Tommy Wonder (dancer)

Tommy Wonder (March 7, 1914 in Montana – December 11, 1993 in Riverdale, Bronx, New York City) was an American dancer, actor, choreographer, and artist manager. He was a principal dancer in the 1943 Ziegfeld Follies.^[1]

As a child, Wonder had an unspecified physical disability which hindered his ability to walk; to help him, his mother used clothes and a broomstick to build a puppet on which he could support himself. Wonder named the puppet "Suzanne", and with its help he was able not only to learn to walk, but to dance at a professional level; an upgraded version of "Suzanne", designed by members of the Westmore family, with human hair, and Wonder's mother's original broomstick, is in the Smithsonian Institution.^[2]

Wonder began as a child actor, performing in vaudeville; he subsequently appeared in the Our Gang films.^[3] As an adult, Wonder performed in numerous musical comedies;^[4] he also appeared in more serious films, including the 1938 Gangster's Boy.^[5] By 1946, his fame was such that his presence at social events was considered worth reporting.^[6]

In 1970, Wonder retired from performing and co-founded an artist management business with his former singing partner Don Dellair.^[7]