Sammy Lee (May 26, 1890 – March 30, 1968), born Samuel Levy, was an American

choreographer Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A chor ...

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

r, and producer who worked mainly on Broadway and for

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

film corporation in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

Work on Broadway

Lee got his start on the Broadway stage as a dancer and choreographer, along with Signor Albertiera, in the Arthur Hammerstein produced Friml operetta, The Firefly. For the next several years Lee worked as a dancer and choreographer in many reviews before he got his big break as the choreographer for the George and

Ira Gershwin Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the ...

musical, '' Lady, Be Good''. In ''Lady, Be Good'', Lee was the first to choreograph such hit songs as " Fascinating Rhythm", " Swiss Miss", and " Oh, Lady Be Good!". Lee was also one of the first choreographers to work on the Broadway stage with the young duo of

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz, May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, actor, singer, musician, choreographer, and presenter, whose career in stage, film, and television spanned 76 years. He is widely regarded as the "g ...

and Adele Astaire. Following the success of ''Lady, Be Good'', Lee worked steadily in such shows as '' No, No, Nanette'', '' Tip-Toes'', '' The Cocoanuts'', and '' Rio Rita''. As his popularity grew in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

, Lee drew the attention of famed Broadway producer, Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., who employed him to choreograph his '' Follies'' of 1927. His most famous work for the stage was when he teamed up with

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over ...

Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and director in musical theater for nearly 40 years. He won eight Tony Awards and two Academy Award ...

, and his friend Florenz Ziegfeld to create the musical ''

Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 Show Boat (novel), novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the per ...

''. Lee's choreography influenced the dance numbers in three film adaptations, including the famed 1951 production. Although Lee continued to work, being involved with six other productions following the success of ''Showboat'', he never could top the success he found with the original production. In 1932, Lee both music directing and choreographed the Broadway revival of ''Showboat'', his last theatrical credit.

Work in film

Lee's work in film was not as prolific as it was in the theater, however, he was nominated for two

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

during his career, both in the dance direction category. Once in 1935 for his work in the film '' King of Burlesque'', and a second in 1937 for his work in '' Ali Baba Goes to Town''.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Sammy 1890 births 1968 deaths American choreographers American male dancers American producers 20th-century American dancers