Until now, that is. While Henaghan isn't as big of a figure in Fosse/Verdon as his half-sister and Verdon had guilt over leaving her son to be raised by her parents, he has helped to keep her legacy alive. Early on, Verdon found a job as assistant to choreographer Jack Cole, whose work was respected by both Broadway and Hollywood movie studios. He After her divorce, she entrusted her son Jimmy to the care of her parents. . and "North to Alaska." Her mother, Gertrude, was a vaudevillian and dancer. And he now donates his time by cooking at the California-based mission. According to Verdon's obituary in The New York Times, she was only 17 years old when she married the writer for The Hollywood Reporter. Boy and The Ball And The Hole In The Wall," as well as some Italian Happy Birthday Gwen Verdon. Jim Henaghan was born on March 9, 1943 in Los Angeles, California, USA as James O'Farrell Henaghan, Jr., son of James Henaghan, a writer for the Hollywood Reporter, and the famed dancer/actress/singer Gwen Verdon. After he retired from show business, he acquired a plumbing store in Encino, California, USA. to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. worked as rewrite man at Paramount working on property owned by the studio, "She wanted my mom to dance because my mom loved it and [she] was willing to go to great lengths to see her succeed," he said. First married at the age of 17 (to a tabloid reporter). Analytics cookies help website owners to understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously. news Find Out What Tattoos She Has To Cover Up For Her Roles! But it was normal for me.". She won her fourth Tony for the murder-mystery musical Redhead, Fosse's Broadway debut as a director/choreographer. Thats what that was a euphemism for . ), Nicole filled in a little of this [backstory] for us, said Cahn. But he also had writing chops like his dad since he wrote a few screenplays during this time too. American Actress Gwen Verdon was born Gwyneth Evelyn Verdon on 13th January, 1925 in Culver City, Los Angeles, California and passed away on 18th Oct 2000 Woodstock, Vermont aged 75. Verdon won another Tony for her performance in the musical New Girl in Town as a hard-luck girl fleeing from her past as a prostitute. ", He Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. If Verdon had stayed with Henaghan, she may never have become the Gwen Verdon that the world knows today. Jim also was cast in, amongst others, The Cups of San Sebastian (1967), Madigans Millions (1968), Adam West Batman TV Series, and The Waltons (1977). She went on to study multiple dance forms, ranging from tap, jazz, ballroom and flamenco to Balinese. They had a son, Jim, the following year and divorced in 1947. . While Entertainment Tonight reported that Verdon married Henaghan because she had become pregnant with his child, that doesn't seem to be the case as outlined in Fosse. While married, she took a break from performing. Fosse/Verdon leaves several unanswered questions such as what happened to Gwen Verdons son? . As a teenager living in Los Angeles, the future Tony-winning entertainer wed a much-older journalist, quit. [17], Tied with co-star Thelma Ritter 6. 1943). Always candidly outspoken I would dub in the sound of footsteps in movies. Suffered from childhood disease that caused her legs to be badly bent and misshapen; her mother enrolled her in dance to strengthen them. In 1960, Fosse and Verdon wed. I thought being married meant doing the laundry, she told The New York Times in 1981. Video unavailable. [10], Verdon was a cat fancier, having up to six cats at one time, with the pets carrying names such as "Feets Fosse", "Junie Moon", and "Tidbits Tumbler Fosse". The way that she managed to build a career out of light when she had a history, from a pretty young age, of a lot of darkness, is an accomplishment., 2023 Cond Nast. More stage and screen work quickly followed with highlights in "New Girl In Town", "Redhead", "Sweet Charity", and "Chicago". She married Fosse in 1960 and separated from him, although never divorcing him, in the mid-'70s. Verdon was famed for her relationship. I had never heard of Jack Cole in my life, Verdon later told The New York Times. She was underage, but Verdons motherwho had been a dance teacherhelped her secure the gig by lying about her daughters birthday. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. She also taught dance to stars such as Jane Russell, Fernando Lamas, Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth, Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe. Gwen Verdon gets her due at the Fall for Dance Festival with "Sweet Gwen Suite," a reimagining of three works made for TV in the late 1960s. The numbers include the famed "Big Spender", "Rhythm of Life", "If My Friends Could See Me Now", and "I'm a Brass Band". Brother: William Farrell Verdon (1922-91). James Henaghan, Sr. had been a friend of the Verdon family, and when Gwen was about 16 or 17, impregnated her. In 1942, Verdon's parents asked her to marry family friend and tabloid reporter James Henaghan after he got her pregnant at 17 years old, and she quit her dancing career to raise their child. Gwen Verdon, If They Could See Me Now - YouTube 0:00 / 4:04 Gwen Verdon, If They Could See Me Now 213,528 views Oct 20, 2015 keywslt 1.32K subscribers 1.4K Dislike Share "Parade of. James Henaghan, Sr. had been a friend of the Verdon family, and when Gwen was about 16 or 17, impregnated her. The Real Reason Selena Gomez Hid Her Love Of Friends' For Years, Austin Butler Reveals Whether He Will Appear In The 'Zoey 101' Sequel Movie, Paul Rudd Has This One Regret Over 'Friends Final Episode, Heres Why Danny Mastersons Hyde Isnt In 'That '90s Show', Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. Upon her death, Broadway dimmed all of its marquee lights in tribute. Over a decade later, when Verdon married Bob Fosse, their relationship proved to be such a Broadway sensation and revolutionary creative force that Verdons starter marriage faded from public consciousness. I took my child, my dog and my cats and left., Verdon may have kept details of the marriage secret to protect her son, but that doesnt make them any less infuriating. Mother of Jim Henaghan (b. Henaghan ., I think there were a lot of pieces that she started to piece together as she looked back at this as an adult, and as a parent, explained Cahn. I mean, what do you know when youre that age? She added of her husband: He was a drinker. His very young wife, who had stopped dancing and literally threw away her dancing shoes to be a mother and a wife, was writing his columns for him., When Verdon did later speak about that first marriage, she did so obliquely. ", Once she left Henaghan, she was a single mom in the 1940s, which wasn't very accepted at the time. [15], In 1956, Verdon released an album titled The Girl I Left Home For. gotten you fired, ruined your deals with our big mouth, had you investigated, Gwyneth Evelyn "Gwen" Verdon (January 13, 1925 October 18, 2000) was an American actress and dancer. In 1999, Verdon served as artistic consultant on a Broadway musical designed to showcase examples of classic Fosse choreography. After his career petered out in the 1970s, Jim pursued a life out of the limelight, going into plumbing. For The musical ran for 1019 performances. Some cookies are placed by third party services that appear on our pages. daughter Patricia Coble, sons Michael and James Jr., and five grandchildren. The teenaged Verdon lied about her age to the justice of the peace and said she was 22. Actress and Dancer. began his writing career as a crime reporter for the Hearst papers in Los James Henaghan and Gwen Verdon are divorced after a marriage of 5 years. But it was normal for me.), Cahn felt a certain pressure to include as much from this chapter of Verdons life in Me and My Baby as she could because it shows the amount of trauma she went through as a teenager. But they did have a son together Jim Jr. and when he was just a baby, she left Henaghan on New Year's Eve 1943. Fortunately, Nicole Fosse, who is a co-executive producer on Fosse/Verdon, was available to answer some hard questions about her parents. [13][14][15] Later that night, at 8 pm, all marquee lights on Broadway were dimmed in a tribute to Verdon. The height and weight of Jim Henaghan are not a matter of public record. I have actually had a similar experiencemy parents both passed away, and in the last few years, I have kind of been putting stories together that I heard as a child. Verdons first marriage and experience as a struggling teenage mother help explain why Verdon stuck by Fosseeven after they separated. Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user's experience more efficient. By George Karger/Pix Inc./The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images. Reporter column. DPW Director/Streets & Solid Waste. Just like his mother, Jim Henaghan had numerous acting roles, with his first being in the movie The Lieutenant (1960). Out-of-town reviewers hailed Verdon's interpretation of Eve in the Garden of Eden ballet as a performance that upstaged the show's star, who reputedly demanded Verdon's role be cut to only two featured dance numbers. She won four Tony Awards for her musical comedy performances, and served as an uncredited choreographer's assistant and specialty dance coach for theater and film. I consent to the use of following cookies: Necessary cookies help make a website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. Gwen Verdon Biography. That story is crazy. By the time she made her big Broadway breakthrough, as the second female lead in Can-Can, Verdon had left her son in the care of her parents. was hired by producer-agent Charles Feldman to develop motion picture ideas, In the biography Fosse by Sam Wasson, which Fosse/Verdon is based on, Henaghan talked about his relationship to his mother's second husband. Duplicate Stiff," and "Azor.". With flaming red hair and an endearing quaver in her voice, Verdon was a critically acclaimed dancer on Broadway in the 1950s and 1960s. For nearly 80 years, the details of Gwen Verdons first marriage have remained hazy. Suffered from childhood disease that caused her legs to be badly bent and misshapen; her mother enrolled her in dance to strengthen them. SEE ALSO:Is this the worst film on Netflix right now? Fosse/Verdon is based on the 2013 biography Fosse by Sam Wasson. is survived by hs wife Frances, daughter Patricia Coble and sons Michael and I went backstage and I was not even dancing at the time and I said, If I get back in condition can I audition for you? and he said, Yes.. From an interview with James Heneghan, son of the great Gwen Verdon remembers James: "We were walking down the street in Beverly Hills, and I was walking next to my Mom. we have enjoyed our chore And if we have broken you up with your wife, Further ballet training strengthened her legs and improved her carriage. Verdan's family asked her to marry him, so they eloped and she lied about her age to get married. Henaghan . But for all the political theatrics, the crux of the dispute comes down to dollars and cents. [5] The helpmate/peer played by Leland Palmer in that film is based on the role Verdon played in Fosse's real life. I'm sure glad I had him, he's a fabulous human being.". It was followed by a movie version starring Shirley MacLaine as Charity, featuring Ricardo Montalbn, Sammy Davis Jr. and Chita Rivera, with Fosse at the helm of his very first film as director and choreographer. After his acting career came to an end, Jim turned his attention out of the public glare and became a plumber and restaurant owner. Batjac Prods. married to actress-dancer Gwen Verdon, he is survived by his widow Frances, hospital. Rupert Murdoch Colluded With Jared Kushner to Try to Throw the 2020 Election to Trump Because Of Course He Did. Medium: 20 photographic prints (contact sheets). [8], Verdon was married twice and had two children. The marriage did not lastVerdon would later blame her ex-husbands alcohol problemand, after meeting famed choreographer Jack Cole, Verdon resumed dancing, eventually making the heart-wrenching decision to leave her son in her parents care. According to a new court filing, the Fox News owner passed confidential information about Joe Bidens campaign to the then first son-in-law and presidential adviser. . Although she had given up dancing after she married Henaghan, Verdon introduced herself to choreographer Jack Cole when she saw his group perform at a night club she was reviewing. That is just a jaw-dropper, said Cahn, still incredulous over the revelation. She is also strongly identified with her second husband, director-choreographer Bob Fosse, remembered as the dancer-collaborator-muse for whom he choreographed much of his work and as the guardian of his legacy after his death. concerning Preston Sturges' escapades with a nurse while confined in a local The marriage was short-lived, and Verdon needed to work. who worked for every major paper in Los Angeles, served as The Hollywood One thing that the series alludes to but does not entirely explain is what happens to Gwen Verdons son whom she had with her first husband, James Henaghan, before she met the alluring choreographer and eventual second husband. Angeles. Henaghan, who is now 73-years-old, is thought to donate his time by cooking at a California-based mission. videos, She also developed a close working relationship with Fosse's partner, Broadway dancer Ann Reinking, and was an instructor for Reinking's musical theatre classes. Where Is Eliza Coupe Now? ! Why hasnt there been a feature film about [Verdon] every 10 years? But her opening-night Garden of Eden performance was so well-received that the audience screamed her name until the startled actress was brought from her dressing room in a towel to take a curtain call. Files that can be used by websites to make a user 's experience more efficient 5. ] the helpmate/peer played by Leland Palmer in that film is based the..., what do you know when youre that age vaudevillian and dancer answer some hard questions her... 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