Tony Martin and Cyd Charisse had one of Hollywood's longest lasting marriages. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in 2008.
Born:
Cyd Charisse aka Tula Ellice Finklea: March 8, 1922 in Amarillo, Texas. Quite a few biographical sources list the year of her birth as 1921.
Tony Martin aka Alvin Morris: December 25, 1912 in San Francisco, California.
Died:
Cyd Charisse: June 17, 2008 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California at the age of 86 from an apparent heart attack.
Wedding Date:
According to an
Amarillo News-Globe article published on May 17, 1948, Cyd and Tony were married at the Santa Barbara City Hall on May 15, 1948.
They had a short honeymoon in Northern California.
Children:
- Tony Martin Jr: Born in 1950. Musician. His father is Tony Martin.
- Nicholas (Nicky) Charisse: Born in 1942. Lawyer. His father is Nico Charisse.
Occupations:
Cyd: Dancer, actress.
Tony: Singer, actor.
Tony and Cyd worked together on many television variety shows and as nightclub entertainers.
Residence:
Tony and Cyd owned a condo near Beverly Hills, California.
Quotes About the Marriage of Cyd Charisse and Tony Martin:
Tony about meeting Cyd: "We had the same agent. He got us to go to a movie together. We've seen a lot of movies since."
Source: Frank J. Prial, "Ready With a Song And a Story at 95",
New York Times, 2/2/2008.
Army Archerd about Tony and Cyd's 60th wedding anniversary party: "It was in the exclusive upstairs party room of the old Bistro. The proverbial crème de la crème of Hollywood was on hand to dance the night away and there wasn't a dry eye in the house when Cyd and Tony took to the dance floor."
Source: Army Archerd, "Cyd Charisse", ArmyArcherd.com, 6/17/2008.
Previous Marriages:
Cyd was previously married to dancer Nico Charisse from August 12, 1939 (eloped near Paris, France) to 1947 when they divorced. Nico had been Cyd's ballet instructor. Born in 1905, Nico died in 1970 at the age of 64 from a heart attack.
Tony was previously married to Alice Faye from September 4, 1937 to 1940 when they divorced. Alice was born on May 5, 1915 and died on May 9, 1998 from stomach cancer at the age of 83. Alice's second marriage to bandleader Phil Harris lasted from 1941 until his death in 1995.
