VeraEllen February 16 1921 August 30 1981 was an American dancer and actress She began dancing at the age of 10 and a few years later became one of the youngest Rockettes She appeared in several Broadway musicals until she was spotted by film producer Samuel Goldwyn in 1945 She was only 24 years old when Goldwyn cast her opposite Danny Kaye in Wonder Man 1945 She danced with Fred Astaire in Three Little Words 1950 and with Gene Kelly in On the Town 1949 Blonde slim of build and a dancing sensation she appeared in a string of lighthearted but successful films VeraEllen retired from acting in the late 1950s Veras career died down in the late 1950s once filmed musicals lost their fashion It was later discovered that due to the dancers compulsive dieting obsession she had silently battled anorexia throughout much of the 50s before anyone was even aware or doctors had even coined the term or devised treatments Moreover she had developed severe arthritis which forced an early retirement In order to combat it she reverted back to taking dance lessons again The worst blows suffered however was in her personal life On top of of two two failed marriages she lost her only child Victoria Ellen Rothschild to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome SIDS in 1963 With one unhappy and tragic event compounded by another she became a virtual recluse Little was heard for decades until it was discovered that she had died on August 30 1981 at age 60 following a long bout with cancer at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles She was buried at Glen Haven Memorial Park in Sylmar California Perhaps less remembered today compared to several of the big stars that shared the stage with her VeraEllen was a lithe and lovely presence who deserved a better personal life than she got Nevertheless she has provided true film lovers with a lasting legacy and can easily be considered one of Hollywoods finest dancing legends
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