Cris Alexander

Born

1920-01-14

Died

2012-03-07

Birthplace

Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.

Biography

Born in 1920, Mr. Alexander was raised by his devoted father and attended Central High School in his hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He and Tony Randall (then Leonard Rosenberg) along with several other exceptionally talented classmates, performed on their own weekly radio show in 1937-8. Multi-talented, Mr. Alexander acts, sings, dances, paints, and is a world-renowned photographer. On Broadway, in his twenties and thirties, he starred as "Chip" opposite Nancy Walker in the original production of Leonard Bernstein's,"On The Town;" versus Clifton Webb in Noel Coward's, "Present Laughter;" with Rosalind Russell in "Wonderful Town;" and again with Miss Russell and life-long friend, Peggy Cass, in both the stage and movie versions of "Auntie Mame." He has maintained a photography studio for many years and was the official photographer for the New York City Ballet. In 1961, he collaborated with his friend and "Mame" author, Patrick Dennis, on the mock autobiography of the worst actress in the world, Miss Belle Poitrine, called, "Little Me," and in 1964, he repeated that success with Mr. Dennis (this time with Peggy Cass in the mix) on the very funny mock autobiography, "First Lady." He is a long-time resident of Saratoga Springs, New York.