Hermes Pan (born Hermes Joseph Panagiotopoulos, December 10, 1909 – September 19, 1990) was an American

dancer Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoi ...

and

choreographer Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...

, principally remembered as

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

's choreographic collaborator on the famous 1930s movie musicals starring Astaire and

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

. He worked on nearly two dozen films and TV shows with Astaire. He won both an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

and an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for his dance direction. Born in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

, as the son of a Greek immigrant and an American woman from the South, Pan moved to New York City with his family when he was 14. He started dancing in amateur productions and speakeasies. He was first paid to dance at age 19 and worked in several Broadway productions. In 1930 he moved to California, where he met Astaire in 1933 and began working with him; he choreographed 89 films.

Early life

Pan was born Hermes Joseph Panagiotopoulos in 1909 in

, to Pantelis Panagiotopoulos, a

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

immigrant,John Franceschina, ''Hermes Pan: The Man Who Danced with Fred Astaire,'' Oxford University Press, 2012, p. 9 and Mary Aljeanne Huston, a Southerner of English and Scots-Irish ancestry dating to colonial times.Franceschina (2012), ''Hermes Pan'', p. 11 His father was a

confectioner Confectionery is the art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlapping categories ...

by trade, and from a prominent family in

Aigio Aigio, also written as ''Aeghion, Aegion, Aegio, Egio'' ( el, Αίγιο, Aígio, ; la, Aegium), is a town and a former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, on the Peloponnese. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipali ...

, Greece. His family had opened the first theater in the city. In 1895, at the age of twenty-seven, Pantelis Panagiotopoulos was chosen to represent

at the

Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition The Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition was an exposition held in Nashville from May 1 – October 31, 1897 in what is now Centennial Park. A year late, it celebrated the 100th anniversary of Tennessee's entry into the union in 17 ...

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

as a "Greek Consul to the South." Initially intending to return to

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

, he stayed in

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

after meeting Mary Huston of Nashville in 1900. Her family had roots in the South dating to colonial times. The couple married in 1901.Franceschina (2012), ''Hermes Pan'', p. 12 His brother Alkis also immigrated to the US, initially living in Nashville. In 1903, Pantelis became a

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

citizen, he and Mary moved to

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, and their first son Panos was born. Their daughter, Vasso Maria, was born there in 1906. Both children were named after Panagiotopoulos's parents. Pantelis became president of the Eutrophia Company, which owned the Eutrophia Hotel and Cafe in Memphis, and the family was well-off.Franceschina (2012), ''Hermes Pan'', p. 13 Hermes, their second son and last child, was born in Memphis in 1909. In 1911, two years after the boy's birth, the family returned to

. Panagiotopoulos opened up his own restaurant. Hermes was interested in music and dance from an early age. In 1915 "Aunt Betty" Clark, the children's

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

nanny, took Hermes to her neighborhood, a black

enclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...

of Nashville, to introduce him to

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

music and

tap dance Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perfo ...

. He was greatly influenced by this. Hermes befriended Aunt Betty's son, Sam Clark, who also worked for his family. Sam, a talented dancer, taught the boy many of the era's popular dances, and Hermes practiced on his own. His father died of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

in 1922 in San Antonio. Upset at being excluded from his brother's will, his brother Alkis held the widow Mary, and her children Vasso and Hermes at gunpoint. He burned all their shares and money, saying that if he could not have them, no one would.

Move to New York

In 1923 Mary shortened the family name to Pan and took her family to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, accompanied by Sam Clark. Initially they had enough money to live comfortably on the

Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper West ...

, but soon their money ran out. At their lowest ebb, the family had only potatoes and coffee for a meal. They vowed to commemorate that day; every year on June 13, they wrote down what they did and ate that day in a journal. They made the date a family celebration. But the eldest son, Panos, who had helped support the family, died in 1927. Pan's dance career began with an appearance at age 19 as a chorus boy in 1928 in the

Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act that was successful in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in motion pictures from 1905 to 1949. Five of the Marx Brothers' thirteen feature films were selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) ...

Broadway production of ''

Animal Crackers An animal cracker is a particular type of cracker, baked in the shape of an animal, usually an animal either at a zoo or a circus, such as a lion, a tiger, a bear, or an elephant. The most common variety is light-colored and slightly sweet, but ...

.'' Pan first met

in 1930, when he appeared as a chorus singer in the Broadway musical ''Top Speed.'' He also danced in partnership with his sister Vasso. Both Pan and his sister moved to Los Angeles by 1930. The young adults shared a house before Vasso married, along with their mother Mary, and their brother's widow Dorothy and daughter Aljeanne, named for their mother. Pan eventually had a house in Beverly Hills. Vasso Pan performed in the chorus of many of the Astaire-Rogers pictures. Pan had retained links with his father's relatives in Greece. In the 1920s, he made an extensive visit to Aigio and Greece to meet them. Pan was a devout

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

and took spiritual meaning from his dancing. He was known as a

homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

in his circles, but was very private.

Collaboration with Fred Astaire

Pan met

on the set of ''

Flying Down to Rio ''Flying Down to Rio'' is a 1933 American pre-Code RKO musical film famous for being the first screen pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, although Dolores del Río and Gene Raymond received top billing and the leading roles. Among the fe ...

'' (1933), in which he worked as an assistant to dance director Dave Gould. While Astaire was trying to work out a series of steps for "The Carioca", someone told him that Pan had a few ideas, and the dancer was invited over. Pan demonstrated a brief break he had picked up from his street days in New York. From then on the two began a lifelong professional collaboration and friendship. Pan worked on all the

RKO RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...

Astaire pictures. He was nominated for Academy Awards for the "Top Hat" and "The Piccolino" numbers from ''

Top Hat A top hat (also called a high hat, a cylinder hat, or, informally, a topper) is a tall, flat-crowned hat for men traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditionally m ...

'' (1935) and for the "Bojangles of Harlem"' number from ''

Swing Time In music, the term ''swing'' has two main uses. Colloquially, it is used to describe the propulsive quality or "feel" of a rhythm, especially when the music prompts a visceral response such as foot-tapping or head-nodding (see pulse). This sens ...

'' (1936). In 1937 he received the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Dance Direction for '' A Damsel in Distress'' (1937), in which

Joan Fontaine Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (October 22, 1917 – December 15, 2013), known professionally as Joan Fontaine, was a British-American actress who is best known for her starring roles in Hollywood films during the "Golden Age". Fontaine appeared ...

starred with Astaire. The Astaire-Pan collaboration, involving 17 of Astaire's 31 musical films and three of his four television specials, is widely accepted as one of the most important forces in dance choreography of 20th-century film and television musicals. Astaire called Pan his "idea man," and while he generally choreographed his own routines, he greatly valued the assistance of Pan not just as a critic, but also as a rehearsal partner for the purposes of fine-tuning a routine. Given Astaire's obsessive rehearsal habits, this was no mean task. Pan also performed the essential function of teaching and rehearsing

, whose many other commitments during the filming of the Astaire-Rogers musicals often conflicted with Astaire's rehearsal schedule. In addition, Pan recorded Ginger's taps in post production on all their movies made after ''

Roberta ''Roberta'' is a musical from 1933 with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics and book by Otto Harbach. The musical is based on the novel ''Gowns by Roberta'' by Alice Duer Miller. It features the songs " Yesterdays", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "Let ...

'' (1935). Pan continued to collaborate with Astaire until the latter's last musical picture, ''

Finian's Rainbow ''Finian's Rainbow'' is a musical with a book by E. Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane, produced by Lee Sabinson. The original 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances, while a film version was re ...

'' (1968), which was a disaster on a number of fronts. The young director,

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five A ...

, had no prior experience with musical films and rode roughshod over Astaire's and Pan's plans for the film's dance routines. Coppola reintroduced the style of dancing camera of the early 1930s, which Astaire had done so much to banish from the Hollywood musical. Eventually Coppola fired Pan, who had a small walk-on part in the film; Coppola has since acknowledged his own primary responsibility for the film's artistic failure.

Film appearances

Pan's first on-screen appearance is as a

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

ist during the Astaire-Goddard routine, "I Ain't Hep To That Step But I'll Dig It," in ''

Second Chorus ''Second Chorus'' is a 1940 Hollywood musical comedy film starring Paulette Goddard and Fred Astaire and featuring Artie Shaw, Burgess Meredith and Charles Butterworth, with music by Artie Shaw, Bernie Hanighen and Hal Borne, and lyrics by J ...

'' (1940). He dressed as The Ghost in the deleted (and only) Astaire-Pan routine, "Me and the Ghost Upstairs," from that same film. He appeared with

Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million; for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she reign ...

in ''Moon Over Miami'' (1941 film) and ''

Coney Island Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, Manhattan Beach to its east, L ...

'' (1943). His longest filmed dance routine is a complex tap duet with Grable in ''Footlight Serenade'' (1942 film), which reflects his work with Astaire and Rogers. His similarity to Astaire is striking. Pan also appeared with

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

in ''

My Gal Sal ''My Gal Sal'' is a 1942 American musical film distributed by 20th Century Fox and starring Rita Hayworth and Victor Mature. The film is a biopic of 1890s composer and songwriter Paul Dresser and singer Sally Elliot. It was based on a biographi ...

'' (1942) and with Betty Grable again in '' Pin Up Girl'' (1944). In these films he had non-speaking dancing roles and served chiefly as choreographer. In 1950, he danced with Lana Turner in a party scene in ''

A Life of Her Own ''A Life of Her Own'' is a 1950 American melodrama film directed by George Cukor and starring Lana Turner and Ray Milland. The screenplay by Isobel Lennart focuses on an aspiring model who leaves her small town in the Midwest to seek fame and for ...

''. These are his only dance performances on film (except for a brief but credited appearance in ''

Kiss Me Kate ''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical written by Bella and Samuel Spewack with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off-sta ...

'' as "Soldier Boy") – performances which have allowed comparisons between Pan's and Astaire's dance styles. When not working with Astaire, Pan was much in demand as a choreographer throughout the golden age of the Hollywood musical. He has been described "as sensitive to the eye of the camera as to the lines of the human body", and changing dance for camera, as well as influencing the "ways in which Americans watch dance." He assisted

LeRoy Prinz LeRoy Jerome Prinz (July 14, 1895 – September 15, 1983) was an American choreographer, director and producer, who was involved in the production of dozens of motion pictures, mainly for Paramount Pictures and Warner Brothers, from 1929 through ...

in choreographing the all-black musical '' Lucky Day'' (1936–37).Brynn Wein Shiovitz, Review, ''Hermes Pan: The Man Who Danced with Fred Astaire'' by John Franceschina"
''Dance Journal'', Vol. 46, No. 2, August 2014; accessed 22 January 2019 He choreographed ''

Lovely to Look At ''Lovely to Look At'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Mervyn LeRoy, based on the 1933 Broadway musical ''Roberta''. Plot Broadway producers Al Marsh, Tony Naylor, and Jerry Ralby are desperately searching for investo ...

'' (1952) and ''

'' (1953, in which

Bob Fosse Robert Louis Fosse (; June 23, 1927 – September 23, 1987) was an American actor, choreographer, dancer, and film and stage director. He directed and choreographed musical works on stage and screen, including the stage musicals ''The Pajam ...

also choreographed and danced).

Legacy and honors

*Nominated for Academy Awards for the "Top Hat" and "The Piccolino" dance numbers from ''

'' (1935). *Nominated for Academy Award for the "Bojangles of Harlem"' dance number from ''

'' (1936). *Received the

for Best Dance Direction for '' A Damsel in Distress'' (1937). *Received an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for the 1961 television special, '' An Evening with Fred Astaire''. *Received a National Film Award in 1980. *The

Joffrey Ballet The Joffrey Ballet is one of the premier dance companies and training institutions in the world today. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the Joffrey regularly performs classical and contemporary ballets during its annual performance season at Lyric O ...

gave him an award in 1986 for contributions to American dance.

Filmography

Choreographer

* ''

'' (1933) (assistant) * ''

The Gay Divorcee ''The Gay Divorcee'' is a 1934 American musical film directed by Mark Sandrich and starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It also features Alice Brady, Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore, and Erik Rhodes (actor, born 1906), Erik Rhodes. The sc ...

'' (1934) * ''

'' (1935) * ''

Old Man Rhythm ''Old Man Rhythm'' is a 1935 American musical film directed by Edward Ludwig from a screenplay by Sig Herzig and Ernest Pagano, based on a story by Herzig, Lewis Gensler, and Don Hartman. The musical director was Roy Webb, with music composed by ...

'' (1935) * ''

'' (1935) * '' In Person'' (1935) * '' I Dream Too Much'' (1935) * ''

Follow the Fleet ''Follow the Fleet'' is a 1936 American RKO musical comedy film with a nautical theme starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in their Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, fifth collaboration as dance partners. It also features Randolph Scott, Harriet ...

'' (1936) * ''

'' (1936) * '' Shall We Dance?'' (1937) * ''

Damsel in Distress The damsel in distress is a recurring narrative device in which one or more men must rescue a woman who has either been kidnapped or placed in general peril. Kinship, love, or lust (or a combination of those) gives the male protagonist the motiv ...

'' (1937) * ''

Radio City Revels ''Radio City Revels'' is a 1938 American musical comedy film directed by Benjamin Stoloff and starring Bob Burns, Jack Oakie and Ann Miller. The film's sets were designed by the art director Van Nest Polglase. Although set in New York City, sp ...

'' (1938) * '' Carefree'' (1938) * ''

The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle ''The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle'' is a 1939 American biographical musical comedy directed by H.C. Potter. The film stars Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edna May Oliver, and Walter Brennan. The film is based on the stories ''My Husband'' and ...

'' (1939) * ''

'' (1940) * ''

Sun Valley Serenade ''Sun Valley Serenade'' is a 1941 musical film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring Sonja Henie, John Payne, Glenn Miller, Milton Berle, and Lynn Bari. It features the Glenn Miller Orchestra as well as dancing by the Nicholas Brothers. ...

'' (1941) * ''

That Night in Rio ''That Night in Rio'' is a 1941 Technicolor American musical comedy film directed by Irving Cummings and starring Alice Faye, Don Ameche (in a dual role as an American entertainer and an aristocratic businessman he is asked to impersonate tempora ...

'' (1941) * '' Blood and Sand'' (1941) (uncredited) * '' Moon over Miami'' (1941) (also dancer) * ''

'' (1942) (also dancer) * ''

Footlight Serenade ''Footlight Serenade'' is a 1942 musical comedy film directed by Gregory Ratoff, starring Betty Grable, John Payne, and Victor Mature. Plot Tommy Lundy is an arrogant champion boxer who is hired by Broadway promoter Bruce McKay to star in a sta ...

'' (1942) (also dancer) * ''

Song of the Islands ''Song of the Islands'' is a 1942 musical comedy film starring Betty Grable and Victor Mature. It was directed by Walter Lang and released through 20th Century Fox. Plot Jeff Harper sails to the tropical paradise Ahmi-Oni with his sidekick Rusty ...

'' (1942) * ''

Springtime in the Rockies ''Springtime in the Rockies'' is an American Technicolor musical comedy film released by Twentieth Century Fox in 1942. It stars Betty Grable, with support from John Payne, Carmen Miranda, Cesar Romero, Charlotte Greenwood, and Edward Everett Ho ...

'' (1942) * ''

Hello, Frisco, Hello ''Hello, Frisco, Hello'' is a 1943 American musical film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring Alice Faye, John Payne, Lynn Bari, and Jack Oakie. The film was made in Technicolor and released by 20th Century-Fox. This was one of the last ...

'' (1943) * ''

Sweet Rosie O'Grady ''Sweet Rosie O'Grady'' is a 1943 Technicolor musical film about an American singer who attempts to better herself by marrying an English duke, but is harassed by a reporter. Directed by Irving Cummings, it stars Betty Grable and Robert Young. ...

'' (1943) (also dancer) * '' Pin Up Girl'' (1944) (also dancer) * ''

Irish Eyes Are Smiling ''Irish Eyes Are Smiling'' is a 1944 United States musical film which chronicles the life of popular Irish song composer Ernest R. Ball. The screenplay by Earl Baldwin and John Tucker Battle is based on a story by E. A. Ellington. The film was di ...

'' (1944) * '' Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe'' (1945) * '' Blue Skies'' (1946) * ''

I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" is a popular song. The music was written by Harold Orlob, the lyrics by Will M. Hough and Frank R. Adams. Orlob worked for Joseph E. Howard generating songs for Howard's productions and Howard presented the song a ...

'' (1947) * ''

The Barkleys of Broadway ''The Barkleys of Broadway'' is a 1949 American Technicolor musical comedy film from the Arthur Freed unit at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer that reunited Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers after ten years apart. Directed by Charles Walters, the screenplay is ...

'' (1949) * '' Three Little Words'' (1950) * '' Let's Dance'' (1950) * '' Excuse My Dust'' (1951) * ''

Texas Carnival ''Texas Carnival'' is a 1951 American Technicolor musical film directed by Charles Walters and starring Esther Williams, Red Skelton and Howard Keel. Plot A dunk tank at a Texas carnival is operated by Debbie Telford and partner Cornie Quinell. ...

'' (1951) * ''

'' (1952) * ''

Sombrero A sombrero (Spanish , ) is a type of wide-brimmed Mexican men's hat used to shield the face and eyes from the sun. It usually has a high pointed crown, an extra-wide brim (broad enough to cast a shadow over the head, neck and shoulders of the we ...

'' (1953) * ''

The Student Prince ''The Student Prince'' is an operetta in four acts with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. It is based on Wilhelm Meyer-Förster's play '' Old Heidelberg''. The piece has a score with some of Romberg's most enduri ...

'' (1954) * ''

Jupiter's Darling ''Jupiter's Darling'' is a 1955 American Eastman Color musical film, musical romance film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MGM and directed by George Sidney filmed in CinemaScope. It starred Esther Williams as the Roman woman Amytis, Howard Keel ...

'' (1954) * '' Hit the Deck'' (1955) * ''

Meet Me in Las Vegas ''Meet Me in Las Vegas'' (1956) is an MGM musical comedy produced by Joe Pasternak, directed by Roy Rowland (film director), Roy Rowland, filmed in Eastman Color and CinemaScope, and starring Dan Dailey and Cyd Charisse. The screenplay is by Iso ...

'' (1956) * '' Silk Stockings'' (1957) * '' Pal Joey'' (1957) * ''

Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play '' Porgy'', itse ...

'' (1959) * ''

The Blue Angel ''The Blue Angel'' (german: Der blaue Engel) is a 1930 German musical comedy-drama film directed by Josef von Sternberg, and starring Marlene Dietrich, Emil Jannings and Kurt Gerron. Written by Carl Zuckmayer, Karl Vollmöller and Robert Lie ...

'' (1959) * '' Can-Can'' (1960) * ''

Flower Drum Song ''Flower Drum Song'' was the eighth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on the 1957 novel, ''The Flower Drum Song'', by Chinese-American author C. Y. Lee. It premiered on Broadway in 1958 and was then performed in the ...

'' (1961) * ''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...

'' (1963) * ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons f ...

'' (1964) * ''

'' (1968) (also actor) * ''

Darling Lili ''Darling Lili'' is a 1970 American romantic-musical spy film, written by William Peter Blatty and Blake Edwards, the latter also directing the film. It stars Julie Andrews, Rock Hudson, and Jeremy Kemp, with music by Henry Mancini and lyrics by ...

'' (1970) * ''

Lost Horizon ''Lost Horizon'' is a 1933 novel by English writer James Hilton. The book was turned into a film, also called ''Lost Horizon'', in 1937 by director Frank Capra. It is best remembered as the origin of Shangri-La, a fictional utopian lamaser ...

'' (1973) * ''

Help Me Dream ''Help Me Dream'' (Italian: ''Aiutami a sognare'') is a 1981 Italian romance film directed by Pupi Avati and starring Mariangela Melato, Anthony Franciosa and Orazio Orlando. For this film Mariangela Melato was awarded with a David di Donatello Da ...

'' (1981)

Actor

*''

'' (1940) – College Clarinetist (uncredited) *'' Moon over Miami'' (1941) – Kay's Dance Partner in Conga Number (uncredited) *''

'' (1942) – Sally's Dancing Partner *''

'' (1942) – Assistant Dance Director (uncredited) *''

'' (1943) – Specialty Dancer (uncredited) *''

'' (1943) – Madge's Dancing Partner (uncredited) *'' Pin Up Girl'' (1944) – Apache Dancer (uncredited) *''

'' (1950) – Specialty Dancer *''

'' (1953) – Sailor (uncredited) *'' Pal Joey'' (1957) – Choreographer at Dress Rehearsal (uncredited) (final film role)

Personal life

Pan never married. According to John Franceschina in his book, ''Hermes Pan: The Man Who Danced with Fred Astaire,'' it was well known in the movie industry that Pan was gay. This was not publicly known during Pan's lifetime, and the identity of most of his partners is not known.John Franceschina, ''Hermes Pan: The Man Who Danced with Fred Astaire'', Oxford University Press, 2012, p. 6 He had a niece, Michelene Laski. Pan's friendships were wide in and outside the world of Hollywood. He became friends with the

Shah of Iran This is a list of monarchs of Persia (or monarchs of the Iranic peoples, in present-day Iran), which are known by the royal title Shah or Shahanshah. This list starts from the establishment of the Medes around 671 BCE until the deposition of th ...

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi , title = Shahanshah Aryamehr Bozorg Arteshtaran , image = File:Shah_fullsize.jpg , caption = Shah in 1973 , succession = Shah of Iran , reign = 16 September 1941 – 11 February 1979 , coronation = 26 October ...

, who invited him to the country's 2,500 year celebration of Iran's monarchy at

Persepolis , native_name_lang = , alternate_name = , image = Gate of All Nations, Persepolis.jpg , image_size = , alt = , caption = Ruins of the Gate of All Nations, Persepolis. , map = , map_type ...

. He was also close to painter

Diego Rivera Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez, known as Diego Rivera (; December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957), was a prominent Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the ...

, who painted his full portrait. He was very close friends with

, and was a pallbearer at her funeral. Toward the end of his life, Pan visited Greece. He spent time especially in his father's city of

, where he visited the family's mansion and met many relatives.

Death

Hermes Pan died in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...

, on September 19, 1990, aged 80, from undisclosed causes. He was survived by his sister Vasso Pan, niece Michelene Laski, and several other nieces and nephews.

Notes

References

*Fred Astaire: ''Steps in Time'', Harper & Bros., (1959). (Many reprints) . *John Franceschina: ''Hermes Pan: The Man Who Danced with Fred Astaire'',

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

(2012). *Garson Kanin: ''Together Again! The Stories of the Great Hollywood Teams'', Doubleday (1981). *John Mueller: ''Astaire Dancing – The Musical Films of Fred Astaire'',

Knopf Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Alfred A. Knopf Sr. and Blanche Knopf in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers in ...

(1985), *Bob Thomas: ''Astaire, The Man, The Dancer'', Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London (1985).

External links

* *
Betty Grable & Hermes Pan - ''Footlight Serenade'' (1942) - "Land On Your Feet"
YouTube * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pan, Hermes 1909 births 1990 deaths American choreographers American people of Greek descent American people of Scotch-Irish descent Best Dance Direction Academy Award winners Primetime Emmy Award winners Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City People from Memphis, Tennessee LGBT people from Tennessee LGBT dancers LGBT choreographers American LGBT entertainers LGBT Roman Catholics Catholics from Tennessee 20th-century LGBT people