Friday 9 November 2018

Kay Thompson born 9 November 1908


Kay Thompson (born Catherine Louise Fink; November 9, 1909 – July 2, 1998) was an American author, singer, vocal arranger, vocal coach, composer, musician, dancer and actress. She is best known as the creator of the Eloise children's books and for her role in the movie Funny Face.

Thompson was born Catherine Louise Fink in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1909, the second of the four children of Leo George Fink, a Jewish, Austrian-born pawnbroker and jeweller, and his American born, gentile wife Harriet Adelaide "Hattie" Tetrick..

Thompson began her career in the 1930s as a singer and choral director for radio. Her first big break was as a regular singer on the Bing Crosby-Woodbury Show Bing Crosby Entertains (CBS, 1933–34). This led to a regular spot on The Fred Waring-Ford Dealers Show (NBC, 1934–35) and then, with conductor Lennie 
Hayton, she co-founded The Lucky Strike Hit Parade (CBS, 1935) where she met (and later married) trombonist Jack Jenney. Thompson and Her Rhythm Singers joined André Kostelanetz and His Orchestra for the hit series The Chesterfield Radio Program (CBS, 1936), followed by It's Chesterfield Time (CBS, 1937) for which Thompson and her large choir were teamed with Hal Kemp and His Orchestra.

As a singer, Thompson made very few records, starting with one side, "Take a Number from One to Ten", on a 1934 session by the Tom Coakley band. In 1935, she recorded four sides for Brunswick ("You Hit The Spot", "You Let Me Down," "Don't Mention Love To Me," and "Out of Sight, Out of Mind"), and another four sides for Victor. The 4 Brunswick sides are excellent examples of mid-1930's sophisticated New York cabaret singing.


For her motion picture debut, Thompson and her choir performed two songs in the Republic Pictures musical Manhattan Merry-Go-Round (1937). In 1939, she reunited with André Kostelanetz for Tune-Up Time (CBS), a show that was produced by radio legend William Spier (who later married Thompson in 1942). On an instalment of Tune-Up Time in April 1939, 16-year-old Judy Garland was a guest. It was at this time 
that Thompson first met and worked with Garland, developing a close personal friendship and professional association that lasted the rest of Garland's life.

In 1943 Thompson signed an exclusive contract with MGM to become the studio's top vocal arranger, vocal coach, and choral director. She served as main vocal arranger for many of producer Arthur Freed's MGM musicals and as vocal coach to such stars as Judy Garland, Lena Horne, Frank Sinatra, and June Allyson. Some of the many MGM musicals Thompson was the vocal arranger for include Ziegfeld Follies (1946), The Harvey Girls (1946), Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), Good News (1947), and The Pirate (1948).

Thompson left MGM in 1947 after working on The Pirate to create the night club act "Kay Thompson and the Williams Brothers", with the four Williams men as her backup singers and dancers. They made their debut in Las Vegas in 1947 and became an overnight sensation. Within a year, they were the highest paid nightclub act in the world, breaking records wherever they appeared. She wrote the songs and Robert Alton did the original choreography for the act.

Thompson, who lived at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, became most notable as the author of the Eloise series of children's books. The books have been speculated to be partly inspired by the antics of her goddaughter Liza Minnelli, daughter of Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli, though when asked if this was true, Thompson responded, "I am Eloise."


                             

She later recorded for Capitol, Columbia, Decca, and, most importantly, for MGM Records, which issued her only complete album of songs, in 1954. In February 1956, Thompson wrote and recorded the song "Eloise" at Cadence Records with an orchestra 
conducted by Archie Bleyer. The song debuted on March 10, 1956, and became a Top 40 hit, selling over 100,000 copies.

As a film actress, Thompson played one major role only: that of fashion editor Maggie Prescott in the musical Funny Face (1957). Reunited with her colleagues from MGM, producer and songwriter Roger Edens and director Stanley Donen, Thompson garnered critical praise for her stylish turn as an editor based on real-life Harper's Bazaar editor Diana Vreeland, opening the film with her splashy "Think Pink!" and performing duets with Astaire and Hepburn.

In 1962 Kay served as creative consultant and vocal arranger for Judy Garland's legendary TV special with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, and kept busy with various nightclub/TV performances of her own until she decided to leave the limelight. It was fashion icon Halston who lured Kay out of her self-imposed retirement for a time in the 1970s in order to stage his runway shows.

Thompson only acted in one additional feature film, 1970's Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon, because, according to its star Liza Minnelli, Thompson disliked the slow speed of movie production.


She eventually moved into Minnelli's Upper East Side penthouse and, contrary to her larger-than-life persona, grew quiet and reclusive with the last decade pretty much confined to a wheelchair. She died at the penthouse on July 2, 1998 at age 88. (Edited mainly from Wikipedia)

5 comments:

boppinbob said...

For “THINK PINK! A KAY THOMPSON PARTY - SEPIA 1135” go here:

https://www94.zippyshare.com/v/FQe7JslD/file.html

CD #1 "The Studio Recordings"

1. I LOVE A VIOLIN LISTEN
2. HOW DEEP IS THE OCEAN
3. IT'S ALL RIGHT WITH ME
4. BASIN STREET BLUES
5. QUEL JOIE
6. KATIE'S BLUES
7. MOONGLOW
8. BLUE MOON
9. I MUST HAVE THAT MAN
10. I HADN'T ANYONE TILL YOU
11. BACK HOME IN INDIANA
12. I SEE YOUR FACE BEFORE ME
13. (Where Are You?) NOW THAT I NEED YOU
14. 'BOUT YOU 'N ME
15. THAT OLD FEELING
16. WAS THAT THE HUMAN THING TO DO?
17. LIGHT UP THE CANDLES ON THE BIRTHDAY CAKE
18. BAZAZZ LISTEN
19. BONJOUR, PARIS! with Audrey Hepburn & Fred Astaire
20. ON HOW TO BE LOVELY with Audrey Hepburn
21. CLAP YO' HANDS with Fred Astaire
22. THINK PINK* (extended version)

CD #2 "Rarities and Live Performances"

1. HELLO, HELLO* with the Williams Brothers
2. JUBILEE with the Williams Brothers
3. LOUISIANA PURCHASE with the Williams Brothers
4. DON'T TELL LOUELLA* with the Williams Brothers
5. ON THE CARIBBEAN LISTEN
6. OLD FASHIONED HAMMOCK
7. JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS
8. 3:00 A.M. IN THE PERSIAN ROOM*
9. THE STEAM IS ON THE BEAM
10. YOU'RE MINE, YOU
11. COQUETTE The Kay Thompson Singers
12. HIGH ON A WINDY HILL
13. AY, AY, AY
14. THE WISE OLD OWL
15. DOLORES
16. THE LADY IS A TRAMP
17. YOU TOOK ADVANTAGE OF ME
18. YOU'RE A LUCKY GUY*
19. STOP! IT'S WONDERFUL* with Tony Martin
20. 'S WONDERFUL* with Tony Martin
21. Medley: 51 EAST 51* / A ROMANTIC GUY, I*
22. THESE ARE THE THINGS I LOVE*
23. DADDY with Erik Rhodes
24. BALI BOOGIE* with Danny Kaye
25. YES, INDEED*
26. I'M IN LOVE WITH A SOLDIER BOY*
27. THE TROLLEY SONG*
28. LOVE*

CD #3 "Demos, Covers, Comedy, and Eloise"

1. Screen Test: THINK PINK / 'S WONDERFUL*
2. WEEK-END AT THE WALDORF*
3. I'VE GOT THE SUN IN THE MORNING*
4. IN THE VALLEY with Judy Garland
5. MADAME CREMATANTE* Ann Miller
6. LOVE ON A GREYHOUND BUS Pat Kirkwood
7. 'E PINCHED ME
8. BEAUTEE SOAP, JINGLE #1*
9. BEAUTEE SOAP, JINGLE #2*
10. LIFE CAN BE LIFE* (comedy sketch) with Jim Backus
11. PSYCHIATRIST'S OFFICE (comedy sketch) with Bing Crosby
12. MYRTLE (of Sheepshead Bay)
13. POOR SUZETTE
14. I LOVE A VIOLIN* (party rendition)
15. LET'S TALK ABOUT RUSSIA (party chit-chat)
16. DASVIDANYA (Until We Meet Again)
17. MOSCOW CHA CHA CHA
18. ELOISE
19. ELOISE ON THE GO* (radio chat) With Willard Espy
20. ELOISE'S ALL-STAR SNEAK PREVIEW* (commercial)
21. ELOISE IN NYACK* (radio chat) with Helen Hayes
22. IT'S ABSOLUTELY CHRISTMASTIME*
23. HOLIDAY SEASON*
24. WHITE CHRISTMAS*
25. KAY THOMPSON'S JINGLE BELLS

*Previously Unreleased

In 2009, Sepia Records celebrated the centenary of the multi-talented Kay Thompson with a 75 track 3 CD set including many recordings never issued before. Kay is probably best remembered today as Liza Minnelli's godmother but she was much more. Kay's most famous movie role was the flamboyant fashion magazine editor in the classic musical FUNNY FACE co-starring Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire. Kay opens the movie with her signature song, Think Pink!, and also duets with Audrey and Fred in other numbers.

Singer, actress, composer, lyricist, comedienne, choreographer, author, singing coach to the stars, Kay's talents included all of that and this release highlights her amazing energy and talent.

Liza Minnelli recreated the "Kay Thompson and the Williams Brothers" nightclub act for her LIZA'S AT THE PALACE concert on Broadway, which won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event. The Kay Thompson songs performed by Liza are all included here in this Sepia collection.

Unknown said...

Loved this story. I am researching a blogpost about the Oscar Levant song "Out of Sight, Out of Mind." I hadn't heard of Kay Thompson before her name popped as one of the few singers to record that song. Great work!

unknown said...

Thx so much!!

Hitparade said...

Bob,
Could you please reup this box set. Thank you :-)

boppinbob said...


Hello HP, Here's Kay
https://www.imagenetz.de/dUrL2