Clifton Webb

Clifton Webb (b. Webb Parmelee Hollenbeck in Indianapolis, November 11, 1899 – d. Beverly Hills, October 13, 1966) – Singer, actor and dancer. Born in what later became Beech Grove, Webb moved to New York with his mother at age three and began dance and acting study at age five. A couple years later, he starting appearing in theatrical productions and later played many lead roles in his youth, among them Tom Sawyer and Oliver Twist. In between stage productions and vaudeville tours, he studied painting with Robert Henri and voice with Victor Maurel. A professional ballroom dancer by age nineteen, Webb sang in many operettas before breaking into Broadway. Between 1913 and 1947, he appeared in twenty-three Broadway productions (lead and supporting roles). Through it all, he introduced blockbuster show tunes, such as Gershwin’s “I’ve Got a Crush on You” in Treasure Island (1928). Starting in the silent-film era, he also amassed an extensive filmography, which includes his famous portrayal of Mr. Belvedere in three comedies by Fox. Another one of Webb’s famous lead roles was as John Philip Sousa in Stars and Stripes Forever (1952). Although he was generally accepted on Broadway better than he was on film, he earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.