Nita Bieber | |
|---|---|
 Publicity Photo of Nita Bieber | |
| Born | Nita Gale Bieber July 18, 1926 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | February 4, 2019 (aged 92) |
| Occupation(s) | Film, stage actress, dancer |
| Years active | 1946–1955 |
| Spouse | Dr. Jack Wall (1949–2019) |
| Children | 2[1] |
| Website | http://www.nitabieber.com |
Nita Gale Bieber (July 18, 1926 – February 4, 2019)[2] was an American actress and dancer.
Bieber was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Callie Mae (Robbins) and William Carl Bieber. She was one of five siblings who studied dancing from childhood. After graduating from Hollywood High School, she traveled with a USO troupe.[3]
In 1946, Bieber appeared in several films for Columbia Pictures, most notably Rhythm and Weep with the Three Stooges.[3] In 1947, she appeared in three more films for Columbia and also appeared in a couple of Monogram flicks, most notably as Mame in the Bowery Boys movie News Hounds. She was featured in a full-page photo on the cover of the November 28, 1949, issue of Life magazine.
The article described her 7-year contract with MGM and Nita's big dance number in the new movie musical Nancy Goes to Rio; but her dance was not included in the final release (it does, however, appear in the home video DVD version). Bieber appeared in movies for MGM and Universal until 1955. She appeared as the character Sarah Higgins in Summer Stock, starring Judy Garland and Gene Kelly. Bieber also worked with stars such as Tony Curtis (The Prince Who Was a Thief), Hedy Lamarr (A Lady Without Passport), and Larry Fine (Rhythm and Weep). Her final movie before retiring was Kismet (1955) with Howard Keel and Vic Damone.
Bieber was the creator of her own dance group, The Nita Bieber Dancers, which gave short performances produced in 1951-1952 for local television stations needing "filler" programming, including those for Jerry Gray (1950) and The Colgate Comedy Hour (1954; with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis). They headlined in Las Vegas (El Rancho Vegas, 1951, with Benny Goodman) and in 1952 were showcased at the Frontier Hotel.
In the early 1950s, Bieber's dancing career was interrupted when she was diagnosed with polio. Doctors told her that her dancing was ended and she might never walk again, but she proved them wrong and returned to performing.[4]
Bieber married Dr. Jack Wall, a dentist. They had two children.[3]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Talk About a Lady | Herself (dancer) | Uncredited |
| 1946 | Rhythm and Weep | Hilda | Short |
| 1946 | The Jolson Story | Dancer in nightclub revue | Uncredited |
| 1947 | The Lone Wolf in Mexico | Cute hotel maid | Uncredited |
| 1947 | Millie's Daughter | Model | |
| 1947 | Little Miss Broadway | Herself Dancer | |
| 1947 | Kilroy Was Here | Waitress | |
| 1947 | News Hounds | Mame | |
| 1950 | A Lady Without Passport | Cuban Dancer | |
| 1950 | Summer Stock | Sarah Higgins | |
| 1950 | Jerry Gray and the Band of Today | The Nita Bieber Dancers | Short |
| 1951 | The Prince Who Was a Thief | Cahena | |
| 1952 | Don Cornell Sings | Herself (dancer) | Short |
| 1955 | Kismet | Samaris | Uncredited, (final film role) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | The Colgate Comedy Hour | The Nita Bieber Dancers | episode #44 |
| 1954 | The Colgate Comedy Hour | The Nita Bieber Dancers | episode #45 |
