- Gene Raymond
Infobox actor
bgcolour = silver
name = Gene Raymond
imagesize = 175px
caption = Gene Raymond, ca. 1945
birthdate = birth date|1908|08|13|mf=y
location =New York City ,New York , U.S.
deathdate = death date and age|1998|05|02|1908|08|13|mf=y
deathplace =Los Angeles ,California , U.S.
birthname = Raymond Guion
spouse =Jeanette MacDonald (June 16, 1937 - January 14, 1965)
Nel Bentley Hees (September 8, 1974 - 1995)Gene Raymond (
August 13 ,1908 –May 2 ,1998 ) was an American film, television, and stage actor of the 1930s and 1940s. In addition to acting, Raymond was also a composer, writer, director, producer, and decorated military pilot.Biography
tage and movie career
Raymond was born Raymond Guion on August 13, 1908 in
New York City . He attended theProfessional Children's School while appearing in productions like "Rip Van Winkle" and "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch". His Broadway debut, at age 17, was in "The Cradle Snatchers" which ran two years. (The cast includedMary Boland ,Edna May Oliver , and a youngHumphrey Bogart .)His screen debut was in "Personal Maid" (1931). With his blond good looks, classic profile, and youthful exuberance — plus a name change to the more pronounceable "Gene Raymond" — he scored in films like the classic "Zoo In Budapest" with
Loretta Young , and a series of light RKO musicals, mostly withAnn Sothern . He wrote a number of songs, including the popular "Will You?" which he sang to Sothern in "Smartest Girl In Town" (1936). His wife,Jeanette MacDonald , sang several of his more classical pieces in her concerts and recorded one entitled "Let Me Always Sing".His most notable films, mostly as a second lead actor, include "
Red Dust " (1932) withJean Harlow , "Zoo in Budapest" (1932) withLoretta Young , "Ex-Lady " (1933) withBette Davis , "Flying Down to Rio " (1933) withDolores del Rio ,Fred Astaire andGinger Rogers , "I Am Suzanne" (1934) withLilian Harvey , "Sadie McKee " (1934) withJoan Crawford ,Alfred Hitchcock 's "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" (1941) withCarole Lombard and Robert Montgomery, and "The Locket " (1946) withLaraine Day ,Brian Aherne , andRobert Mitchum . MacDonald and Raymond made one film together, "Smilin' Through ", which came out as the U.S. was on the verge of entering the World War II. After the war, Raymond both directed and starred in the suspense drama "Million Dollar Weekend " (1948).Death
On
May 2 ,1998 , Raymond died ofpneumonia inLos Angeles ,California . [ [http://www.filmreference.com/film/22/Gene-Raymond.html Gene Raymond Biography (1908-1998)] ]For his contribution to the motion picture and television industry, Gene Raymond has two stars on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 7003Hollywood Boulevard and 1704Vine Street respectively.Controversy
A 2001 biography of
Nelson Eddy and MacDonald, "Sweethearts" bySharon Rich , claims that Raymond had affairs with men during his marriage to MacDonald. The book includes documentation of Raymond being arrested on three occasions for sex with other men: a photo of Raymond's January 1938 arrest and booking number (page 498 of the 2001 edition); a U.S. Army nurse is named and quoted concerning the second arrest; and retiredScotland Yard detective Joe Sampson confirms the third arrest, which occurred in England during World War II.The book also claims that
Louis B. Mayer engineered the marriage of MacDonald to Raymond -- even though Mayer knew Raymond wasbisexual -- to prevent MacDonald from marryingNelson Eddy . Mayer was concerned that a MacDonald-Eddy marriage would end in divorce, due to their temperaments, then he would lose his lucrative box office team. Also, Eddy wanted children and preferred MacDonald to at least semi-retire, which didn't please the studio mogul. While Mayer blessed the MacDonald-Raymond union, he had Raymond blacklisted following his 1938 arrest. After "Stolen Heaven" (1938), Raymond made no films until "Cross-Country Romance" (1940) and Hitchcock's "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" (1941) -- previously he averaged 4 movies a year.Notes
References
*Maury Daly, "Gene Raymond: Renaissance Man" in "Classic Images" (November 1995)
*Scott Eyman, "Lion of Hollywood" (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2005)External links
*imdb name|0713270
*ibdb|id=68162
*tv.com person|id=41825|title=Gene Raymond
*findagrave|4068Persondata
NAME= Raymond, Gene
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Guion, Raymond
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Actor, singer, composer, producer, director
DATE OF BIRTH=August 13 ,1908
PLACE OF BIRTH=New York City ,New York , U.S.
DATE OF DEATH=May 2 ,1998
PLACE OF DEATH=Los Angeles ,California , U.S.
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