For the 1962 Season, Mala Powers and Charles Braswell were the leads for the first five plays, then Gene Raymond and Jan Clayton were the leads for the last five plays.
[Borrillo, Theodore A. Denver’s Historic Elitch Theatre: A nostalgic journey, 2012. p. 251]
Born Raymond Guion in New York City on August 13, 1908, Gene Raymond was a child prodigy of the stage who had appeared on Broadway by his mid-teens, making his debut in The Cradle Snatchers — a production that also featured a young Humphrey Bogart!
His film career launched in 1931 with Personal Maid and quickly gathered momentum, with notable roles opposite some of Hollywood’s brightest stars — among them Jean Harlow and Clark Gable in Red Dust, Loretta Young in Zoo in Budapest, Bette Davis in Ex-Lady, and Joan Crawford in Sadie McKee. He also appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith alongside Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery, and in the Fred Astaire–Ginger Rogers landmark Flying Down to Rio.
Beyond acting, Raymond was a decorated bomber pilot during World War II, flying B-17 missions, and later returned to active duty as a colonel in the Air Force Reserve during the Vietnam era, earning the Legion of Merit.
Seasons at the Theatre
- 1962
Productions/Roles:
- The Best Man
Notable Roles, Awards, and Other Work:
Elitch Theatre Connections:
- Raymond appeared in Flying Down to Rio with alumna, Ginger Rogers.
