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Vernon and Irene CastleAmerican couple dancers
Country:
 USA |
The Biography of Vernon and Irene Castle
Vernon Castle was born on May 2, 1887, in Norwich, England. After receiving an engineering education, he moved to New York with his sister in search of work. However, finding a job proved to be difficult, and his sister, an actress by training, managed to secure a small role for Vernon. He appeared on stage multiple times and soon discovered that his true calling was the theater, not engineering.
Irene Castle, formerly known as Irene Blyth, was born on April 17, 1893, in New York. She had a passion for dance from an early age and had already made several appearances on stage before meeting Vernon Castle. Vernon helped her join a dance troupe in the play "The Summer Widowers." Irene's father, a well-known physicist, approved of Vernon as he had achieved everything on his own, and gave them his blessing to marry.
Despite their modest wedding, congratulations poured in from all the directors and actors of the theaters in which they had performed. After the wedding, Irene landed a role in "The Hen-Pecks," a production in which Vernon played one of the lead roles. Although the show closed soon after, they were not left without work. A small café in New York hired them as dancers, and they also found similar work when they moved to Paris, France.
Performing at the "Café de Paris" in the evenings, Vernon and Irene quickly became popular in Parisian society. Their popularity spread to the United States, and in 1912, they triumphantly returned to New York. Their first performance in America took place in one of the city's most expensive restaurants and immediately won over the patrons. Their popularity and the number of offers continued to grow, and soon Vernon and Irene could be seen in plays, vaudeville shows, and even silent films.
In 1914, the couple opened the dance school "Castle House," the night club "Castles By the Sea," and the restaurant "Sans Souci." The main distinction of "Castle House" was that it accepted people of all ages. Vernon and Irene believed that anyone could learn to dance, regardless of age, and they gave people the chance to do so. However, the lesson prices were often quite high, making them affordable only for the wealthy. Nevertheless, they had no shortage of clients. Vernon and Irene also performed on Broadway and were adored by the audience and directors. Two scripts were written specifically for them by Irving Berlin: "The Sunshine Girl" and "Watch Your Step."
Friends were amazed that Vernon, who was adored by all women in the country, never showed any signs of jealousy towards Irene. There were never any discussions or suspicions of infidelity. Vernon understood that he would never find another woman like Irene.
In 1914, they wrote the book "Modern Dancing" and, a few months later, starred in the film "The Whirl of Life," which was well received by both the public and critics, who praised the couple's excellent performances. Vernon and Irene knew how to attract an audience. For example, they were activists for animal rights, ate only vegetables, and their manager was an openly lesbian woman. All of this was in the early 20th century when people did not think about the morality of killing animals, and the majority of the country was unaware of non-traditional sexual orientation. Nevertheless, the Castle couple's unique qualities attracted people to them.
However, their happiness was short-lived. The First World War began, and Vernon enlisted and joined the elite Royal Flying Corps. In the first few months, he shot down several planes and was then sent to Canada to train new pilots. One day, while flying over Texas, Vernon lost control of his plane and crashed. A few hours later, the famous American actor and dancer passed away. A year later, Irene wrote the book "My Husband," dedicated to her late husband.
After her husband's death, Irene actively pursued a career in film, but she was no longer the cheerful and lively girl. She had noticeably aged and became a stern and determined woman. She married three more times but could never find the happiness she had with Vernon.
In 1939, the film "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" was released, telling the love story of the couple. After retiring, Irene dedicated her life to animal rights activism and opened several shelters. The largest one, Orphans of the Storm, is still operational today.
Irene Castle passed away in 1969 at the age of 75. She was buried next to Vernon at Woodlawn Cemetery in New York.
