Anise Boyer

Anise Margaret Boyer (1914–2008) was an American dancer and actress known for her work during the Harlem Renaissance. She joined the Cotton Club chorus line when she was a teenager and starred in the 1932 film Harlem is Heaven. She also danced in the duo Anise and Åland, travelling extensively with Cab Calloway's band. She retired from the entertainment industry in 1948.

Anise Boyer
Boyer in Harlem Is Heaven, 1932
BornApril 15, 1914[1][2]
Florida
DiedOctober 10, 2008(2008-10-10) (aged 94)[1][2]
Los Angeles
NationalityAmerican
Other namesAnise Dixon,[3] Anise Clark,[4] Anise Burris[2]
Occupation(s)Actress and dancer
Spouse(s)Al Dixon,[3] Robert Clark,[4] Phillip Burris[5]

Early life and stardom

Boyer was born on April 15, 1914, in Florida.[1][2][6] She was already dancing in revues by age seven or eight.[7][8] Her first recognition came in 1924, when she won a talent competition sponsored by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake.[2] She also excelled at Hunter College High School in New York City.[9]

She joined the chorus line of Harlem's famed Cotton Club in 1928.[2][10] In 1931, the Pittsburgh Courier wrote that she had been "Harlem's most charming juvenile dancer" for several seasons.[11] Commentator Walter Winchell, in his syndicated column, repeatedly called her the prettiest dancer at the club.[12][13]

In 1932, Boyer appeared in the film Harlem Is Heaven, starring opposite Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.[7] Reviewing the film, The Pittsburgh Courier called her a "sensation" and wrote, "Her talent and ability is [sic] instantly recognized the moment she makes her appearance."[7]

In the late 1930s and early 1940s, Boyer danced with Al Dixon as Anise and Åland, often performing with Cab Calloway's band.[14][3][15] They performed internationally and danced at venues including the Apollo Theater, the Cotton Club, and the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles.[2][16][17][18] They were known for a type of dance called "adagio", which combined ballroom dance with lifts and spins.[2][15] The two wed in 1942, just before Dixon was drafted into military service—an event that ended their career as a dance team.[19][20]

In 1943 and 1944, Boyer appeared in a series of Los Angeles revues: Africana at the Music Box,[21][22] Blue Rhapsody at the Alabam,[23] and Sweet 'n Hot at the Mayan Theater.[20][24][25] She also made uncredited appearances dancing in the 1943 film Stormy Weather[26][27] and in the 1944 film Carolina Blues (the latter in a number with Harold Nicholas).[28][29] Around this time, Dixon performed with Archie Savage as Archie and Anise, including in the Blue Rhapsody and Sweet 'n Hot revues.[24][30][31] Their partnership was short-lived: Savage was sentenced to prison for theft from Ethel Waters in February 1944.[32]

Boyer was a light-skinned black woman and was encouraged by her agent to attempt to pass as white to get more work, a suggestion she rejected.[2]

Retirement from entertainment, later life, and death

In 1946, Boyer began working at the Los Angeles office of attorney Walter L. Gordon Jr.[33] She married Robert Clark, who previously had been married to actress Louise Beavers, the following year.[34][6][35] Boyer filmed an uncredited appearance in the Louis Jordan film Look-Out Sister in 1948, then retired from the entertainment industry.[36][37][34]

In 1951, she was said to be seeking a divorce because Clark had physically abused her.[4] The two nonetheless remained married for some time.[38] In 1967, Boyer married Phillip Burris in Los Angeles.[5]

Boyer enjoyed golf.[38][39][40] She was a charter member of L.A.'s Vernondale Golf Club, a pioneering club for African-American women,[41] and she served as the organization's president in 1949.[42]

Boyer died on October 10, 2008, of natural causes.[1][2] She lived in Los Angeles at the time of her death.[1][2]

See also

References
  1. "Anise Burris". Social Security Death Index. FamilySearch. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  2. "Obituary: Anise Boyer Burris". New York Amsterdam News. October 23, 2008. p. 37 – via ProQuest.
  3. Rowe, Billy (January 1, 1943). "Billy Rowe's Notebook". Pittsburgh Courier. p. 20.
  4. "People are talking about..." Jet. December 6, 1951. p. 43.
  5. "Phillip Burris and Anise M Boyer, 30 Mar 1967". California Marriage Index, 1960-1985 (database). FamilySearch. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  6. "Robert Layman Clark and Anise Margaret Boyer, 26 Jul 1947". California, County Marriages, 1850-1952 (database). FamilySearch. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  7. Snelson, Floyd G. (June 18, 1932). "Show would prove real attraction for any audience". Pittsburgh Courier.
  8. "Easter Sunday concert dances". The New York Age. April 8, 1922. p. 6.
  9. Perry, Jeffrey B. (2020). Hubert Harrison: The Struggle for Equality, 1918–1927. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-55242-4.
  10. Freeland, David (2009). Automats, Taxi Dances, and Vaudeville: Excavating Manhattan's Lost Places of Leisure. NYU Press. p. xii. ISBN 9780814727898.
  11. "Juvenile dancer grows up". Pittsburgh Courier. July 4, 1931.
  12. Winchell, Walter (October 10, 1931). "Winchell on Broadway". The Akron Beacon Journal. p. 11.
  13. Winchell, Walter (April 23, 1935). "Broadway Gossip". Salt Lake Telegram. p. 9.
  14. Lewin, Yaël Tamar; Collins, Janet (2011). Night's Dancer: The Life of Janet Collins. Wesleyan University Press. p. 16. ISBN 9780819571151.
  15. Malone, Jacqui (1996). Steppin' on the Blues: The Visible Rhythms of African American Dance. University of Illinois Press. pp. 93–94. ISBN 978-0-252-06508-8.
  16. "Apollo begins its sixth year with month's celebration". The New York Age. May 13, 1939. p. 7.
  17. Walker, Danton (March 23, 1938). "Broadway". Daily News. p. 50.
  18. Mittauer, Frank (September 3, 1942). "Stage review". Daily News. p. 20.
  19. "Anise Boyer becomes Mrs. Alan Dixon on eve of army call". The Pittsburgh Courier. October 10, 1942. p. 21.
  20. Delmont, Matthew F. (2019). February 7, 1944. ISBN 9781503607040. Retrieved August 13, 2021. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  21. "Gay colored musical comedy coming to Music Box theater". The California Eagle. 1943-05-27. p. 10.
  22. Abbott, Sam (June 12, 1943). "Africana". Billboard. p. 12.
  23. "'Blue Rhapsody' becomes popular nightlife feature". The California Eagle. October 21, 1943. pp. 3B.
  24. Scott, John L. (January 27, 1944). "'Sweet 'n Hot' reveals promise in Mayan debut". The Los Angeles Times. pp. II-10.
  25. Abbott, Sam (March 4, 1944). "Sweet 'n' Hot". Billboard. p. 25.
  26. "Stormy Weather". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  27. Rowe, Billy (January 30, 1943). "Billy Rowe's notebook". The Pittsburgh Courier. p. 20.
  28. "A lovely eyeful..." The Ohio State News. December 16, 1944. p. 22.
  29. "Carolina Blues: Louise Franklyn, Harold Nicholas, Anise Boyer, 1944". Everett Collection via Imago Images. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  30. Gipson, J.T. (April 20, 1944). "Anise Boyer and her friends celebrated at a birthday party". The California Eagle. p. 15.
  31. "Marie Bryant pleases as 'Dance Hall Hostess'". The California Eagle. November 4, 1943. p. 10.
  32. "Negro dancer robs Negro singer". Santa Maria Times. United Press. February 18, 1944. p. 6.
  33. Gipson, J.T. (July 25, 1946). "Mrs. J.T. Gipson's Candid Comments". The California Eagle. p. 12.
  34. Chase, Bill (December 25, 1948). "Around town". The New York Age. p. 13.
  35. "Bob Clark, Louise Beavers's ex-mate, weds young dancer". Baltimore Afro-American. August 23, 1947. p. 6.
  36. "20 Hollywood bathing beauties star with Louis Jordan". Alabama Tribune. Associated Negro Press. April 9, 1948. p. 2.
  37. "'Lookout' cast features local name stars". The California Eagle. March 25, 1948. p. 15.
  38. Crawford, Chazz (December 3, 1953). "Sound Track". The California Eagle. p. 8.
  39. "Having their swing". The California Eagle. June 30, 1955. p. 6.
  40. "Russell wins Vernondale golf tournament". The California Eagle. August 14, 1952. p. 6.
  41. Johnson, M. Mikell (2008). The African American Woman Golfer: Her Legacy. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-313-34904-1.
  42. "Vernondale Golf Club installs officers at smart buffet supper". The California Eagle. November 24, 1949. p. 8.
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