Fayard Nicholas
Acting • Born 1914-10-20 – Died 2006-01-24
Biography
Fayard Antonio Nicholas was an American choreographer, dancer and actor. He and his younger brother Harold Nicholas made up the Nicholas Brothers tap dance duo, who starred in the MGM musicals An All-Colored Vaudeville Show, Stormy Weather, The Pirate, and Hard Four. The Nicholas brothers also starred in the 20th Century-Fox musicals Down Argentine Way, Sun Valley Serenade, and Orchestra Wives. In 1932, when he was 18 and his brother was only 11, they became the featured act at Cotton Club in New York City. The brothers earned fame with a unique style of rhythm tap that blended "masterful jazz steps with daredevil athletic moves and an elegance of motion worthy of ballet". They appeared in the Ziegfeld Follies on Broadway and in London they worked with jazz choreographer Buddy Bradley. The performances led them to a career in film. Nicholas appeared in over 60 films, including the 1943 musical Stormy Weather with their signature staircase dance. His career was interrupted from 1943 to 1944 when he served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Nicholas achieved the rank of Technician fifth grade while in WWII. After his dance career ended, Nicholas and his wife, Katherine Hopkins Nicholas, embarked on a lecture tour discussing dance. In 2003, Nicholas served as "Festival Legend" at the third "Soul to Sole Tap Festival" in Austin, Texas. Nicholas was inducted into the National Museum of Dance C.V. Whitney Hall of Fame in 2001.
Filmography
45 credits
Down Argentine Way
Movie • 1940
One of the Nicholas Brothers
An All-Colored Vaudeville Show
Movie • 1935
Self
Hard Four
Movie • 2007
Ulysses
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
Movie • 1988
Self (archive footage)
The Big Broadcast of 1936
Movie • 1935
Dot
Nicholas Brothers Family Home Movies
Movie • 1940
Nicholas Brothers: Stormy Weather
Movie • 2022
Self (archival footage)
Calling All Stars
Movie • 1937
Himself
Pie, Pie Blackbird
Movie • 1932
Child with Nina / Dancer (as The Nicholas Brothers)
The Black Network
Movie • 1936
Dancer (uncredited)
That's Entertainment!
Movie • 1974
(archive footage)
Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story
Movie • 2002
Self (uncredited)
Barber Shop Blues
Movie • 1933
Self - Dancer - One of the Nicholas Brothers
The Liberation of L.B. Jones
Movie • 1970
Benny Smith
Orchestra Wives
Movie • 1942
Dancer (as Nicholas Brothers)
Coronado
Movie • 1935
Dance Specialty (uncredited)
Sun Valley Serenade
Movie • 1941
Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Tin Pan Alley
Movie • 1940
Dancer
Bob Hope: Entertaining the Troops
Movie • 2016
Self
Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer
Movie • 2002
Self
Don't Gamble with Love
Movie • 1936
Specialty Dancer
Hello Kathrin
Movie • 1956
The Nicholas Brothers: We Sing and We Dance
Movie • 1992
Himself
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Movie • 1975
Self (archive footage)
El misterio del carro express
Movie • 1953
Take It or Leave It
Movie • 1944
(archive footage) (uncredited)
Stormy Weather
Movie • 1943
Dancer
It's Black Entertainment
Movie • 2002
Self
Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty
Movie • 2003
Self
That's Dancing!
Movie • 1985
From 'Down Argentine Way' (archive footage)
The Pirate: A Musical Treasure Chest
Movie • 2007
Self (archive footage)
My Son Is Guilty
Movie • 1939
Specialty Act
Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There
Movie • 2003
Self
Night at the Golden Eagle
Movie • 2002
Mr. Maynard
El mensaje de la muerte
Movie • 1953
Bailarín
The Pirate
Movie • 1948
Performer
Kid Millions
Movie • 1934
Dancer on Ship
The Great American Broadcast
Movie • 1941
Railroad Station Dancer
Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood
Movie • 1998
Self
Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back
Movie • 2019
Self (archive footage)
Abbott and Costello Christmas Show
Movie • 1952
Himself
The Hollywood Palace
TV • 1964
Self - Tap Dancer
The Jacksons
TV • 1976
El mismo
The Kennedy Center Honors
TV • 1978
Self
MGM Parade
TV • 1955
self