Barrie Chase

Barrie Chase (born October 20, 1933) is an American actress and dancer.

Early life

Born in Kings Point, New York, Chase began formal dance lessons at age three, studying with the New York City Opera's ballet mistress. She studied ballet, first with Adolph Bolm and later with Maria Bekefi. She abandoned her intention to become a ballerina in New York to stay in Los Angeles and help support her mother, pianist Lee Keith, after her parents' divorce. She is the daughter of writer Borden Chase (Red River) and sister of screenwriter/actor Frank Chase.

Performing career

During the early 1950s, Chase danced on live television programs such as The Colgate Comedy Hour and The Chrysler Shower of Stars. While working as Jack Cole's assistant choreographer at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, she was asked by Fred Astaire to be his dancing partner on An Evening with Fred Astaire. She made four appearances as Astaire's partner in his television specials between 1958 and 1968. The two danced on Hollywood Palace in 1966. During this period, she dated Astaire, a widower.

Chase 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 (1952), Call Me Madam (1953), Deep in My Heart (1954), Brigadoon (1954), Kismet (1955), Pal Joey (1957), Les Girls (1957), and two Fred Astaire films, Daddy Long Legs (1955) and Silk Stockings (1957). She appeared in White Christmas (1954) as the chorus girl who speaks the line "Mutual, I'm sure." She appeared in a television episode of Have Gun Will Travel (1958).

Chase's other film roles included The George Raft Story (1961); the beating victim of a sadistic Robert Mitchum in the thriller Cape Fear (1962); and the dancing, bikini-clad paramour (restored footage revealed her character was in reality married) of Dick Shawn's dimwitted character in the 1963 comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. She is the last surviving cast member of the 1963 movie. Subsequently, she played Farida in the film The Flight of the Phoenix (1965), starring James Stewart and Richard Attenborough, in a dream sequence. In 1965, she appeared in the episode "The Ballerina" on the TV series Bonanza, playing saloon dancer Kellie Conrad, who longed to be a ballerina. In 1967, she appeared as a Soviet ballerina in the episode "Fly, Ballerina, Fly" on the television series Mr. Terrific.

References

External links

• Barrie Chase at IMDb 
• Barrie Chase at AllMovie
• Barrie Chase as Mystery Guest of "What's My Line?" (Feb 19, 1961)

1. Frank Chase (screenwriter)
2. Cape Fear (1962 film)
3. Fred Astaire chronology of performances
4. Elinor Donahue
5. The Flight of the Phoenix (1965 film)
6. The Hollywood Palace
7. Fred Astaire
8. Fred Astaire's solo and partnered dances
9. An Evening with Fred Astaire
10. White Christmas (film)
11. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
12. Leave 'Em Laughing (2020 film)
13. Playboy After Dark
14. The Carol Burnett Show
15. The George Raft Story
16. Mr. Terrific (TV series)
17. Miss Otis Regrets
18. Bonanza season 6
19. Brigadoon (film)
20. The Dating Game