%0 e Book %A Van Leuven, Holly %I Oxford University Press %D 2019 %C New York %D 2019 %G English %B Oxford scholarship online %@ 9780190639075 %@ 9780190639051 %@ 9780190639068 %~ Hochschule Zittau / Görlitz, Hochschulbibliothek %T Ray Bolger: more than a scarecrow %U http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190639044.001.0001 %U https://www.gbv.de/dms/bowker/toc/9780190639044.pdf %X Ray Bolger: More Than a Scarecrow is the first book-length biography of the American eccentric dancer and popular culture figure, best known for his role in the 1939 film musical The Wizard of Oz. The book traces Bolger’s career from repertory and vaudeville into New York movie houses, Broadway, nightclubs, the major film studios, Las Vegas resorts, and television programs. Bolger’s dance lineage is also traced through eccentric dancers like Fred Stone and “Irish prince” soft-shoe dancers like George Primrose and Jack Donahue. Special attention is given to Bolger’s involvement in the nascent United Service Organizations (USO) Camp Shows, including his participation in the first ever camp show unit, which went to the Caribbean in November 1941, and later the first unit to entertain in the South Pacific. An entire chapter is dedicated to the creation and performance of Where’s Charley?, Bolger’s most important show and the one for which he earned a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. The Where’s Charley? material explores Bolger’s collaboration with his wife, Gwendolyn Rickard Bolger, who became the first female producer of a musical comedy on Broadway with her contributions to the production. Bolger’s later life as a political spokesperson, a television guest star, and a pop culture personality are also explored. %Z https://katalog.hszg.de/Record/0-1662871333 %U https://katalog.hszg.de/Record/0-1662871333