Born in New York City on December 14, 1915, to James J. and Helen Dailey, both born in New York City. He appeared in a minstrel show when very young, and appeared in vaudeville before his Broadway debut in 1937 in Babes in Arms. In 1940, he was signed by MGM to make movies and, although his past career had been in musicals, he was initially cast as a Nazi in The Mortal Storm. However, the people at MGM realized their mistake quickly and cast him in a series of musical films.
He served in the United States Army during World War II, was commissioned as an Army officer after graduation from Signal Corps Officer Candidate School at Fort Monmouth, NJ. He then returned Hollywood to more musicals. Beginning with Mother Wore Tights (1947) Dailey became the frequent and favorite co-star of movie legend Betty Grable. His performance in their film When My Baby Smiles at Me in 1948 garnered him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
In 1950, he starred in A Ticket to Tomahawk, often noted as one of the first screen appearances of Marilyn Monroe, in a very small part as a dance-hall girl. He portrayed baseball pitcher Dizzy Dean in a 1952 biopic, Pride of St. Louis.
One of his most notable roles came in There's No Business Like Show Business (1954), which featured Irving Berlin's music and also starred Ethel Merman, Marilyn Monroe, Johnnie Ray, and Donald O'Connor, whose wife Gwen divorced O'Connor and married Dailey at about the same period.
As the musical genre began to wane in the mid-1950s, he moved on to various comedic and dramatic roles, including appearing as one of The Four Just Men (1959) in the Sapphire Films TV series for ITV, his television series, The Governor & J.J. and the NBC Mystery Movie series "Faraday & Company". His sister was Another World actress Irene Dailey.
A rumor that Dan Dailey was a cross dresser came out in the late 1950s, and it damaged his career. With the downfall of the American movie musical, his career was also hurt further. Dailey was always a heavy drinker, but when his only son committed suicide in 1975, it further sent him on a downhill spiral. Dailey broke his hip in 1976 while performing in The Odd Couple, and died on October 16, 1978 of anemia. He is an example of another talented star whose fame did not shine bright long enough in Hollywood...
Two of my favorites , It's Always Fair Weather, and his second baseball film The Kid From Left Field
ReplyDeleteI adore watching Dan Dailey. I think the Academy messed up when he wasn't nominated for "It's Always Fair Weather" and "The Governor and J.J." looms large in my memory.
ReplyDeleteOn the A&E Biography of Betty Grable, Alice Faye said that Dan was truly in love with Betty. It makes watching their movies together extra special.
My favorite Dan Dailey movie has always been "There's No Business Like Show Business" and "It's Always Fair Weather" but I think "Meet Me In Las Vegas" is an underrated gem.
ReplyDeleteNo matter what movie he is in I really liked watching him.
ReplyDeleteThanks whoever wrote the biography I learned a lot about Dan and more proof that actors are just human being. And I feel like I know him better. And I wanna try in watch those 2 tv shows I never knew about.
He was a talent and a great leading man. He died too young.
ReplyDeleteI love the film "The Girl Next Door" in which Dan Dailey starred with June Haver and Dennis Day. Such a fun film. It also had Billy Gray, Natalie Schafer and Cara Williams. IMDB's search is acting quirky.... I can't find this movie with their main search feature but it was June Haver's last film and it shows up in her bio. Dan Dailey was just a really special talent. It's sad that he apparently didn't have a stable home life. He was such a great partner for Betty Grable.
ReplyDeleteI used to date Dan Dailey and I remember how much fun he was and how wonderful it was to dance with him. I also remember being at the Encore with him one night while Betty Grable was there. He went to her table and sat with her for the longest time.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if you are still on here, but I would love to talk with you. I am a HUGE Dan Dailey fan and have been researching him for years in order to write his biography.
DeleteFragileexpk I'd love to contact you. I'm not Anonymous, but am researching another book and need details on Dan Dailey. Can you email me? -Paula
DeleteLoved Dan Dailey in whatever he was in. His megawatt smile and terrific dancing brought me much joy and he was a wonderful actor. Miss his talent.
ReplyDeleteI had the pleasure of meeting Dan back in the 60's in a place called Punchinello's in Chicago. Punchinello's was a place where the well know could go to relax without being bothered. I met many of the well knowns there, such as Dan. Martha Raye and many many more. I always enjoyed the movies with Dan and could never say anything bad about him. I never knew about his personal life. I thought he was a nice guy then and still do.
ReplyDeleteAt the time I worked at a Chicago Radio.
Bob O'Halloran
I love all the old movies with Dan Dailey. He could sing, dance and act. They called that a triple threat back then. He was so very talented. They don't make them like that anymore. What a shame. I wish I could have lived back than, the music, the dancing and all of those old wonderful movies were so much better than the ones they make now.
ReplyDeleteThe movies were great I agree. Thank heaven for tcm!!!
DeleteI just watched the magnificently restored "There's No Business Like Show Business" last night, and I was very impressed with Dan Dailey. I had never heard of him before. Terrific voice and dancing.
ReplyDeleteDan Dailey was such an underrated talent. Enjoyed every one of his movies. Especially the musical comedies where he displayed his great talent for singing & dancing. Miss him.
ReplyDeleteDon't know how his WWII service got screwed up. He was a navy Lt. and at one time was at Silver Springs, FL in charge of a group making underwater demolition training films. Russell Hayden who played Hopalong Cassidy's sidekick was in the group. I was there and met both of them. At 13 I worked at "The Springs" tying up and untying photo subs--$3.00 a day. Daily was a speaker at Ocala High School. One day I started to run out of the dressing room after changing to my swim suit and literally ran into Dan who was coming in. I fell down and looked up at this big guy in Navy Officer white. He laughed and helped me up. That was my first introduction to Dan Daily. Met him for real later. Nice guy.
ReplyDeleteI sitting here right now watching "You where meant for me" What a movie!
ReplyDeleteWatching 'Meet Me In Las Vegas' Love, Love Dan Dsiley!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a talent. He could act, dance, and sing. Not many actors today can do that. They're too one dimentional anymore.
ReplyDeleteJust watched "Call Me Mister" and loved it. He was a terrific dancer and singer, and actor. Loved all his movies, especially "There's No Business Like Show Business". Wonderful movie.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous November 4 2016 11:22 PM
ReplyDeleteChecking the tv for something to watch I found Chicken Every Sunday.Saw and loved all his musicals.Always had a silly crush. Now 79 still like him.
I'll be 79 In a few weeks also and I have always had a crush on Dan Daily also. In my later years I learned to tap dance because of his movies. Loved every minute of it for 25 years. It's amazing how someone can have an influence on you
ReplyDeleteIt should be mentioned that Dan was a superior horseman. He surely could have been a professional rider. He rode jumping horses with the same wonderful style that he danced. What a nice guy!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know much about Dan's father, Daniel James Dailey, Sr.?
ReplyDeleteHis father was the manager of the Roosevelt hotel in New York city. That's how Dan was bit by the acting bug. The vaudeville players would stay at the hotel and he was enamored by them. His father didn't want him to have anything to do with the showbiz folks but so glad he did it anyway.
DeleteHis father was the manager of the Roosevelt Hotel in NY. That's how Dan became enamored with showbiz. His father was against it but so glad he did it anyway.
DeleteAs a 12 year old, I saw him in Guys and Dolls at the Westbury Music Fair when it was still a tent. Everytime an airplane came over and drowned out the dialogue, he would slip into a quick soft shoe until it passed. I also got his autograph - I clearly remember how tall he was and the quantity of red freckles he had on his arm. Still have the autograph and playbill. Carol
ReplyDeleteMay he RIP! I spent many hours delightfully entertained watching any movie Dan Dailey was in. Definitely underrated as a dancer, singer and actor. One of my favorites was a movie he played in with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. I can’t recall the name of it but it truly showed both his dramatic and comedic agents!
ReplyDeleteI am still a fan of Dan Dailey. His easy, smooth style of acting and dancing was the best ever. My husband and I never missed a movie he was in or any live musicals he was in. It still makes me sad to know his son killed himself. Dan Daily to me is still one of the greatest showmen and so enjoyable to watch.
ReplyDeleteThe rumor that Dan Daily was a cross-dresser was a fact! While he was being treated for that inclination at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka Kansas in the 50's, he was spotted by local residents in drag. My first father-in-law, Jack Martin, told me the story in the early 70's. Jack had been a bartender at the Sasnak (Kansas spelled backwards) Bar in downtown Topeka in the late 40's and early 50's. He said that Daily would frequent the bar in drag, and that employees were told to keep quiet about who he was. His comment to me was "If you think that he was ugly as a man, you should have seen him as a woman!".
ReplyDeleteSorry, I thought this forum would be a place to celebrate the film career of Dan Dailey. Too bad Unknown's need to focus on the tacky and tawdry. I don't care that he chose to put on a dress from time to time, so did Milton Berle, Jack Benny and countless other performers. All I know, is the joy I felt whenever I saw him sing and dance. Having my own local Dan Dailey retrospective on Reel Classics. Have just finished YOU'RE MY EVERYTHING and now I'm on THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, both of which I have never seen. I was familiar with Dan's work in NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS and IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER along with PEPE. He was a wonderful talent and so sad how his health and mental state failed in his final years.
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