Busby Berkeley was a renowned choreographer of the US musical film genre. He began his career in the US Army in 1918, where he served as a lieutenant in the artillery, conducting and directing parades. After World War I, he was ordered to stage camp shows for soldiers.
Back in the US, Berkeley became a stage actor and assistant director in smaller acting troupes. However, it was his direction of the musical "Holka-Polka" that revealed his talent for staging elaborate dance routines, and he soon became one of Broadway's top dance directors.
Producer Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. called upon Berkeley to direct the dance routines for his production of "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court". Eddie Cantor, who starred in the long-running Ziegfeld production "Whoopee!", suggested Berkeley create the dance routines for the film version of "Whoopee!" (1930),and Ziegfeld agreed.
Berkeley's early work in Hollywood was marked by his dissatisfaction with the limitations of his role as a dance director. He wanted to direct the dances himself, and eventually convinced producer Samuel Goldwyn to let him try. One of his first innovations was the use of a single camera in his films, which allowed for close-ups of the chorus girls.
Person Biography:
Berkeley was born on November 29, 1895, in Los Angeles, California.
