Danny Dare

Danny Dare (March 20, 1905 – November 20, 1996) was an American actor, choreographer, director, writer, and producer who worked across stage, screen, and television. Born in New York City, he died in Tarzana, California at the age of 91.

Dare launched his career on the New York stage in the early 1920s, making his Broadway debut in 1923 in the musical Dew Drop Inn. He subsequently worked the vaudeville circuit, where he developed skills as a choreographer, comedy sketch writer, and producer alongside his performing work. In 1927 he returned to Broadway to portray Ronnie Webb in the musical The Five O'Clock Girl, also contributing to the production as its assistant choreographer. His Broadway choreography credits from the late 1920s and early 1930s include The Little Show (1929), Sweet Adeline (1929), Sweet and Low (1930), You Said It (1931), and Tattle Tales (1933). In 1931 he produced the play Sentinels, and in 1940 he produced, directed, and wrote the book for the musical Meet the People.

Dare's choreographic reputation attracted the attention of Paramount Pictures, which signed him to a contract in 1929. Over the following years he choreographed a substantial number of films for the studio, among them Let's Go Places (1930), Such Men Are Dangerous (1930), Not Damaged (1930), Wild People (1932), Three Cheers for Love (1936), Start Cheering (1938), Hit Parade of 1941 (1940), Panama Hattie (1942), and Holiday Inn (1942). His final choreography credit was Road to Utopia in 1946. Between 1945 and 1952 he also produced a total of eight films.

Dare made his directorial debut with the 1938 film The Main Event. Although he did not direct another theatrical film, he remained active as a television director during the 1950s, working on the series Damon Runyon Theater and How to Marry a Millionaire.