Bubby ebsen biography of william
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Buddy Ebsen
Buddy Ebsen (1908 – 2003)
Biography and Movie Career
Buddy Ebsen was born Christian Ludolf Ebsen Jr. on April 2, 1908, in Belleville, Illinois, to a Danish-American family. His father, Christian Ludolf Ebsen Sr., was a choreographer and dance instructor, while his mother, Frances Ebsen, was a homemaker. Buddy was one of four children, and the family moved to Orlando, Florida, when he was still a child. It was in Orlando that Buddy's interest in the performing arts began to take shape, heavily influenced by his father's work in dance.
As a ung boy, Buddy developed a strong interest in dancing and took lessons from his father. He attended Orlando High School and later enrolled at the University of Florida and then Rollins College but left his studies to pursue a career in show business. Despite the uncertainty of a career in entertainment, Buddy’s passion for dancing and performing was undeniable.
Path to Success
In the late 1920s, Buddy a
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Buddy Ebsen
Cause of death
respiratory failure
Occupation
Actor, dancer, comedian
Spouse(s)
Ruth Cambridge (m. 1936; div. 1942)
Nancy Wolcott
(m. 1945; div. 1985)
Dorothy Knott (m. 1985)
Children
Bonnie Ebsen
Dustin Ebsen
Kiki Ebsen, Susannah Ebsen
Elizabeth Ebsen
Alix Ebsen
Cathy Ebsen
Christian Rudolph "Buddy" Ebsen Jr. (April 2, 1908 - July 6, 2003) was the actor who was originally cast as the Tin Man in the 1939 MGM bio The Wizard of Oz.
At the time production of the movie began, Ebsen was in the second year of his second two-year contract with MGM, and was making $1500 per week. He was a talented dancer who already had a noteworthy career on the scen. By 1939 he had appeared in eight films, including one where he danced with Judy Garland in the finale to Broadway Melody of 1938. He was originally intended for the role of the Scarecrow, but was cast as the Tin Man. He was involved in early filming in October 1938 but only ten days in
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‘The Other Side’ of Buddy Ebsen : Autobiography: The actor--whose career included much more than Jed and Barnaby--will launch his chronicle at a luncheon Jan. 27 at the Balboa Bay Club.
PALOS VERDES ESTATES — Buddy Ebsen had just finished noodling with Fats Waller’s “Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” on the white baby grand piano in his elegantly appointed living room when he was asked if he still tap-danced.
Ebsen grinned.
“I thought you’d never ask,” he said, blue eyes twinkling and gray loafers gracefully slapping out a time step on the hardwood floor: “You like that?”
Two months shy of his 86th birthday, Ebsen’s still got it.
More than six decades after a lanky, 6-foot-3 20-year-old from Florida showed up in the Big Apple to break into show biz with only $26.65 in his pocket, the hoofer-turned-actor is getting ready to go back on the road--this time to promote his autobiography.
“The Other Side of Oz” (Donovan; $24.95) chronicles his life and career in vaudeville, on Broadway