Marc Platt (dancer)

Marcel Emile Gaston LePlat (December 2, 1913 – March 29, 2014), known professionally as Marc Platt, was an American ballet dancer, musical theatre performer, and actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Ephraim Pontipee, one of the seven brothers in the film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

Marc Platt
Platt in 1947
Born
Marcel Emile Gaston LePlat

(1913-12-02)December 2, 1913
Pasadena, California, U.S.
DiedMarch 29, 2014(2014-03-29) (aged 100)
San Rafael, California, U.S.
Other namesMarc Platoff; Marc Plant
OccupationBallet dancer, musical theatre performer, and actor
Years active1932–1993
Spouse(s)Eleanor Marra (1942–1947; divorced); 1 child
Jean Goodall (1951–1994; her death); 2 children

Career

Born Marcel LePlat to a French immigrant father in Pasadena, California,[1] he was one of the original members of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, performing under the name Platoff. While with the company, Platt choreographed Ghost Town (1939), set to music by Richard Rodgers.

Platt danced the role of Chalmers/Dream Curly in the original 1943 Broadway production of Oklahoma! .[2][3][4] Platt was also in the 1955 film version of Oklahoma! in a dancing/speaking role as one of Curly's cowboy friends. He is the cowboy friend who buys Curly's saddle for $10 at the auction - and who also comments that, the previous year, Ado Annie's sweet potato pie gave him a 'three day bellyache' (Platt is credited in the cast list of the film as a dancer).

Another notable role for Platt was as Bill Calhoun / Lucent (replacement) in the Cole Porter musical, KISS ME, KATE, which opened on Broadway on December 30, 1948, though Platt did not join the cast until 1949.

After he stopped dancing, Platt served as the director of the Radio City Music Hall Ballet for several years, then transitioned to full-time teaching. In 2000, Platt was presented with the Nijinsky Award at the Ballets Russes Reunion. He appeared in the 2005 documentary Ballets Russes.[5]

Personal life

Platt was married twice and has three children. Ted Le Plat, from his first marriage, is an actor and musician living in Los Angeles. In 1951, Platt married dancer Jean Goodall who died in 1994; the couple had two children, Michael and Donna.

Platt died of pneumonia at a hospice in San Rafael, California on March 29, 2014, aged 100.[6][7]

Filmography

Stage appearances
  • Jubilee (1935)
  • Broadway Sho-Window (1936)
  • Yokel Boy (1939)
  • The Lady Comes Across (1942)
  • Beat the Band (1942)
  • Oklahoma! (1943)
  • Kiss Me, Kate (1949-1952)
  • Maggie (1953)
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References
  1. Obituary for Marc Platt, nytimes.com, April 2, 2014; accessed December 16, 2015.
  2. Comment about Marc Platt as Dream Curly in the 1943 Broadway production of Oklahoma! and also about his role in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Los Angeles Times
  3. Marc Platt interview Archived 2013-10-30 at the Wayback Machine The Seattle Times
  4. Marc Platt as (Chalmers/Dream Curly) in the original 1943 Broadway stage production of Oklahoma!, NYPL Digital Gallery; accessed December 16, 2015.
  5. "New York Public Library Web Server 1 /All Locations". catalog.nypl.org. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
  6. https://www.latimes.com/obituaries/la-me-marc-platt-20140404,0,2061435.story#axzz2xnt6b6UQ
  7. Marc Platt, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo dancer, dies. San Francisco Chronicle (March 31, 2014)

Sources
  • Anawalt, Sasha. The Joffrey Ballet: Robert Joffrey and the Making of an American Ballet Company. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996. ISBN 0-226-01755-9
  • Wilk, Max. OK! The Story of Oklahoma!: A Celebration of America's Most Beloved Musical. Rev. ed. New York: Applause Books, 2002. ISBN 1-55783-555-1
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