Do you remember the unforgettable "Jet Song" from the 1961 movie musical "West Side Story"? It starts with the iconic line, "When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way - From your first cigarette - To your last dyin' day." In this classic film, Riff, the charismatic leader of the Jets, guides his gang through the vibrant streets and alleys of New York City, snapping their fingers and dancing with infectious energy from the very beginning.
In honor of my recent interview with the legendary actor, dancer, director, and author Russ Tamblyn, who starred in classics like "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," "Father of the Bride," and "Hit the Deck," I have compiled an exciting list of facts and trivia about this iconic star's life and films. He is best known for his role as Riff in the 1961 Academy Award-winning movie musical "West Side Story."
Get ready to test your knowledge of his extraordinary career and be reminded of why his films have been loved by fans around the world for over 80 years and are considered timeless classics. Enjoy!
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Russ Tamblyn is the son of Eddie Tamblyn and the brother of Larry Tamblyn, who is a member of the rock band The Standells. He has a daughter, Amber Tamblyn, with his third wife, Bonnie Tamblyn.
Tamblyn was a gymnast at North Hollywood High School and displayed talents as a dancer and tumbler. He began his acting career in films in 1948, and his acrobatic skills led to roles in dynamic dance films such as "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", "Tom Thumb", and "West Side Story".
His first professional acting job came at the age of ten when he was cast in a play called "The Stone Jungle," directed by actor Lloyd Bridges, alongside Dickie Moore.
Tamblyn's feature film debut was in "The Boy with Green Hair" (1948).
It was on the set of "The Boy with Green Hair" that Russ Tamblyn met Dean Stockwell for the first time, leading to a life-long friendship. Together, they appeared in several films, including "The Last Movie", "Human Highway", "Win, Place or Steal", and "Thou Shalt Not..." (February 2, 1974). Stockwell is also known for his roles in "Blue Velvet" and "Dune", both directed by David Lynch. Tamblyn credited Stockwell with introducing him to Lynch, which ultimately led to his comeback role in "Twin Peaks".
Russ played young Saul in Cecil B. DeMille's 1949 version of "Samson and Delilah".
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was impressed by Tamblyn's performance in the Warner Bros. war film “Retreat, Hell!” and signed him to a long-term contract, which he referred to as "the second big break" of his career.
Tamblyn supported well-known actors in two Westerns: he appeared alongside Robert Taylor and Stewart Granger in “The Last Hunt” (1956), which was a box office failure, and with Glenn Ford and Broderick Crawford in “The Fastest Gun Alive” (1956), a successful film where he showcased an extraordinary "shovel" dance during a hoe-down early in the story.
He has been married three times, with all his wives being involved in show business. His first wife, Venetia Stevenson, was a film actress; his second, Sheila Elizabeth Kempton (born 1935), was a Vegas showgirl; and his current wife, Bonnie Tamblyn, is a folk singer.
Despite his impressive athletic dancing showcased in films such as “Hit the Deck” and “Tom Thumb,” most audiences assume that Tamblyn was a trained dancer. In reality, he had no formal dance training. He was an accomplished tumbler, and although initially, he was only meant to contribute his tumbling skills to “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” his natural ability in movement led to increasing involvement in the dance sequences. This talent eventually led to his casting as Riff in “West Side Story,” one of Broadway's most dance-intensive musicals.
For the famous barn-raising dance sequence in “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” the cast rehearsed for three weeks to master the intricate choreography. During one of these rehearsals, Russ and Jeff Richards visited the set to see how the scene was progressing. In a 2004 interview, Tamblyn recalled, "Michael Kidd called me over and said, 'Rusty, somebody told me that you're a good tumbler and that you can do some flips.' So I did a backflip for him. 'Fantastic!' he exclaimed. 'We'll put it in a number.' I explained that I really wasn't a dancer, except for some tap dancing. But he responded, 'Listen, this is just like square dancing. All you have to do is lift your legs high. You can do a lot of acrobatic stuff. It's perfect.' That's how I became a dancer in Seven Brides."
The standout Devil's Funhouse sequence in the musical comedy “Hit the Deck” (1955), featuring Debbie Reynolds and Russ Tamblyn, lasts four and a half minutes on screen and took three days to film.
Lana Turner, Hope Lange, Diane Varsi, and Russ Tamblyn all received their only Oscar nominations for acting in the 20th Century Fox film “Peyton Place” (1957). As of 2018, this film holds the record for having four one-time nominees in the acting categories.
Through an acquaintance, Tamblyn assisted Elvis Presley in refining and perfecting his dance moves for "Jailhouse Rock" (1957).
Tamblyn performed the many athletic moves required for the MGM film “Tom Thumb” (1958) without the aid of a stunt double.
Four years after George Pal’s film “Tom Thumb” was released, Russ Tamblyn reprised his role as Tom Thumb, as well as playing the Dancing Woodsman, in George Pal's 1962 movie “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm.”
Tamblyn made an appearance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1958, where he was featured as the title character on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer “Tom Thumb” float.
In 1997, he had a guest appearance on “General Hospital” in a song-and-dance sketch that also featured his daughter, Amber Tamblyn.
He appeared in three episodes of “Joan of Arcadia,” in which his daughter starred: "Night without Stars," "Do the Math," and "Friday Night."
Throughout his career, Tamblyn has expressed that his biggest professional disappointment was not getting the title role in the post-Broadway tour of "Barnum," a part that went to Tony Orlando instead.
In addition to acting, he has created artwork, including painting, drawing, and collages. His "spacescapes" have been displayed in exhibitions at the Los Angeles County Art Museum and the Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art.
He co-starred with actor Richard Beymer in “West Side Story,” “Scream Free!,” and “Twin Peaks.”
Russ Tamblyn originally auditioned for the role of "Tony" in "West Side Story," but he was cast as "Riff" instead. The role of "Tony" ultimately went to Richard Beymer.
To create tension during the filming of "West Side Story," the producers tried to keep the different gangs separate. However, Russ noted that he was aware of at least one "Jet" who was roommates with a "Shark" throughout the filming.
Tamblyn initially felt very dissatisfied with his dancing in "West Side Story" until Fred Astaire approached him at the premiere and expressed admiration for his performance.
He was not particularly interested in playing the role of Luke Sannerson in Robert Wise’s horror film "The Haunting" (1963) until MGM threatened to terminate his contract. Years later, he acknowledged that Sannerson was his best role for a long time.
According to Russ Tamblyn, Robert Wise consulted a society that tracked British haunted houses, which provided a list of locations that were used as the exterior for Hill House in "The Haunting."
In the film "The Haunting," the tune that Luke (played by Russ Tamblyn) hums while descending the staircase in the library is the opening of "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody," by Irving Berlin.
Tamblyn made an uncredited cameo as Nell's psychiatrist in the 2018 Netflix series "The Haunting of Hill House."
Originally, Tab Hunter was selected to play Dr. Paul Stewart in the film "The War of the Gargantuas" (1966), but Tamblyn took over the role when Hunter withdrew.
During the dubbing process for the film “The War of the Gargantuas” aimed at American audiences, Russ Tamblyn's audio track was lost. As a result, he had to re-record all his lines, which may explain why he sounds somewhat disinterested throughout the film. Much of the dialogue was improvised, so he relied on memory and reading lip movements to re-dub his performance.
Since its release, “The War of the Gargantuas” has been regarded as a cult classic, drawing admiration from artists such as Brad Pitt, Hajime Isayama, Guillermo del Toro, Quentin Tarantino and Tim Burton.
Tamblyn was friends with Dennis Hopper, who introduced him to David Lynch. He expressed an interest in working with Lynch, which eventually led to his role in “Twin Peaks.”
Tamblyn has appeared in six films nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture: “Father of the Bride,” “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” “Peyton Place,” “West Side Story,” “How the West Was Won,” and “Django Unchained.” Of these, “West Side Story” is the only film that won the award.
He also appeared in both Cinerama movies released in 1962: “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm” and “How the West Was Won.”
He has acted in four films recognized by the National Film Registry, as designated by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: “Gun Crazy,” “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” “West Side Story,” and “How the West Was Won.”
With the passing of Jacques d'Amboise (Ephraim) on May 3, 2021, Russ Tamblyn (Gideon) is now the last surviving actor to have played one of the titular brothers in “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.”
Tamblyn's autobiography, "Dancing On The Edge" was released in 2024.
Some facts are taken from IMDB & Wikipedia.
Experience the magic of my exclusive interview with legendary star Russ Tamblyn in the latest episodes of the Hollywood Obsessed podcast! Dive into captivating insights and behind-the-scenes stories that you won’t hear anywhere else—tune in now and be part of the conversation!
Click the links below to listen now and be inspired!
Episode 105 - HERE
Episode 106 - HERE
