Herbert David Ross was an American actor choreographer director and producer who worked predominantly in the stage and film Ross was born on May 13 1927 in Brooklyn New York the son of Martha Grundfast and Louis Chester Ross a postal clerk At the age of 9 his mother died and his father moved the family to Miami and opened a luncheonette In 1942 Ross stage debut came as Third Witch in a touring company of Macbeth The next year brought his first Broadway performance credits with Something for the Boys By 1950 he was a choreographer with the American Ballet Theatre and choreographed his first Broadway production the Arthur SchwartzDorothy Fields musical adaptation of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Rosss first film assignment came as an uncredited choreographer on Carmen Jones 1954 In the UK he choreographed The Young Ones 1961 and Summer Holiday 1963 both starring Cliff Richard Later he worked with Barbra Streisand as choreographer and director of musical numbers for Funny Girl 1968 His film directorial debut came with the musical version of Goodbye Mr Chips 1969 made by MGMBritish with Peter OToole and Petula Clark He went on to direct films involving ballet such as The Turning Point 1977 Nijinsky 1980 and Dancers 1987 Other movies of critical acclaim followed in the 1970s and 1980s such as Neil Simons adaptations of his own plays and film adaptations of Broadway productions through his last project Boys on the Side 1995
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