JACK BUCHANAN

'Jack Buchanan' (April 2, 1891 – October 20, 1957), born 'Walter John Buchanan', was a British theatre and film actor, singer, producer and director.
Buchanan was born in Helensburgh, Scotland. He made his first appearance on the UK stage in 1912, and on Broadway in 1924. He made his film debut in the silent cinema, in 1917. Like David Niven, Buchanan was renowned for his portrayal of the quintessential Englishman on stage and screen. He worked on Broadway and the West End and took roles in several Hollywood musicals, including ''The Band Wagon'' (1953), his best-known film, in which he plays camp theatre director, Jeffrey Cordova, opposite Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse. He suffered from spinal arthritis (though this didn't stop him from performing several dance numbers with Astaire in ''Band Wagon''), and died in London only four years later from spinal cancer, when he was 66 years old.
In 1938, Buchanan achieved the unusual feat of starring in the London stage musical "This'll Make You Whistle" while concurrently filming a movie version. The movie was released while the stage version was still running; thus the two productions competed with each other.
Other roles included ''Smash and Grab'' (1937), ''The Gang's All Here'' (1939). He also produced several films including ''Happidrome'' (1943) and ''The Sky's the Limit'' (1938), which he also directed.
Buchanan also provided financial backing for that other son of Helensburgh, Scotland John Logie Baird, in his work to develop his television systems. Buchanan was legendary among his colleagues for his financial generosity to less prosperous actors and chorus performers. Sandy Wilson recalled that, each year during the running of the annual Grand National horse race, Buchanan would cancel that day's performance of his current musical and would charter an excursion train to the racetrack and back, supplying meals for the entire cast and crew of his show ... and even giving them £5 each for a "flutter" on the horse of their choice!

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