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Vera-Ellen Westmeyer Rohe (February 16, 1921 - 30 August, 1981) was an American actress and dancer known best by just her hyphenated first name.
Vera-Ellen was born in Norwood, Ohio and began dancing when she was ten. Within a few years, she had traveled to New York, where she became one of the youngest Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. This led to a career on broadway, where she was spotted by Samuel Goldwyn, who cast her opposite Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo in the film "Wonder Man."
Never a major star, she appeared in several films with Danny Kaye, Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. including White Christmas, On the Town, and Call Me Madam. Vera-Ellen was also one of the stars in the last Marx Brothers movie, Love, Happy.
Although she suffered from anorexia earlier in her life, she died of cancer.
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