Ray McDonald (June 27, 1920 – February 20, 1959) was a

tap dance Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely per ...

r who started his career as a

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic compositio ...

act with his older sister

Grace McDonald Grace McDonald Green (June 15, 1918 – October 30, 1999) was an American actress who appeared in films in the early 1940s, mostly B movies. Born in New York City, she and her brother Ray McDonald had their Broadway debut in 1937 in ''Babes in ...

, before being cast in a hit Broadway show, and then in films. He had a starring role in the films ''

Down in San Diego ''Down in San Diego'' is a 1941 American adventure film directed by Robert B. Sinclair and written by Franz Schulz and Harry Clork. The black-and-white movie was filmed in San Diego and stars Bonita Granville, Ray McDonald, Dan Dailey, Leo Gorc ...

'' and '' Born to Sing'', some leading roles in other films, as well as lesser roles including in uncredited dance sequences. McDonald's Broadway credits include ''

Park Avenue Park Avenue is a wide New York City boulevard which carries north and southbound traffic in the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Aven ...

'' (1946), ''

Winged Victory The ''Winged Victory of Samothrace'', or the ''Nike of Samothrace'', is a votive monument originally found on the island of Samothrace, north of the Aegean Sea. It is a masterpiece of Greek sculpture from the Hellenistic era, dating from the ...

'' (1943), ''Crazy With the Heat'' (1941), and ''

Babes in Arms ''Babes in Arms'' is a 1937 coming-of-age musical comedy with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Rodgers and Hart. It concerns a group of small-town Long Island teenagers who put on a show to avoid being sent to a work ...

'' (1937).

Personal life

McDonald was born in New York City. His sister Grace was two years older. She was contracted to Universal while he signed with MGM. He was married to actress

Elisabeth Fraser Elisabeth Fraser (born Elisabeth Fraser Jonker, January 8, 1920 – May 5, 2005) was an American actress, best known for playing brassy blondes. Life and career Born Elisabeth Fraser Jonker on January 8, 1920, in Brooklyn, New York, she was ...

from 1944 until 1952 and then actress

Peggy Ryan Margaret O'Rene Ryan (August 28, 1924 – October 30, 2004) was an American dancer and actress, best known for starring in a series of movie musicals at Universal Pictures with Donald O'Connor and Gloria Jean. Career Ryan joined her pare ...

from 1953 until 1957. In 1949, he appeared with her in '' There's a Girl in My Heart'' and co-starred with her in the musical '' Shamrock Hill.'' On December 4, 1956, they guest starred on the ''Mickey Mouse Club''. He died in 1959 at age 38 in New York City after choking on food in his hotel room.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McDonald, Ray 1921 births 1959 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male stage actors Male actors from New York City American male dancers Vaudeville performers Deaths from choking