Duke McHale

Biography

"Duke" McHale (born Providence, Rhode Island September 21, 1915) suffered from spinal meningitis at age 2, yet he became a prominent dancer before the age of twenty contributing to the history of Broadway's Golden Era in the decade of the 1930s. An only child, James Alfred McHale's father, Henry Michael McHale, was a truck driver, and his mother, Margaret Gertrude LeSuer, a housewife. The nickname "Duke" was adopted at an early age. McHale attended public schools in Providence, Rhode Island. In his hometown, McHale participated in numerous amateur shows. Tap lessons began at age 11. Around age 13 McHale was brought to NY to play the son of the physical culture trainer in "Young Sinners," a play with many juvenile parts. Dance lessons were commended with Harry De Muth, New York dancing master, for vaudeville. De Muth was a respected teacher whose specialty was acrobatic dancing. It is likely that McHale took lessons in the late 1920s with Jack Manning (1897-1940), who, in 1926, had opened a tap dance studio in the Forty-Eighth Street Theatre and instructed other dancers such as Vilma Ebsen, Claire Luce and Lola Lane. His appearance in "Princess Charming" (Imperial Theatre, New York, October 14, 1930) brought favorable notices in the press. To comply with compulsory education laws he was obliged to enter the Professional Children's School and when he went on the road, he had to send his lessons back by mail or have the truant officer on his trail. At age 20 McHale replaced Hal Le Roy in the Broadway show "Thumbs Up," which paired him with dancer Eunice Healy. After "Thumbs Up" closed, Broadway reached out to McHale and offered him a place in the star-studded "Ziegfeld Follies of 1936," in which McHale played in comedy sketches and was the featured dancer with the Preisser Sisters, performing "My Red Letter Day" and "Sentimental Weather." McHale's reputation as a Broadway entertainer helped boost tickets when he appeared in vaudeville, which was whenever he was between shows. He was frequently on the vaudeville bill in movie theatres where a stage show preceded the movie. His Broadway prominence was not overlooked by the Vitaphone Studios on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. The studio used the New York stage as a source of talent, thereby providing Warner movie theatres with ever-changing added attractions. Duke McHale, along with Cherry and June Preisser, were among the recruits for musical shorts, including Play Street (1937), directed by Joseph Henabery. Although McHale did not enter the world of feature films, examples his style were preserved in a handful of film shorts, including a starring role in Seeing Spots (1939), directed by Lloyd French (1939). McHale's next show was "Babes in Arms" an original showcase for young talent and one of the most tuneful musicals of the decade. He was one of the leads in the youthful cast, produced by Dwight Wiman, with a memorable score by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, and dances directed by George Balanchine. Once again he was teamed with the leading juveniles of the day, including Mitzi Green, Ray Heatherton, The Nicholas Brothers and Wynn Murray. Playing the role of "Peter Jackson," McHale had billing over newcomer Alfred Drake, and was featured in the second act ballet, "Peter's Journey." A few months after the closing of "Babes in Arms," McHale returned to vaudeville and the supper clubs. For "The Boys From Syracuse" legendary choreographer George Balanchine enlisted McHale as one of his two assistants, the other being David Jones, a performer and stage manager for three Rodgers and Hart shows. In early 1944, McHale, was touring in England with a U.S.O. show. In Fall of 1945, McHale had a featured part in "Are You With It?" (with a score by Harry Revel and Arnold Horwitt). After 1946 McHale did not appear in another Broadway show, but he got casual bookings in New York nightclubs and supper clubs, including Brooklyn's Casa Seville French-Italian Restaurant (1947). At age 58, Duke McHale died in New York City on July 13, 1974.