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Stage Name

Birth Name

Vernon and Irene Castle Vernon Blythe
  Irene Foote

-Vernon was from England and Irene was from New Rochelle, New York. The castles got their fame in Paris, when down on their luck, were asked to do the new American Turkey Trot and Grizzly Bear to make a few bucks. Not knowing the steps, they took a newspaper article sent from their mother about the new dances and faked their way through them. They would be sitting in the audience, (very unusual at the time for performers) and the announcer would announce them, they would rise, walk to the floor and dance ... The audience related with them as they thought they were just regular dancers, like them. However, they danced Beautifully, Graceful and Chic.

-- The Castles became a huge hit and continued dancing in Paris for a short time, when they returned home a New York Times reporter, reported on their success. They made their New York debut at a club called Louis Martin's in 1912. The Castles became a hit as well in the States in the Supper clubs and Rooftop dances of the 1900's. The Castle's would dance their signature-dance called the Castle Walk that became famous. Elisabeth Marbury (1856-1933) was their main sponsor and went about the task of trying to refine the "Modern Dances" with such advice as:

"Do not Shake The Hips or Twist the Body, Flounce the Elbows or Pump the arms," they also recommended dropping the "Turkey Trot, Bunny Hug and the Grizzly Bear".

-The Castles made a dance movie called "Social and Theatrical Dancing" in 1909 (1St. instructiona dance film) and wrote a couple of books, such as "Modern Dancing"-1914, "Castle's in the Air" (also made into a movie with Fred Astaire, Irene was a consultant) "Whirl Of Life", and "My Husband" (1979.)

-They were known by the press as "The Aristocrats of Dance" and in Vaudeville as the "Worlds Greatest Society Dancers" Irene Castle became very fashionable in Society and endorsed certain ways to dress etc. Society copied Mrs. Castle's wardrobe and makeup to the "T." The Castles also endorsed Records and Corsets as well as Castle Corsets & Castle Dance Records. Opened a few Dansants called the Castle House, Castles In the Air, San Souci etc. They also tried to lay claim to the creation of the Fox Trot dance.

Vernon Castle died during World War I in 1917 in an routine airplane crash. He was in the British Royal Flying Corps and returned home to become a "Flight Instructor" in Fort Worth, Texas in Benbrook Field. His plane crashed during a lesson. Irene continued dancing and started a unsuccessful movie career and had a daughter named Barbara Kreutz.

Birth Place

Birth Date

Spouse

Offspring

Norwich, Norfolk, England (V)

5/2/1887 - 2/15/1918

Vernon married Irene Foote.

None

New Rochelle (I)

4/17/1893 - 1/25/1969

Irene married Vernon Castle.

< Barbara Kreutz

           

Frederick McLaughlin,

n/a

           

Robert Treman,

n/a

           

George Enzinger.

n/a

 

Dance Types

Dance Partners

Music Titles

Acrobatic Dancing (w/ Faust)

Each Other

Castle Combination

Argentine Tango

Billy Reardon (w/ Irene)

Castle Doggy Fox Trot, the (1915)

Boston

Frederick McLaughlin

$ The Castle House Rag (1914 Europe) 2

Bunny Hug

Julia Sanderson

Castle Innovation Tango

Castle Combination Lottie Faust (Girl Behind The Counter)

Castle Innovation Waltz Esmeralda

Castle Doggy Foxtrot (1915)

     

Castle Lame Duck (Waltz)

Castle One Step

Sheet Music Covers

$ The Castle Walk (1912), 2

Castle Maxixe

Argentine, the (Vernon and Sanderson)

Castle Half and Half

Castle Perfect Trot

Castle House Rag (1914)

Castle House Rag (1914)

Castle Polka

Castle Innovation Waltz: Esmeralda

$ Castles in Europe (1914)

Castle Walk

Castle Maxixe

$ Castle Innovation Tango (Europe)

Fox Trot

Castle of Dreams (Irene)

Castle Maxixe

Half and Half

Castle Society Dance Folio

Castle Perfect Trot

Hesitations

Castle Valse Classique, Hesitation

Castle Society Dance Folio

Innovation Tango

Castle Walk

Castle Valse Classique, Hesitation

Innovation Waltz

Free and Easy

Enticement: An Argentine Idyl

Lame Duck

Patria (1918)

Free and Easy (Castle Polka - 1914)

Maxixe

Tango Argentino

Irene! (Castle Of Dreams 1919)

One Step

Tres Chic

$ Sans Souci

Tango

Trilby Rag

Tango Argentino

Turkey Trot

You're Here & I'm There (1914)

The Argentine (Tango)

Waltz

 

Transweise (Castle Polka - 1914)

 

Night Clubs

Stage

Armenonville (bois de Boulogne)

1907 - About Town (Vernon)

Cafe de Paris (Paris)

1907 - In Old Dutch (Vernon)

Castles By The Sea (Long Island)

1908 - The Girl Behind The Counter

Castle House (Their Studio)

1909 - The Midnight Sons, Lottie Faust

Castles In The Air (44St., NY) 12/1914
(atop Shubert Theatre)

1910 - The Summer Widowers

1911 - Enfin un Revue (Paris)

Palais' de danse (12/15/1913)
E. 46th Street, [1st]

1912 - Sunshine Girl (Vernon & Irene: Tres Chic)

1914 - Watch Your Step (Vernon Left for Air Force)

Sans Souci (Studio-Supper Club) (12/18/1913), [Broadway & 42nd Street [2nd]

1915 - Whirl Of Life

1917 - Miss

Manhattan Casino (1914-NNSO)

1922/24 - Let's Dance

Louis Martins (NY)

Henpecks (Lew Fields)

Theatres

NNSO (Nat'l Negro Symphony Orchestra) 1914

Keith's Theatre (1917)

New Amsterdam (1914)

 
 

Films

Publications

1914 - Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Castle Before the Camera 11/1914 - Ladies Home Journal
1915 - Whirl Of Life (Vernon & Irene) 1914 - Modern Dance (by the Castles)
1917 - Patria (by Hearst) (Irene) 1914 - Modern dances as fashion reformers (by Castles)
1917 - Stranded In Arcady (Irene) 6/1918 - Motion Picture Mag
1918 - Convict 993 (Irene) 10/1918 - Motion Picture Mag.
1918 - Girl From Bohemia (Irene) 1918-19 - Philpsborn Style Catalog
1918 - Mysterious Client (Irene) 1919 - My Husband by Irene Castle
1918 - Vengeance Is Mine(Irene) 4/19/19 - Moving Picture World
1918 - Hillcrest Mystery (Irene) 9/19/1919 - Photo Play
1918 - The First Law (Irene) 1900's? - Spirit Of France Mag
1919 - Invisible Bond (Irene) 4/21/1921 - Photo Play
1919 - Mystrious (Irene) 1922 - Vanity Fair (Mdm. Butterfly).
1919 - The Firing Line (Irene) 3/27/1939 - Life Magazine
1921 - The Broadway Bride (Irene) 4/10/1939 - Time Life Magazine
1922 - Slim Shoulders (Irene) 5/5/1939 - Family Circle Magazine
1922 - No Trespassing (Irene) 1939 - Filmem Magazine #18
1922 - Let's Dance (Irene) 1941 - Radio Stars Magazine (Irene and Ben Bernie)
1922 - French Heels (Irene) 1958 - Irene Castle - As Told to the Duncans
1924 - Broadway After Dark (Irene) 12/1960 - Ballroom Dance Magazine (also 9/1960)
$ 1939 - Story Of Vernon & Irene Castle* 6-1962 - Films in Review Magazine
$ 1940 - The Lady In Question* ??? 5/1964 - Ballroom Dance Mag (Irenes BDay)
(*Irene was the tech. advisor) 1998 - Spreadin' Rhythm Around (Jasen)
The Amateur Wife (Irene) Note ... Also see Castle dance pages for more Publications
NOTE:Irene moved to Chicago as Mrs. McLaughlin in the 1940's. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers portrayed the Castles in the movie " The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle."
August 2, 2006
http://www.Streetswing.com/histmain/d5index.htm