Zelig...crossing paths and working with nearly every big name on Broadway or in Hollywood along the way. I'd seen movies he'd directed of course but somehow I assumed someone else like Minnelli had directed such big pictures like Easter Parade. And I specifically remember special television broadcasts of Lili and The Glass Slipper in my youth though I'd entirely forgotten the second. To find out this out gay director was able to have such a remarkable career in the golden age of Hollywood (and almost always get his film finished early and under budget) was such an eye-opener. Now I have to track down copies of these movies, few of which I'd ever seen before. Brent Phillips does an amazing job of compiling all these research and turning it into a breezy read. It was the title that grabbed me when I saw it offered for my Kindle. A nice addition to my library!

[NLK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid background info—I loved learning about Walters' Broadway career and his weekly grind as an MGM dance director—including a few vivid traces of what it was like to be openly gay in Hollywood in the period, but it relies too much on newspaper clippings for analysis and description of the films themselves, never giving us a strong idea of what actually made Walters special as a filmmaker and choreographer. Like many other timid biographers out there, Phillips avoids discussing the artistic successes and failures of Walters' unavoidably bumpy body of work, instead simply relaying the prevailing commercial and critical responses at the time.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific research and excellent writing about a Hollywood director who deserves to be better known. The book is a delight from start to finish and makes me want to start watching all of his movies again. Charles Walters was also openly gay and lived with is partner in an age when it clearly was not accepted. Walters deserves to be better known.

[John Kenrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful biography

Beautifully written and thoroughly researched, this is a must-read for fans of the golden age of MGM. Walters was part of many memorable films yet he is so rarely mentioned. The author has done an amazing job pulling together sources - and what a pleasure to read. Very highly recommended!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know who Charles Walters was until I hard him being discussed on TCM. And then I found out that while I wasn't familiar with him, I sure wa familiar with his work. I had to buy this biography that discusses his life in detail. Starting as a Broadway dancer in the 30' he worked hi way up to choreographer. He headed to Hollywood in the early 40's and landed at MGM where just about every movie made there had a touch of him. He started our dancing and morphed into staging dances and eventualy into a dirctor of such musicals as Good New, Easter Parade, The Barkleys of Broadway. Summer Stock, Lili, a lot of the Esther Williams movies, High society and many many more. He worked with all the musical greats, Astaire, Kelly, Judy Garland, Lucille Ball. Garlan loved him and he directed her two major Broadway one woman shows om the 50's
He was an openly gay man when Hollywood kept that in low profile.
All in all it's an informative and entertaining book. I couldn't put it down.

[Herb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful biography of the brilliant, gay director/choreographer at MGM during the Golden Age. Highly recommended.