Daniel Patrick Carroll
Daniel Patrick Carroll , OBE (born July 26, 1927 in Cork , Ireland ; † May 31, 2009 in Royal Tunbridge Wells , England ) was an Irish entertainer and travesty artist , best known under the name Danny La Rue .
Career
Carroll became interested in acting and singing as a child. During the Second World War he served in the Royal Navy . At the end of the 1940s, in addition to his job as a window dresser, he appeared as a dancer in various theater and travesty shows. In the mid-1950s he got one of the bigger roles in the revue Men Only , where he first appeared as Danny La Rue . This was followed by engagements in London's West End , his own entertainment programs on television and record releases. In 1972 he got the lead role in the comedy Our Miss Fred . He played his stage shows in 1970/1973 in front of a sold-out house.
Danny La Rue preferably parodied divas and film stars with glamorous images such as Elizabeth Taylor , Zsa Zsa Gabor or Marlene Dietrich and appeared in an elaborate wardrobe and opulent wigs, often accompanied by their own ballet. In the 1960s and 1970s, Danny La Rue was one of the highest paid and most popular entertainers in the UK. In 1982 he played the role of Dolly Levi in the musical Hello, Dolly! .
Carroll has received numerous honors over the course of his career. Carroll lived in a partnership with his manager Jack Hanson until his death in 1984. Carroll, who had suffered multiple strokes, died in 2009 at the age of 81.
Filmography (selection)
- 1972: Our Miss Fred
- 1977: Come Spy with Me
- 1983: The Good Old Days
- 1986: Cinderella: The Shoe Must Go On
- 1993: Mr. Bean
Theatrography (selection)
- 1968: The Sleeping Beauty
- 1969: Queen Passionella and the Sleeping Beauty
- 1970: Danny La Rue at the Palace
- 1973: The Danny La Rue Show
Web links and sources
- Danny La Rue in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- britannica.com
- independent.co.uk, Danny La Rue: Female impersonator who made drag into an art form
- theguardian.com, Danny La Rue - Female impersonator who replaced tradition of mockery with glitter and elegance
- dailymail.co.uk, Danny La Rue collects OBE from the Palace
- telegraph.co.uk, Danny La Rue dies at 81 - a profile
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Carroll, Daniel Patrick |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | La Rue, Danny |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Irish entertainment and travesty artist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 26, 1927 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cork , Irish Free State |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 31, 2009 |
| Place of death | Royal Tunbridge Wells , England |