Rudy Vallee started his career as a saxophone player and singer and later became a band leader. In the 1920s and early 30s he had a hit radio program, The Fleishmann's Yeast Hour (where he was hated by his cast and crew due to his explosive ego-driven personality). In the early 1930's he was ranked with the likes of Bing Crosby and the tragic Russ Columbo in the Hit Parade. A huge hit on radio in 1933 with his program, initially known as 'The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour,' Vallee was considered a slave driver by his staff. He was known to instigate fist fights with virtually anyone who got on his nerves. During the run of his show he slugged photographers, threw sheet music in the faces of pianists' heads and if provoked, would sock hecklers in the nose. While audiences loved him, he was hated by most of his staff. As a very popular star in night clubs and on records, as well as in movies, he helped other singers like Alice Faye - who was for a while his band singer - and Frances Langford to start their careers. In his early movies he often played the romantic lead, but he switched later to stuffy and comic parts. He also appeared on Broadway. The mid-60's Broadway hit "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" was filmed in 1967 with him in his original Broadway role.

Filmography

• 1984Going Hollywood: The '30s — (archive footage)
• 1981The Perfect Woman — Tock
• CHiPs — Arthur Forbinger
• 1976Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood — Autograph Hound
• Ellery Queen — Alvin Winer
• 1975Slashed Dreams — Proprietor
• Alias Smith and Jones
• The Chicago Teddy Bears
• Night Gallery — Dr. Francis Deeking
• 1970The Phynx — Rudy Vallee
• Here's Lucy — Rudy Vallee
• 1968Live a Little, Love a Little — Louis Penlow
• The Name of the Game — Myron Lesser
• 1968The Night They Raided Minsky's — Opening Narrator (voice)
• 1967How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying — J. B. Biggley
• Batman — Lord Marmaduke Ffogg
• Petticoat Junction
• 1958Hansel and Gretel — Father
• The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour — Rudy Vallee
• 1955Gentlemen Marry Brunettes — Rudy Vallee
• December Bride
• 1954Ricochet Romance — Worthington Higgenmacher
• 1950The Admiral Was a Lady — Peter Pedigrew
• Your Show of Shows
• 1949Father Was a Fullback — Mr. Jessup
• 1949Mother Is a Freshman — John Heaslip
• 1949The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend — Charles Hingleman
• 1948I Remember Mama — Dr. Johnson
• 1948My Dear Secretary — Charles Harris
• 1948So This Is New York — Herbert Daley
• 1948Unfaithfully Yours — August Henshler
• Kraft Television Theatre — Bromley
• 1947The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer — Tommy
• 1947The Sin of Harold Diddlebock — Lynn Sargent
• 1947The Unfaithful — Lyricist
• 1946People Are Funny — Ormsby Jamison
• 1946The Fabulous Suzanne — Hendrick Courtney Jr.
• 1945It's in the Bag! — Rudy Vallee
• 1945Man Alive — Gordon Tolliver
• 1943Happy Go Lucky — Alfred Monroe
• 1942Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood No. 6
• 1942The Palm Beach Story — John D. Hackensacker III
• 1941Time Out for Rhythm — Daniel 'Danny' Collins
• 1941Too Many Blondes — Dick Kerrigan
• 1940Rodeo Dough — Rudy Vallee
• 1939Second Fiddle — Roger Maxwell
• 1938Breakdowns of 1938 — Rudy (archive footage) (uncredited)
• 1938Gold Diggers in Paris — Terry Moore
• 1935Sweet Music — Skip Houston
• 1934George White's Scandals — Jimmy Martin
• 1932The Musical Doctor — Dr. Vallee
• 1931Kitty from Kansas City — Singer with Handlebar Moustache
• 1930Campus Sweethearts
• 1929Radio Rhythm — Rudy Vallee
• 1929The Vagabond Lover — Rudy Bronson, Songs
• Lydia — Barker

Appearances as themselves (23)

• 2015Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do — Self (archive footage)
• 1995Betty Boop: Queen of the Cartoons — Self (archive footage)
• The RKO Story: Tales From Hollywood — Self
• 1980Men Who Rate a 10 — Self
• 1975Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? — Self (archive footage)
• The Merv Griffin Show — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• The Mike Douglas Show — Self - Co-Host
• 1957The Helen Morgan Story — Self
• 1956Jazz Ball — Self (archive footage)
• The Colgate Comedy Hour — Self
• 1950The Golden Twenties — Self (archive footage)
• What's My Line? — Self
• The Ed Sullivan Show — Self
• 194411th. Naval District "United States Coast Guard Band" — Himself - Bandleader
• 1943Screen Snapshots (Series 23, No. 1): Hollywood in Uniform — Himself
• 1935A Trip Thru a Hollywood Studio — Himself (uncredited)
• 1935Things You Never See on the Screen — Self
• 1934Hollywood on Parade No. B-9 — Self
• 1933International House — Himself
• 1932Rudy Vallee Melodies — Self
• 1931Betty Co-ed — Himself
• 1929Glorifying the American Girl — Self