Barrie Chase

Biography

Barrie Chase (born October 20, 1933) is an American actress and dancer originally from Long Island, New York. When she was six, her father, writer Borden Chase, moved the family to California so he could start his screenwriting career. She grew up in Encino, and studied ballet. She abandoned her dream of being a ballerina in New York to stay in Los Angeles and help support her mother, pianist Lee Keith, after her parents' divorce. Performing career She danced on such live TV programs as The Colgate Comedy Hour and The Chrysler Shower of Stars. It was while she was working as Jack Cole's assistant choreographer at MGM that Fred Astaire asked her to be his dancing partner on An Evening with Fred Astaire. She made four television appearances as Astaire's partner in his television specials between 1958 and 1968. Chase also danced alongside Astaire on the television program Hollywood Palace in 1966. During this period, she also dated Astaire, who was a widower. She appeared on the syndicated talk show version of The Donald O'Connor Show. Chase worked in the chorus of many Hollywood musicals, including Hans Christian Andersen, Brigadoon, Call Me Madam, Deep in My Heart, Kismet, Les Girls, Pal Joey, and two Fred Astaire films, Daddy Long Legs and Silk Stockings. She appeared in White Christmas (starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen) as the chorus girl with the famous line, "Mutual, I'm sure." Other film and television roles included The George Raft Story; the beating victim of a sadistic Robert Mitchum in the thriller Cape Fear; and the dancing, bikini-clad girlfriend of Dick Shawn's maniacal character in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). She played Farida in the 1965 film, The Flight of the Phoenix (starring James Stewart and Richard Attenborough), in a dream sequence. The same year she appeared on an episode of Bonanza, playing a saloon dancer who longed to be a ballerina. In 1972, Chase retired from performing to devote herself to her own family. She has one child. Spouse: Gene Shacove (? - ?) (divorced) Jan Malmsjö (? - ?) (divorced) Richard Kaufman (? - present) 1 child Trade Mark: Black leotard Long, reddish-brown pony-tail Capri pants Her legs Trivia: After her fourth TV special with Fred in 1968, she made the decision to devote her time to her husband, Richard Kaufman, DDS, and their son, retiring from the performing world. Recently, the Kaufmans moved from a large home in Beverly Hills to a smaller place on one of the canals in Venice, California. Her husband Richard is retired from the dental profession. In addition, all three members of the family are avid cyclists and recently returned from a 9-month cycling tour of Europe, which was a once in a lifetime experience. [February 2004] She was originally set to play Claudine in the movie "Can-Can," the part that made Gwen Verdon a Broadway star. But when the studio gave her two dance numbers - an apache dance and 'Garden of Eden' - to star Shirley MacLaine, she walked off the picture, and was replaced by Juliet Prowse. Barrie eventually bought out her Fox contract and left the studio that largely wasted her talents. Debuted her Vegas act in the Congo Room of the Sahara Hotel in April, 1963(on a bill with JFK impersonator Vaughn Meader). Her choreography was by Hermes Pan and her costumes by Jean Louis. Was a Jack Cole dancer, and worked as Cole's assistant choreographer on the MGM films "Les Girls and "Designing Woman.". Personal Quotes Dancing with Fred Astaire and not learning anything from him would be the same as working with Michelangelo and saying you're becoming pretty good as a stone chiseler.