Professional Career
In 1946, Nita appeared in a couple of films for Columbia Pictures, most notably Rhythm and Weep with the Three Stooges. 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 inside talked about 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). Nita appeared in movies for MGM and Universal until 1955. She appeared as the character Sarah Higgins in Summer Stock, a new movie musical then in production starring Judy Garland and Gene Kelly.
Kismet (1955 film) was her last movie for MGM under her 7-year contract. Off the movie set, Nita 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 and the Band of Today (1950), Don Cornell Sings (1952), and The Colgate Comedy Hour (1954) with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Their repertoire included "Swing Low, Sweet Clarinet," "Dance of the Peacock," and "Mondongo." They also headlined in Las Vegas (El Rancho Vegas, 1951, with Benny Goodman) and in 1952 were showcased at the Frontier Hotel. Other acts at the Frontier at that time were the Marx Brothers, Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Josephine Baker, and April Stevens.
Nita Bieber worked with stars such as Tony Curtis (The Prince Who Was a Thief), Hedy Lamar (A Lady Without Passport), Judy Garland (Summer Stock), Billy Benedict (News Hounds), and Larry Fine (Rhythm and weep). Her final movie before retiring was Kismet (1955) with Howard Keel and Vic Damone. Nita appeared in movies for MGM, Universal Studios, and Columbia Studios until 1955.
Read more about this topic: Nita Bieber
Famous quotes containing the words professional and/or career:
“As a scientist I’m afraid I’m a professional skeptic who doubts everything, even the certainties.”
—Karl Brown (1897–1990)
“They want to play at being mothers. So let them. Expressing tenderness in their own way will not prevent girls from enjoying a successful career in the future; indeed, the ability to nurture is as valuable a skill in the workplace as the ability to lead.”
—Anne Roiphe (20th century)