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Sally Rand

Sally Rand (April 3, 1904 - August 31, 1979) was born Harriet Helen Gould Beck in Elkton in Hickory County, Missouri. She also performed under the name Billy Beck. She was an exotic dancer and actress.

During the 1920s, she acted on stage and appeared in silent films; Cecil B. deMille gave her the name Sally Rand. She was selected as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars in 1927. After the introduction of sound film, she became a dancer, known for the fan dance, which she popularized starting at the Paramount Club. Her most famous appearance was at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair entitled Century of Progress. She also conceived and developed the bubble dance, in part to cope with wind while performing outdoors. She died in 1979 in Glendora, California.

She performed the fan dance on film in Bolero, released in 1934. She is portrayed in the 1983 film The Right Stuff, fan-dancing for the first American astronauts and other dignitaries.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2004.

Sally Rand Facts

Birth NameHarriet Helen Gould Beck
OccupationActress
BirthdayApril 3, 1904
SignAries
BirthplaceElkton, Missouri, USA
Date of deathAugust 31, 1979 (age 75)
Height5' 1" (1m55)  How tall is Sally Rand compared to you?

Selected Filmography

My Blue Heaven
Anna
Burlesque! A DVD Documentary
Bolero
Getting Gertie's Garter
Sunset Murder Case
Bubble Dance
A Girl in Every Port
Classic Nudie Cutie Films Vol 3
Rocky Jones, Space Ranger
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