Bill Mack’s Entertainment Beat: Me and Cyd Charisse
Cyd
By BILL MACK
Truckers Connection
11/5/2009
Do you, by chance, remember the gorgeous dancer/actor, Cyd Charisse? Cyd was one of the super stars in the late ‘40s, and was active on TV and in movies for 50 years. Howard Hughes dated her when she first moved to Hollywood from Amarillo. She was signed by the biggest, most important movie outfit in the nation, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where she was referred to as “the most beautiful newcomer" on the MGM lot.
I was going to college in Canyon, Texas, near Amarillo, where my best pal was a guy named Tommy Camarado. He lived with his grandmother in Amarillo.
Now, here are the details: Tommy's grandmother, whose nickname was "Icey,” was very close to the Finklea family in Amarillo. This family owned a jewelry company known as Finklea Jewelers. They were very important people. They had this beautiful daughter named Cyd. Cyd received the nickname because her baby brother could never pronounce her real name, which was Tula Ellice. Little brother called her "Cyd"...and the name stuck. She was Cyd Finklea until she fell in love with a dance instructor named Nico Charisse. They were married while she was approaching 20 years-of-age. Then, they divorced. When she signed with MGM, Louis B. Meyer thought her professional name should remain Cyd Charisse.
Naturally, I was quite taken by her when I saw her on the big screen. This was especially personal when I realized she was from Amarillo and was a close friend of Tommy Camarado's grandmother.
One hot summer day in Amarillo, Icey called me and asked, "Would you please come over to the house and have some iced tea with me? Tommy is at work and I just need some company." Since she was my best pal's grandmother and I had the day off, I accepted her invitation, telling her I would see her within a half hour. Icey asked, "Are you sure you'll be here? Don't let me down!"
I drove over to her house where she greeted me at the door with her natural smile. She was a tiny little lady, always smiling or giggling. She opened the door and invited me in.
Icey said, "Have a seat. Make yourself comfortable while I go into the kitchen and make some tea." I immediately wondered why the tea wasn't already made, since she knew I was coming to the house.
As I sat in the living room, dreading this visit with Tommy's grandmother while sipping iced-tea, I saw this stranger enter the room. She was thin, a bit tall, with shapely legs. Her beautiful tan was accented by her white shorts and some kind of matching white gear that tied at the top of her perfect body. Then, I recognized the gorgeous face. It was Cyd Charisse! It seems Icey had also invited her over, since Cyd was in town from Hollywood, visiting relatives and old friends. Icey wanted to surprise me, recalling the many occasions I had spoken of Cyd's beauty.
Now, it gets interesting: Cyd walked over to me and whispered, "I understand you are a fan of my movie works." I informed her that she was right. Then, she said, "I owe you this."
It was then that Cyd planted on me the most perfect kiss that I had ever received, as Icey giggled behind us. Then, Cyd asked: "Would you buy me a hamburger? I haven't had lunch." Naturally, I told her it would be my pleasure. Secretly, I was wondering if I had the loot for the hamburgers. Luckily, I did.
Icey had already had her lunch. She told Cyd and me to go get the burgers and that she would see us later.
I asked Cyd if she had a car. She said, "No, my family dropped me off, here. Don't you have a car?"
I was driving a very used, very outdated '48 Studebaker. I lied, "Yes, I have a car...a new Cadillac...but my brother has borrowed it. I'm using his shabby old Studebaker."
Cyd said, "That'll be okay, won't it?"
As I opened the creaky door of the Studebaker (a dull red job), Cyd gave some deep study to the inside of the car and laughed, "This is cute!"
I took Cyd to a very small hamburger joint where she ordered for us "two burgers and two cokes, to go." Then she wanted us to drive to the nearby park and have our hamburgers and cokes while we chatted. I was so intimidated that my conversation with her was limited. I was having a hamburger with Cyd Charisse! She did most of the talking, becoming more beautiful by the minute. Then, we re-entered the Studebaker and I drove Cyd back to Icey's house. As we were walking toward the door, she asked, "Have you ever fallen for an older woman?" I burped: "I think I just did." (Not very original, was it?) She was simply having fun while flirting with what was obviously a young, inexperienced, hungry hound. Most beautiful Texas Panhandle girls are blessed with this natural talent!
As Icey opened the door, Cyd held me close and planted the most perfect kiss of all on me. Then she whispered, "I'll have to say goodbye. My relatives are picking me up in a few minutes." Presenting me another kiss, she gave me a serious stare with her most gorgeous dark-brown eyes and said, "I hope we can have more hamburgers together sometime in the future." Before I could respond, she uttered, "Goodbye, Bill...darling,” entered Icey's house and slowly closed the door.
MGM could not have produced a more perfect ending.
As I drove away in my red Studebaker, I felt that Cyd might call me the next time she exited Hollywood for a trip to her old home town. Unfortunately, the only time I ever saw her again was on the big screen, in Technicolor, dancing with Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly. I also saw her doing some serious acting, kissing Burt Lancaster. I have to be honest: it made me a little jealous. I realized what Burt was experiencing with those kisses.
Later, Cyd married the pop singer, Tony Martin.
I’m not sure Cyd Charisse ever returned to Amarillo. If she did, she failed to call me.
Cyd died last summer in Hollywood. I felt some sadness.
Hear Bill Mack Monday through Friday from Noon until 3:00 p.m., Eastern, at “Willie’s Place” on XM Satellite Radio (Channel 13) and Sirius Satellite Radio (Channel 64). Bill’s “Sunday Social” is presented Sundays from 9:00 a.m. until Noon, Eastern, on these same channels from “Willie’s Place”.
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