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Gwen was born in the theatre. Her mother, Gertrude, was a vaudevillian and dancer. Her father, Joseph, was an MGM studio electrician. She had to wear corrective boots as a child to straighten out her legs that were misshapen by childhood illness. Nonetheless she first appeared as a tapper on stage at age 6. She made her break in Bob Fosse's "Damn Yankees" in 1955. She married Fosse in 1960 and separated from him, although never divorcing him, in the mid 70's. More stage and screen work quickly followed with highlights in 'New Girl In Town', 'Redhead', 'Sweet Charity', and 'Chicago'. She and her daughter, Nicole, created the current stage musical "Fosse". Upon her death, Broadway dimmed all of its marquees in tribute. I know Gwennie, almost strictly, from two things: her loveliness opposite the great Don Ameche in Cocoon and on Magnum P.I. as Thomas Magnum's mother. Gwen was born Gwyneth Evelyn Verdon on January 13, 1925, in Culver City, Los Angeles, California, and died on October 18, 2000, in Woodstock, Vermont. Bob Fosse (1960 - 1971) (legally separated; never divorced); 1 daughter She was married to James Henaghan from 1942 - 1947, and was the mother of Jim Henaghan. Won a Tony for Best Actress in a Musical as Lola in "Damn Yankees" (1955). Played Roxie Hart in the original Broadway production of "Chicago" (1975). Verdon was the toast of Broadway for many years, thanks to her work in such musicals as "Can-Can," "Damn Yankees," "Redhead" and "Sweet Charity." Complete Filmography: Walking Across Egypt
(2000) .... Alora TV Work: Best Friends for
Life (1998) (TV) Cool recent interview with Gwen Media Obit: "Damn Yankees" Star
Gwen Verdon Dies Gwen Verdon, the sexy redheaded hoofer whose legendary leg-work inspired Bob Fosse and electrified Broadway, died today of natural causes. She was 75. On stage, Vernon embodied Fosse's most famous creations, including the seductive devil's sidekick Lola in Damn Yankees and the heart-of-gold taxi dancer Charity in Sweet Charity. Off stage, the director-choereographer and dancer were married for 15 years. Although they separated in 1975, they never divorced, and Verdon was with Fosse when he collapsed and died on a sidewalk in 1987 just before the opening of a revival of Sweet Charity in Washington, D.C. Born in Los Angeles, Verdon leaped to prominence in the 1953 Cole Porter stage musical, Can-Can stealing the show with her "Garden of Eden" ballet. The performance won her the first of her four Tonys. Two years later she had star billing as Lola. Her version of the come-on song "What Lola Wants..." and the advertising posters featuring her in black lingerie were credited with boosting ticket sales and enabling the show to run over 1,000 performances. She brought Lola's unique mambo to the 1958 film version of the musical about a baseball fan selling his soul for a chance to play with the Washington Senators. But the actress made few Hollywood films during her stage heyday. In fact, when Sweet Charity was filmed in 1969, the role Verdon had originated in 1965 went to another redhead, movie star Shirley MacLaine. Verdon also worked with Fosse on New Girl in Town, the story of a onetime prostitute, based on the Eugene O'Neill story Anna Christie (which had been Greta Garbo's first talking picture), and on Redhead, a murder-mystery set in Victorian England especially shaped to the talents of its auburn-tressed star. The couple's final collaboration was for Chicago in 1975. Verdon played the murderer Roxie Hart in the John Kander and Fred Ebb musical. She also consulted on the Tony-winning Broadway revival of Chicago. (The theater lights should dim tonight in Verdon's memory.) In later years, Verdon made the successful transition to film that had eluded her in youth. She was one of the senior citizens offered eternal life in Cocoon and its sequel, and is also credited with contributing choreography. She played Mia Farrow's mother in Woody Allen's domestic comedy Alice and showed up on television in supporting roles in The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All and In Cold Blood. Verdon is survived by her daughter with Fosse, Nicole, and her son, Jim Henaghan, from an earlier marriage.
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Gwen
Verdon, 1925-2000