rudy vallee
I saw Rudy Vallee at the AFI in DC the year before he died. It was a special showing of THE PALM BEACH STORY, and afterward he came out to talk about TPBS and HOW SUCCEDD IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING. He packed the theater.
It was quite a shock to see him up there on the screen, larger than life, then on stage and finally passing him on the way out of the theater. He was very grateful to Sturges for casting him when Hollywood considered him box office poison,