Rosemary Clooney White Christmas

Co-starring Rosemary Clooney White Christmas is one of the most successful Christmas movies ever. Here is a biography of Rosemary Clooney and her movie career.

Full name: Rosemary Clooney

DOB: 23rd May 1928

DOD: 29th June 2002

Where born: Maryville, Kentucky, USA.

Rosemary Clooney was part of a star-studded cast in “White Christmas” which included Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen. In the movie she plays Betty Haynes, one of the “Sisters” act, eager to make their mark in the world of show business.

That part is all the more apt for Rosemary as along with her sister Betty and brother Nick, she became an entertainer, claiming fame through her singing and acting.

Along with Betty, Rosemary gained her first break in 1945 as they performed on Ohio's WLW radio station as the Clooney Sisters.

A year later she made her first recordings on Columbia, singing with the Tony Pastor's Big Band. By 1949 Rosemary was performing as a recording artist.

1951 saw Rosemary Clooney's first hit - “Come on-a my House” and she went on to record a number of duets with the actress Marlene Dietrich.

The 1944-movie “White Christmas” gave Rosemary her first big break into pictures. It also allowed her to develop a successful professional relationship with the star of the movie Bing Crosby.

She made TV appearances with him such as in “The Edel Show” in 1957, and staged a series of concerts together in Ireland. And in 1960 the pair hosted a weekly radio show on CBS.

Rosemary was also achieving fame and fortune in her own right. By 1956 she was starring in her own syndicated TV show “The Rosemary Clooney Show.”

Her career went through something of a lull during the 1960's, but was lifted by an appearance with Bing Crosby in his 50th Anniversary Show in 1974.

Three years later she began recording for the Concord label, and remained with them, turning an album out for them each year, until her death.

Despite her appearance in “White Christmas” Rosemary was never renowned as a movie star.

However, she continued to appear in a variety of TV programmes. These included “Bob Hope: The First 90 Years” in 1993 and as Mary Cavanaugh/Madame X in a 1994 episode of “ER.”

Her last television appearance was in “Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Song” in 2001. Her last concert was around the same time, backed by the Honolulu Symphony Pops in Hawaii.

Rosemary was diagnosed with lung cancer and she died in Hollywood, at the age of 74, in Hollywood.

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