Ray McDonald(1920-1959)
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Indefatigable Ray McDonald was born to dance and dance he did. A New
York City native born June 27, 1921, Ray was still in grade school when
he and older sister (by three years)
Grace McDonald formed a popular
vaudeville tap dancing act. By the age of 16 Ray had made it to
Broadway in the musical "Babes in Arms", in which he and Grace made
quite an impression with the song "I Wish I Was In Love Again."
Talent scouts took both of them to Hollywood, but not as a duo. Grace
went to Paramount and later Universal, while Ray was signed by MGM. He
seemed to have all the earmarkings of a star. Dark and boyishly
handsome with energy to spare, he first played a leading role as a
youth in the low-budget programmer
Down in San Diego (1941), then
kicked up his heels a bit in the
Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland
musical
Babes on Broadway (1941), where
he danced to "By the Light of the Silvery Moon." He appeared with
Rooney again in the star's vehicle
Life Begins for Andy Hardy (1941).
After that, things stopped clicking. The momentum of his career was not
helped by war service, where he at least managed to appear in both the
stage and film versions of
Winged Victory (1944). Unable to
rise above the secondary ranks, the
June Allyson/Peter Lawford
collegiate musical Good News (1947)
would prove to be Ray's last feature for MGM. Divorced from actress
Elisabeth Fraser whom he met while
appearing in the stage show of "Winged Victory" in 1943, he met and
subsequently married fellow dancer/singer
Peggy Ryan while freelancing in films. They
appeared together in
Shamrock Hill (1949) and
There's a Girl in My Heart (1949)
for Eagle-Lion, and later in the musical
All Ashore (1953) for Columbia, a poor
man's "On the Town" with
Mickey Rooney,
Dick Haymes and Ray as three swabbies on
leave. This would be Ray's last film.
During the subsequent lean years, he and Peggy toured stages and
nightclubs until their divorce. Ray popped up on TV variety shows as
well and in 1959, while in New York to appear on a show, he died after
choking on food in his hotel room. He was only 37. Not remembered well
today, as is the case with sister Grace, Ray McDonald nevertheless had
a great musical talent and ingratiating presence, which certainly
deserves a mention.
York City native born June 27, 1921, Ray was still in grade school when
he and older sister (by three years)
Grace McDonald formed a popular
vaudeville tap dancing act. By the age of 16 Ray had made it to
Broadway in the musical "Babes in Arms", in which he and Grace made
quite an impression with the song "I Wish I Was In Love Again."
Talent scouts took both of them to Hollywood, but not as a duo. Grace
went to Paramount and later Universal, while Ray was signed by MGM. He
seemed to have all the earmarkings of a star. Dark and boyishly
handsome with energy to spare, he first played a leading role as a
youth in the low-budget programmer
Down in San Diego (1941), then
kicked up his heels a bit in the
Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland
musical
Babes on Broadway (1941), where
he danced to "By the Light of the Silvery Moon." He appeared with
Rooney again in the star's vehicle
Life Begins for Andy Hardy (1941).
After that, things stopped clicking. The momentum of his career was not
helped by war service, where he at least managed to appear in both the
stage and film versions of
Winged Victory (1944). Unable to
rise above the secondary ranks, the
June Allyson/Peter Lawford
collegiate musical Good News (1947)
would prove to be Ray's last feature for MGM. Divorced from actress
Elisabeth Fraser whom he met while
appearing in the stage show of "Winged Victory" in 1943, he met and
subsequently married fellow dancer/singer
Peggy Ryan while freelancing in films. They
appeared together in
Shamrock Hill (1949) and
There's a Girl in My Heart (1949)
for Eagle-Lion, and later in the musical
All Ashore (1953) for Columbia, a poor
man's "On the Town" with
Mickey Rooney,
Dick Haymes and Ray as three swabbies on
leave. This would be Ray's last film.
During the subsequent lean years, he and Peggy toured stages and
nightclubs until their divorce. Ray popped up on TV variety shows as
well and in 1959, while in New York to appear on a show, he died after
choking on food in his hotel room. He was only 37. Not remembered well
today, as is the case with sister Grace, Ray McDonald nevertheless had
a great musical talent and ingratiating presence, which certainly
deserves a mention.