Daniel James Dailey Jr. (December 14, 1915 – October 16, 1978) was an American actor and dancer. He is best remembered for a series of popular musicals he made at 20th Century Fox such as Mother Wore Tights (1947).
Biography
Early life
Dailey was born on December 14, 1915, in New York City, to Daniel James Dailey Sr. and Helen Theresa (née Ryan) Dailey. His younger sister was actress Irene Dailey.[1]
Theatre
He appeared in a minstrel show in 1921 and later appeared in vaudeville. He worked as a golf caddy and shoe salesman before he got his first good break, playing in a show on a South American cruise ship in 1934.[2]
In 1940, he was signed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to make films and, although his past career had been in musicals, he was initially cast in the drama Susan and God (1940). He also played a Nazi in The Mortal Storm (1940).[4]
Dailey's last film for MGM was Panama Hattie (1942). It was a hit and Dailey's career looked like it was going to the next level when cast in For Me and My Gal. However Dailey was drafted and Gene Kelly ended up taking the role.[2]
20th Century Fox
When Dailey returned to Hollywood MGM did not renew his contract, which led him to sign a contract with 20th Century Fox. Their association began brilliantly with Mother Wore Tights (1947) in which Dailey supported the studio's biggest star, Betty Grable. His part was built up during filming and the movie was Fox's most popular movie of 1947, making $5 million.[6][2]
Dailey starred in a film for John Ford, When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950) which was a mild success at the box office. He received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy in 1951.[citation needed] A third teaming with Grable was in My Blue Heaven (1950). He made a cameo in I'll Get By (1950).
Dailey was reunited with Anne Baxter in A Ticket to Tomahawk (1950), often noted as one of the first screen appearances of Marilyn Monroe,[citation needed] who played a dance hall girl. He made a fourth (and final) film with Grable, Call Me Mister (1951).
Dailey went to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to play GI-turned-advertising man Doug Hallerton in It's Always Fair Weather (1955) alongside Gene Kelly. The film was screened at drive-in theaters and was not a box-office success, although it did receive good reviews.[citation needed]
The following year, he portrayed "Jughead" Carson in the drama The Wings of Eagles (1957) for John Ford, a biographical film on the life of Frank Wead, starring John Wayne.
As the musical genre began to wane in the late-1950s, he moved on to various comedic and dramatic roles on television, including starring in The Four Just Men (1959–1960).
In the late 1960s, Dailey toured as Oscar Madison in a road production of The Odd Couple, co-starring Elliott Reid as Felix Unger and also featuring Peter Boyle as Murray the cop. He did a stint on Broadway in Plaza Suite.
Dailey broke his hip in 1977 and developed anemia. He died on October 16, 1978, from complications following hip replacement surgery.[14][15] He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.[16]
According to his sister, Irene, the Daileys were all practicing Catholics and the whole family always voted Democratic. She and her brother were supportive in the elections of Adlai Stevenson and John F. Kennedy.[1]
^"Actor Sued For Divorce". Daily Examiner. No. 8518. New South Wales, Australia. 22 February 1951. p. 2. Retrieved 12 October 2017 – via National Library of Australia.