in the Tommy Rall Case in Texas
Over the years, I have gotten the occasional e-mail from someone who has read the mini-biography, asking me about which films are best or how to contact him (I don't know). But in October 2006, I got an e-mail from a woman living outside of Houston who said her daughter was taking dancing lessons from a man who claimed he had danced in '50s movies under the name of Tommy Rall; she was growing suspicious of his claims. Could I tell her if TR lived in Houston? I replied I was pretty sure he lived outside of Los Angeles and was no longer dancing, but I wasn't 100% positive the man in Houston was an imposter. She wouldn't give the name he was now using (she didn't want to get him in trouble, she said) but she did send me his photo and his so-called credits. The credits were wrong: sure, he mentioned SEVEN BRIDES and KISS ME KATE, but also HELLO DOLLY and WEST SIDE STORY (nope to both). I was sure the man was a fraud but I couldn't prove it - and I was furious that this man was taking credit for Tommy Rall's work.
Now why, my friends have asked, would anyone try to impersonate Tommy Rall? Well, he couldn't very well say he was Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly, could he? But Tommy Rall was the second lead in many movies and has great dancing credits (including American Ballet Theatre) and who really knows what he looks like now? I tried several ways to get in touch with the real TR, but he obviously doesn't want a lot of attention from fans. Even Beth, who runs this website, didn't know how to reach him. After several unsuccessful searches, I found a relative of TR's who offered to relay my information to him (by this time, it was late December). In January 2007, I got a letter from the real TR (!!!), indeed living outside of LA, who said he would like to get the Screen Actors Guild after this man, if I could find out his name. (He also sent a glossy 8X10 photo signed "the real Tommy Rall" - it's on my wall now.)
The original woman in Texas still refused to give me the name. But coincidentally, a teenager from Texas posted on the TR bulletin board at IMDb a message reporting that TR had just come to her high school to talk about his life in movies. I posted that he was an imposter and could she please give me the man's name? No answer. A day or two later, a dance teacher from outside Houston posted the man's name (Ric Brame) and the name of his dance studio - she had been suspicious of him for years, she said. (These messages are there for anyone to see, though I think you have to "join" IMDb to read the bulletin boards. It's no big deal to join.)
I relayed the name and the name of the studio to TR. A week later, I got a phone call from a reporter from the Houston Chronicle wanting to know how a woman in CT got involved in this case. It seems that TR had notified not just SAG but the sheriff's office and the Chronicle.
Mr. Rall declined to take Brame to court. But Brame wrote a letter of apology - in which he admitted to posing as Tommy Rall for THIRTY years, both in Florida and Texas - which was sent to TR and to all the dance studios at which he had taught. The reporter says Brame's wife has left him (he had lied about his identity to her too!). Since there's no criminal case, the Chronicle has also decided not to print the story.
I guess it's over and I do have that nice photo on my wall. But I keep thinking about the thirty years worth of students who were deceived. (There are several on the internet who have mentioned in various places that they studied with "Ric Brame aka Tommy Rall.") Don't they deseve to know?
Some day I might use it in a book.
Carole B. Shmurak, author of Susan Lombardi mysteries www.MattyTrescott.com/Carole.htm
