THE BIOGRAPHIES

Albert Gordon MacRae was born on March 12, 1921 in East Orange, New Jersey. During his early years he resided in Syracuse, New York and while in high school he spent much of his time singing, and acting in the Drama Club. It was also during this time that he learned to play the piano, clarinet and the saxophone.

At the age of 19, Gordon entered a singing contest and won a two-week engagement at The World's Fair in New York, performing with the Harry James and Les Brown bands. In 1940, while working in New York City as a page, Gordon was "discovered" and hired to sing for the Horace Heidt Band. And after a two year stint, he joined the Air Force and worked as a navigator for the next two years.

Gordon made his Broadway debut in a show called "Junior Miss", as a replacement in the role of Tommy Arbuckle. Next he appeared, again on Broadway, in Ray Bolger's 1946 revue, "Three To Make Ready." It was here that he was spotted by Capitol Records and signed to a long-term recording contract in 1947. He stayed with the label for more than twenty years. In October 1948, on ABC, he starred on Radio's The Railroad Hour. The show moved to NBC in October 1949 and continued until June of 1954. The show presented operettas and musical dramatizations, all starring Gordon and many differnt leading ladies. Also in 1948, Mr. MacRae was signed to a 7 year contract with Warner Brothers and soon after made his film debut in the non-musical "The Big Punch" opposite Lois Maxwell (well known later as Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond films). What followed was a string of hit musicals, starting with "Look For The Silver Lining" in which Gordon had a featured role opposite June Haver and Ray Bolger, and five wonderful films with Doris Day beginning with "Tea For Two" in 1950.

Perhaps his two best and well-known films were two of his last: "Oklahoma" and "Carousel', both written by Rodgers and Hammerstein and both opposite screen newcomer Shirley Jones. Mr. MacRae began to suffer, in the late fifties and early sixties, from alcholism. He, by his own admission, was "picked up for drunk driving" during the filming of "Carousel". He conquered the disease in the seventies and went on to counsel other alcholics.

Gordon continued recording and performing on dozens of television shows such as, The Colgate Comedy Hour, The Telephone Hour, The Tonight Show and for a year on his own show, The Gordon MacRae Show. He won critical acclaim for his performance in the CBS production of O Henry's "Gift of the Magi" on December 12, 1958.

He and his wife Sheila appeared together frequently in nightclubs and even released an album together. Some of his biggest hit songs however, came when he was paired with Jo Stafford. He even did some Broadway appearances, including co-starring with Carol Lawrence in I Do, I Do. His daughters, Meredith and Heather MacRae acted in films and on TV. In the sixties, he was a favorite on Ed Sullivan and on the July 3rd, 1969 broadcast he performed a timeless version of "America The Beautiful." In January of 1969, Gordon released what was to be his last album for Capitol Records, entitled Only Love.

On September 22, 1974, he appeared as a sheriff on an episode of McCloud, starring Dennis Weaver, entitled "The Barefoot Girls of Bleeker Street." After his final film in 1979, a fine dramatic role in "The Pilot", which starred Cliff Robertson, he suffered a stroke in 1982. He continued on with the support of his lovely second wife, Elizabeth and his five children. This brilliant performer continued to tour, when his health would permit, allowing audiences to relive some of his biggest film hits. He even performed briefly with "The Stars of The Silver Screen", which featured such stars as Gloria deHaven, Morey Amsterdam, Forrest Tucker and Patti Andrews. On January 24, 1986, Gordon MacRae died at the age of 64, at his home in Lincoln, Nebraska, of pneumonia, the result of complications from cancer of the mouth and jaw. He left behind, for all eternity, beautiful recordings and timeless movies for all to enjoy.

Below is the official Warner Brothers studio biography for Gordon MacRae issued in 1949.

All of his professional life, Gordon MacRae has been doing "what comes naturally," to him.

The son of the late "Wee Willie" MacRae, early day radio star, and a mother, still living, who was a well-known concert pianist, there was little chance that Gordon, their adored son, wouldn't have at least a try at the theatrical profession.

He Started in grammar and high school in dramatic classes where he sang many roles, including his favorites, the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, moved on to amateur theatricals at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts and graduated to the professional stage on "Three To Make Ready," and then as a juvenile soloist in a Ray Bolger revue.

Always ready to sing at the drop of a suggestion, MacRae can be heard almost any working day now, rehearsing his songs for Warner Brothers pictures or his radio program wherever he happens to be. He bursts into song at the most unexpected times and in the least expected places and his surprised audiences are invariably pleased.

MacRae did this once in the lounge of the NBC studios in New York and got his first professional job as a radio singer as a result. He still feels the best way to learn to sing or to sing better is to sing on any and all occassions and to never miss a chance of exercising his vocal cords.

Having grown up with the idea that he was to become an actor-singer-entertainer, MacRae didn't loiter on the way to success. He was determined to try all possible branches of the entertainment industry and so, after getting a very promising start on the New York stage and in radio, he moved to the Millpond Playhouse at Roslyn, Long Island, for stock experience.

There he met not only a considerable success as a singer and actor but also a girl named Sheila Margot Stephens who was both the leading lady and the acting secretary of the summer stock company. She has been Mrs. MacRae for a number of years and is the mother of Gordon's three children: two girls, Meredith Lynn, Heather Allison and one son, born after the family reached Hollywood, William Gordon.

Mrs. MacRae has abandoned her own career as an actress in favor of the roles of wife and mother which she likes better. She is often on the set with her husband, particularly at the start of a new picture. She has played one feature role in one of her husband's pictures, the one called Backfire.

Gordon MacRae was born in East Orange, New Jersey on March 12, 1921 and attended the Charles Andrews grammar school, the Nottingham High School and did college preparatory work at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. He went directly from these schools and the anateur theatricals they had provided for him, to the professional stage.

His first professional appearance was as Tommy Arbuckle in Junior Miss. Before that he appeared as a child actor on radio programs. William Orr, then talent scout for Warner Bros., spotted the handsome young singer and persuaded him to sign a contract with Warner Bros.

Somewhere in between all these early day activities, MacRae found time to visit France, England, Germany, Switzerland and Holland and to improve his golf game until he now has a handicap of three. He recently made a "hole in one" playing against Bing Crosby, a feat which he loves to remember andabout which he thinks he'll still be talking when the Lakeside golf course is a college campus for his now infant son.

Athletic in high school, MacRae played La Crosse, basketball and went out for track. Indoors he plays the piano, clarinet and saxophone. He is five feet eleven inches tall and weighes 175 pounds but appears slighter than these figures would indicate.

Radio listeners may remember him best for his long series of programs sponsored by the Texaco Company and for his more recent singing on the Railroad Hour.

Serious minded and ambitious, he hopes to complete his cycle of acting experiences by playing comedies and heavy dramas for Warner Bros. as well as in the musical Look For The Silver Lining, and the deluxe Western Return Of The Frontiersman, in which he rode a horse for the first time.

His ambition is "to be a success and to be happy." His favorite extravagances are clothes and automobiles. Of the latter he now owns two, a Cadillac and a Buick. As to "pet economies" and "suppressed desires" he claims to have none of either.

He hasn't saved much money, he says, but he has hopes and plans. His literary tastes are for Christopher Morley, Saroyan, Maugham and the letters from his wife. He believes an actor should stay out of political discussions and/or religious arguments. He gets up early every morning, he has no hobbies except his family, no boat or beach house or mountain cabin.

And if you want to hear Gordon MacRae sing, just ask him. He'll oblige.