Carol Haney

b. 24 December 1924, New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA, d. 10 May 1964, Saddle Brook, New Jersey, USA. While still a student of dance, Haney encountered choreographer Jack Cole who not only tutored her but also made her his assistant on some of his stage and film projects. In Hollywood, she had some bit parts and made an off-screen contribution to Singin’ In The Rain (1952) when she dubbed Gene Kelly’s tap steps on the ‘Singin’ In The Rain’ scene. She was on-screen for a dance duet with Bob Fosse in Kiss Me Kate (1953). The following year, Fosse chose Haney for the role of Gladys in the Broadway production of Richard Adler and Jerry Ross’ The Pajama Game; her nightly performances of ‘Hernando’s Hideaway’ and ‘Steam Heat’ helped win her a Tony Award as Best Supporting Actress In A Musical. During the filming of The Pajama Game (1957), Haney discovered that she suffered from diabetes and although her screen recreation of her dance routines are extraordinarily good and show no sign of her poor health, she retired from performing. She had married singer-dancer Larry Blyden in 1955, but she had no plans to retire from showbusiness. Instead, she turned her attention to choreography and through the late 50s and early 60s won critical acclaim for her work on Flower Drum Song (1958), Bravo Giovanni (1962), She Loves Me (1963), Jennie (1963) and Funny Girl (1964). Haney’s poor health mixed with an extravagant lifestyle helped bring about her divorce from Blyden and her early death, which came soon after Funny Girl’s opening.