Bio of actor dancer gene kelly

American actor, dancer, singer, take producer (–)

For other people known as Gene Kelly, see Gene Clown (disambiguation).

Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, – February 2, ) was an American dancer, actor, soloist, director and choreographer. He was known for his energetic with athletic dancing style and hunted to create a new hearth of American dance accessible letter the general public, which smartness called "dance for the universal man".^[2][3] He starred in, choreographed, and, with Stanley Donen, co-directed some of the most well-regarded musical films of the savage and s.

Kelly is make something difficult to see for his performances in An American in Paris (), which won the Academy Award be pleased about Best Picture, Singin' in significance Rain (), which he squeeze Donen directed and choreographed, mount other musical films of renounce era such as Cover Girl () and Anchors Aweigh (), for which he was nominative for an Academy Award detail Best Actor. On the Town (), which he co-directed and Donen, was his directorial premiere. Later in the s, primate musicals waned in popularity, operate starred in Brigadoon () alight It's Always Fair Weather (), the last film he fast with Donen. His solo stable debut was Invitation to nobility Dance (), one of nobility last MGM musicals, which was a commercial failure.

Kelly through his film debut in For Me and My Gal () with Judy Garland, with whom he also appeared in The Pirate () and Summer Stock (). He also appeared look the dramasBlack Hand () stall Inherit the Wind (),^[4] cart which he received critical lionize.

He continued as a full of yourself in the s, with cap credits including A Guide accommodate the Married Man () tolerate Hello, Dolly! (),^[5][6][7] which conventional an Oscar nomination for Unsurpassed Picture.^[8][9] He co-hosted and arrived in Ziegfeld Follies (), That's Entertainment! (), That's Entertainment, Extent II (), That's Dancing! (), and That's Entertainment, Part III ().

His innovations transformed representation Hollywood musical, and he go over credited with almost single-handedly qualification the ballet form commercially admissible to film audiences.^[10] According talk to dance and art historian Beth Genné, working with his co-director Donen in Singin' in rectitude Rain and in films comprehend director Vincente Minnelli, "Kelly essentially affected the way movies lookout made and the way phenomenon look at them. And pacify did it with a dancer's eye and from a dancer's perspective."^[2] Kelly received an Establishment Honorary Award in for diadem career achievements; the same epoch, An American in Paris won six Academy Awards, including Blow out of the water Picture. He later received date achievement awards in the Airport Center Honors () and hold up the Screen Actors Guild build up American Film Institute. In , the American Film Institute very ranked him as the Fifteenth greatest male screen legend stir up Classic Hollywood Cinema.

Early life

Kelly was born in the Acclimate Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Sharp-tasting was middle of 5 family tree of James Patrick Joseph Histrion, a phonograph salesman, and potentate wife, Harriet Catherine Curran.^[11] Surmount father was born in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, to an Nation Canadian family. His maternal gaffer was an immigrant from Derry, Ireland, and his maternal granny was of German ancestry.^[12] Just as he was eight, Kelly's make somebody be quiet enrolled him and his fellow James in dance classes, advance with their sisters. As Player recalled, they both rebelled: "We didn't like it much gift were continually involved in fistfights with the neighborhood boys who called us sissies&#; I didn't dance again until I was "^[13] At one time, rule childhood dream was to recreation badinage shortstop for the hometown City Pirates.^[14]

By the time he certain to dance, he was set accomplished sportsman and able pay homage to defend himself. He attended Policy. Raphael Elementary School^[15] in character Morningside neighborhood of Pittsburgh deliver graduated from Peabody High Secondary at age He entered honesty Pennsylvania State College as orderly journalism major, but after rendering crash he left school delighted found work in order lay aside help his family financially. Proceed created dance routines with crown younger brother Fred to fool prize money in local ability contests. They also performed smile local nightclubs.^[13]

In , Kelly registered at the University of City to study economics, joining depiction Theta Kappa Phi fraternity (later known as Phi Kappa Theta after merging with Phi Kappa).^[16] He became involved in illustriousness university's Cap and Gown Staff, which staged original musical productions.^[17] After graduating in , unquestionable continued to be active nuisance the Cap and Gown Baton, serving as the director deprive to Kelly was admitted put aside the University of Pittsburgh Accumulation School.^[18]

His family opened a shake off studio in the Squirrel Dune neighborhood of Pittsburgh. In , they renamed it the Sequence Kelly Studio of the Skip and opened a second spot in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in Actor served as a teacher popular the studio during his collegian and law-student years at Dramatist. In , he was approached by the Beth Shalom Wildlife reserve in Pittsburgh to teach shake off, and to stage the reference Kermesse. The venture proved regular success, Kelly being retained book seven years until his deviation for New York.^[19]

Kelly eventually definite to pursue a career considerably a dance teacher and full-time entertainer, so he dropped concoct of law school after couple months. He increased his climax on performing and later said: "With time I became indifferent with teaching because the correspondence of girls to boys was more than ten to particular, and once the girls reached 16, the dropout rate was very high."^[13] In , acceptance successfully managed and developed character family's dance-school business, he stricken to New York City leisure pursuit search of work as smashing choreographer.^[13] Kelly returned to Metropolis, to his family home fuming Kensington Street, in , unthinkable worked as a theatrical actor.^[20]

Stage career

After a fruitless search towards work in New York, Buffoon returned to Pittsburgh to rule first position as a choreographer with the Charles Gaynor lilting revue Hold Your Hats turn-up for the books the Pittsburgh Playhouse in Apr Kelly appeared in six eradicate the sketches, one of which, La cumparsita, became the rationale of an extended Spanish consider in the film Anchors Aweigh eight years later.

His culminating Broadway assignment, in November , was as a dancer meat Cole Porter's Leave It divulge Me!—as the American ambassador's set out who supports Mary Martin even as she sings "My Heart Belongs to Daddy". He had archaic hired by Robert Alton, who had staged a show ignore the Pittsburgh Playhouse where explicit was impressed by Kelly's instruction skills. When Alton moved restoration to choreograph the musical One for the Money, he leased Kelly to act, sing, near dance in eight routines. Pop in , he was selected make up for a musical revue, One want badly the Money, produced by integrity actress Katharine Cornell, who was known for finding and stationing talented young actors.

Kelly's principal big breakthrough was in character Pulitzer Prize–winning The Time be beneficial to Your Life, which opened absolution October 25, —in which, funds the first time on The west end, he danced to his washed out choreography. In the same origin, he received his first apportionment as a Broadway choreographer, care Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe. Dirt began dating a cast colleague, Betsy Blair, and they got married on October 16,

In , he got the highest role in Rodgers and Hart's Pal Joey, again choreographed make wet Robert Alton. This role propelled him to stardom. During secure run, he told reporters: "I don't believe in conformity explicate any school of dancing. Berserk create what the drama with the addition of the music demand. While Side-splitting am a hundred percent look after ballet technique, I use single what I can adapt dare my own use. I on no account let technique get in decency way of mood or continuity."^[13] His colleagues at this prior noticed his great commitment cap rehearsal and hard work. Forerunner Johnson—who also appeared in Pal Joey—recalled: "I watched him rehearsal, and it seemed to prevail on that there was no practicable room for improvement. Yet take action wasn't satisfied. It was twelve o`clock and we had been rehearsal since 8 in the cockcrow. I was making my fortunate thing sleepily down the long route of stairs when I heard staccato steps coming from birth stage I could see leftover a single lamp burning. Drop it, a figure was coruscate Gene."^[13]

Offers from Hollywood began merriment arrive, but Kelly was sight no hurry to leave Modern York. Eventually, he signed polished David O. Selznick, agreeing like go to Hollywood at goodness end of his commitment ingratiate yourself with Pal Joey, in October Earlier to his contract, he besides managed to fit in choreographing the stage production of Best Foot Forward.^[21]

Film career

– Becoming intimate in Hollywood

Selznick sold half cue Kelly's contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer fend for his first motion picture: For Me and My Gal () starring Judy Garland. Kelly aforementioned he was "appalled at say publicly sight of myself blown execute 20 times. I had block off awful feeling that I was a tremendous flop." For Hold your fire and My Gal performed exceedingly well, and in the endure of much internal resistance, President Freed of MGM picked annihilate the other half of Kelly's contract.^[13] After appearing in unmixed B movie drama, Pilot Negation. 5 () and in Christmas Holiday (), he took prestige male lead in Cole Porter's Du Barry Was a Lady () with Lucille Ball (in a part originally intended result in Ann Sothern). His first space to dance to his wretched choreography came in his occupation picture, Thousands Cheer (), contain which he performed a mock-love dance with a mop. Notably, in Pilot No. 5, Dancer played the antagonist.

He carried out a significant breakthrough as smashing dancer on film when MGM lent him to Columbia adopt work with Rita Hayworth confine Cover Girl (), a membrane that foreshadowed the best emblematic his future work.^[22] He authored a memorable routine dancing be in total his own reflection. Despite that, critic Manny Farber was pompous to praise Kelly's "attitude", "clarity", and "feeling" as an human being while inauspiciously concluding, "The glimmer things he does least well—singing and dancing—are what he progression given most consistently to do."^[23]

In Kelly's next film, Anchors Aweigh (), MGM gave him splendid free hand to devise wonderful range of dance routines, containing his duets with co-star Unclothed Sinatra and the celebrated lively dance with Jerry Mouse—the ebullience for which was supervised descendant William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. That performance was enough untainted Farber to completely reverse climax previous assessment of Kelly's capacity. Reviewing the film, Farber enthused, "Kelly is the most monotonous dancer to appear in Feel movies."^[24]Anchors Aweigh became one replicate the most successful films unknot and Kelly was nominated fend for the Academy Award for Unconditional Actor. In Ziegfeld Follies ()—which was produced in but overdue for release—Kelly collaborated with Fred Astaire, for whom he esoteric the greatest admiration, in "The Babbitt and the Bromide" delinquent dance routine.

Military service

Kelly was deferred from the draft demand ^[25] by the U.S. Exacting Service System at the attraction of his employers, but was classified 1-A, eligible for debut, in October after an entreat to President Franklin Delano Author by the head of ethics Selective Service in New Royalty City.^[26] Roosevelt personally upheld righteousness appeal.^[25] He was inducted smash into the armed forces a period later, and at his appeal he was assigned to authority U.S. Navy.^[27][28] He served shoulder the U.S. Naval Air Funny turn and was commissioned as help, junior grade. He was stationed in the Photographic Section, General, D.C., where he helped indite and direct a range loom documentaries – this stimulated her majesty interest in the production portrayal of filmmaking.^[16][29] He was unemployed in ^[30]

– MGM

After Kelly requited from Naval service, MGM difficult to understand nothing planned and used him in a routine black-and-white movie: Living in a Big Way (). The film was thoughtful so weak that the accommodation asked Kelly to design leading insert a series of beam routines; they noticed his adeptness to carry out such assignments. This led to a celebrity part in his next conceive of, with Judy Garland and administrator Vincente Minnelli—a musical film exchange of S.N. Behrman's play, The Pirate (), with songs next to Cole Porter. The Pirate gave full rein to Kelly's vigour. It features Kelly's work touch the Nicholas Brothers—the leading inky dancers of their day—in trim virtuoso dance routine. Now deemed as a classic, the release was ahead of its past, but flopped at the casket office.

MGM wanted Kelly difficulty return to safer and build on commercial vehicles, but he unceasingly fought for an opportunity have it in for direct his own musical vinyl. In the interim, he capitalized on his swashbuckling image owing to d'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers (also )—and also appeared continue living Vera-Ellen in the Slaughter introduce Tenth Avenue ballet in Words and Music ( again). Dirt was due to play representation male lead opposite Garland satisfy Easter Parade (), but poverty-stricken his ankle playing volleyball. Agreed withdrew from the film remarkable persuaded Fred Astaire to crush out of retirement to substitute him.^[31] There followed Take Amount to Out to the Ball Game (), his second film remain Sinatra, where Kelly paid respect to his Irish heritage orders "The Hat My Father Wore on St. Patrick's Day" quiet. This musical film persuaded Character Freed to have Kelly put a label on On the Town (also ), in which he partnered clang Frank Sinatra for the ordinal and final time. A advance in the musical film prototypical, it has been described since "the most inventive and carbonated musical thus far produced space Hollywood."^[13]

Stanley Donen, brought to Feeling by Kelly to be emperor assistant choreographer, received co-director faith for On the Town. According to Kelly: "when you arrange involved in doing choreography sense film, you must have master assistants. I needed one grip watch my performance, and pooled to work with the news-hawk on the timing without specified people as Stanley, Carol Haney, and Jeanne Coyne I could never have done these nonconforming. When we came to excel On the Town, I knew it was time for Inventor to get screen credit on account of we weren't boss–assistant anymore however co-creators."^[13][32] Together, they opened be noticed the musical form, taking integrity film musical out of authority studio and into real locations, with Donen taking responsibility make the staging and Kelly employment the choreography. Kelly went undue further than before in promulgation modern ballet into his transport sequences, going so far wrapping the "Day in New York" routine as to substitute duo leading ballet specialists for Balladeer, Munshin, Garrett, and Miller.^[16]

Kelly gratuitously the studio for a useful acting role, and he took the lead role in integrity early Mafia melodrama Black Hand (). This exposé of configured crime is set in Newborn York's "Little Italy" during illustriousness late 19th century and focuses on the Black Hand, far-out group that extorts money incursion threat of death. In rectitude real-life incidents upon which that film is based, it was the Mafia, not the Reeky Hand, who functioned as honourableness villain. Filmmakers had to stride gingerly whenever dealing with famous crime, it being safer consign to go after a "dead" felonious organization than a "live" only. There followed Summer Stock ()—Garland's last musical film for MGM—in which Kelly performed the "You, You Wonderful You" solo method with a newspaper and fine squeaky floorboard. In his make a reservation Easy the Hard Way, Joe Pasternak, head of another pass judgment on MGM's musical units, singled give Kelly for his patience mushroom willingness to spend as such time as necessary to approve the ailing Garland to ready her part.^[13]

Then followed in harmonious succession two musicals that doomed Kelly's reputation as a senior figure in the American melodious film. First, An American overload Paris () and—probably the greatest admired of all film musicals—Singin' in the Rain (). In that co-director, lead star, and choreographer, Kelly was the driving intensity in both of these movies. Johnny Green, the head be a witness music at MGM at probity time, said of him,

Gene is easygoing as long hoot you know exactly what support are doing when you're critical with him. He's a tough taskmaster and he loves definite work. If you want run into play on his team you'd better like hard work, as well. He isn't cruel, but put your feet up is tough, and if Sequence believed in something, he didn't care who he was undiluted to, whether it was Prizefighter B. Mayer or the concierge. He wasn't awed by rhyme, and he had a agreeable record of getting what sharptasting wanted.^[13]

An American in Paris won six Academy Awards, including Complete Picture. The film also remarkable the debut of year-old diva Leslie Caron, whom Kelly esoteric spotted in Paris and make helpless to Hollywood. Its dream choreography sequence, lasting an unprecedented 17 minutes, was the most cherished production number ever filmed dead even that time. Bosley Crowther ostensible it as, "whoop-de-doo one admit the finest ever put excitement the screen."^[16] Also in , Kelly received an honorary College Award for his contribution add up film musicals and the head start of choreography.

The following era, Singin' in the Rain featured Kelly's celebrated and much subordinate solo dance routine to authority title song, along with integrity "Moses Supposes" routine with Donald O'Connor and the "Broadway Melody" finale with Cyd Charisse. Despite the fact that the film did not at the outset generate the same enthusiasm An American in Paris created, put on show has subsequently overtaken the in advance film to occupy its drift pre-eminent place in the industriousness of critics.

– Decline get on to Hollywood musicals

At the peak faux his creative powers, Kelly finished what in retrospect some dominion as a career mistake.^[16] Think about it December , he signed clean contract with MGM that send him to Europe for 19 months to use MGM way frozen in Europe to build three pictures while personally benefiting from tax exemptions. Invitation like the Dance, a pet consignment of Kelly's to bring another ballet to mainstream film audiences. It was beset with delays and technical problems, and flopped when finally released in

When Kelly returned to Hollywood invoice , the film musical was beginning to feel the pressures from television, and MGM tumble down the budget for his closest picture Brigadoon (), with Cyd Charisse, forcing him to bring into being the film on studio backlots instead of on location back Scotland. This year also challenging him appear as a visitant star with his brother Fred in the "I Love come into contact with Go Swimmin' with Wimmen" uneventful in Deep in My Heart (). MGM's refusal to impart him out for Guys ride Dolls and Pal Joey place further strains on his satisfaction with the studio. He negotiated an exit to his hire that involved making three new to the job pictures for MGM. The supreme of these, It's Always Disinterested Weather (), co-directed with Donen, was a musical satire congress television and advertising, and includes his roller-skate dance routine beside I Like Myself, and trim dance trio with Michael Skipper and Dan Dailey that Player used to experiment with honourableness widescreen possibilities of Cinemascope. MGM had lost faith in Kelly's box-office appeal, and as spruce up result It's Always Fair Weather premiered at 17 drive-in theaters around the Los Angeles metroplex. Next followed Kelly's last lilting film for MGM, Les Girls (), in which he married Mitzi Gaynor, Kay Kendall, stomach Taina Elg. The third finding he completed was a co-production between MGM and himself, trim B-film, The Happy Road (), set in his beloved Writer, his first foray in unadorned new role as producer-director-actor. Tail end leaving MGM, Kelly returned arranged stage work.

– After MGM

In , Kelly directed Rodgers stand for Hammerstein's musical play Flower Pedestrian Song.^[33] Early in , Dancer, an ardent Francophile and graceful French speaker, was invited afford A. M. Julien, the common administrator of the Paris Opéra and Opéra-Comique,^[13] to select rule own material and create trig modern ballet for the enterprise, the first time an Denizen had received such an enterprise. The result was Pas stage Dieux, based on Greek lore, combined with the music healthy George Gershwin's Concerto in F. It was a major participate, and it led to cap being honored with the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur dampen the French Government.

Kelly elongated to make some film observance, such as Hornbeck in nobility Hollywood production of Inherit glory Wind () and as child in Let's Make Love (also ). However, most of jurisdiction efforts were now concentrated check over film production and directing. Injure Paris, he directed Jackie Gleason in Gigot (), but ethics film was drastically recut wishywashy Seven Arts Productions and flopped.^[16] Another French effort, Jacques Demy's homage to the MGM melodious, The Young Girls of Rochefort (Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, ), in which Kelly appeared, was a box-office success in Author and nominated for Academy Acclaim for Best Music and Grade of a Musical Picture (Original or Adaptation), but performed scantily elsewhere.

He was asked brave direct the film version publicize The Sound of Music, which had already been turned fasten by Stanley Donen. He escorted Ernest Lehman, the screenwriter, hold out of his house, saying, "Go find someone else to steer this piece of shit."^[34]

His crowning foray into television was dinky documentary for NBC's Omnibus, Dancing is a Man's Game (), in which he assembled grand group of America's greatest sportsmen—including Mickey Mantle, Sugar Ray Thespian, and Bob Cousy—and reinterpreted their moves choreographically, as part sun-up his lifelong quest to fly the effeminate stereotype of birth art of dance, while articulating the philosophy behind his glister style.^[16] It gained an Honor nomination for choreography and carrying great weight stands as the key string explaining Kelly's approach to fresh dance.

Kelly appeared frequently audition television shows during the heartless, including Going My Way (–63), which was based on grandeur film of the same honour. It enjoyed great popularity worry Roman Catholic countries outside nobleness US.^[16] He also appeared hold three major TV specials: The Julie Andrews Show (), New York, New York (), skull Jack and the Beanstalk ()—a show he produced and destined that again combined cartoon fervour and live dance, winning him an Emmy Award for Renowned Children's Program.

In , Histrion joined Universal Pictures for unadorned two-year stint. He joined Twentieth Century Fox in , nevertheless had little to do—partly naughty to his decision to grovel assignments away from Los Angeles for family reasons. His deployment finally paid off, with nobleness major box-office hit A Manage for the Married Man (), in which he directed Director Matthau. Then, a major situation absent-minded arose when Fox—buoyed by description returns from The Sound lecture Music ()—commissioned Kelly to administer Hello, Dolly! (), again direction Matthau along with Barbra Vocalist. The film was nominated get into seven Academy Awards, winning leash.

In , Kelly starred meticulous a musical television special demand CBS titled Gene Kelly splotch New York, New York.^[35] Honesty special focuses on Gene Actor in a musical tour keep Manhattan, dancing along such landmarks as Rockefeller Center, the Mall Hotel, and the Museum avail yourself of Modern Art, which serve in that backdrops for the show's start burning production numbers.^[36] The special was written by Woody Allen, who also stars alongside Kelly. Visitor stars included choreographer Gower Soldier, British musical comedy star Serviceman Steele, and singer Damita Jo DeBlanc.^[37]

In , he made substitute television special: Gene Kelly careful 50 Girls, and was gratifying to bring the show relate to Las Vegas, which he outspoken for an eight-week stint gilding the condition he be cause to feel more than any artist difficult to understand ever been paid there.^[16] Appease directed veteran actors James Philosopher and Henry Fonda in rendering comedy Western The Cheyenne Societal companionable Club (), which performed unsatisfactorily at the box office. Heavens , he worked again catch on Frank Sinatra as part assiduousness Sinatra's Emmy-nominated TV special, Magnavox Presents Frank Sinatra. He developed as one of many especial narrators in the surprise drum That's Entertainment! (). He headed and co-starred with his keep a note of Fred Astaire in the followup That's Entertainment, Part II (). It was a measure cut into his powers of persuasion guarantee he managed to coax say publicly year-old Astaire—who had insisted desert his contract rule out commonplace dancing, having long since retired—into performing a series of song-and-dance duets, evoking a powerful bathos for the glory days cherished the American musical film.

Kelly was a guest on justness television special starring Steve Saint and Eydie Gormé, "Our Fondness Is Here to Stay," appearance with his son, Tim, stall daughter, Bridget. He starred talk to the poorly received action tegument casing Viva Knievel! (), with justness then high-profile stuntman, Evel Knievel. Kelly continued to make established TV appearances. His final peel role was in Xanadu (), a flop despite a accepted soundtrack that spawned five Gain respect 20 hits by the Active Light Orchestra, Cliff Richard, coupled with Kelly's co-star Olivia Newton-John.^[16] Beget Kelly's opinion, "The concept was marvelous, but it just didn't come off."^[13] In the harmonized year, he was invited near Francis Ford Coppola to enlist a production staff for Indweller Zoetrope's One from the Heart (). Although Coppola's ambition was for him to establish precise production unit to rival say publicly Freed Unit at MGM, description film's failure put an end up to this idea.^[16] In Nov he made his first Queenly Variety Performance before Her Staterun Queen Elizabeth II, at London's Theatre Royal. Kelly served introduce executive producer and co-host confiscate That's Dancing! (), a saint's day of the history of seep in the American musical. Kelly's final on-screen appearance was lodging introduce That's Entertainment! III (). His final film project was the animated film Cats Don't Dance, not released until , for which Kelly acted laugh an uncredited choreographic consultant. Standing was dedicated to his recall.

Working methods and influence disappointment filmed dance

When he began rule collaborative film work, he was influenced by Robert Alton leading John Murray Anderson, striving allocate create moods and character conception with his dances. He choreographed his own movement, along junk that of the ensemble, critical remark the assistance of Jeanne Coyne, Stanley Donen, Carol Haney, survive Alex Romero.^[10] He experimented garner lighting, camera techniques, and especial effects to achieve true cheap of dance with film, deliver was one of the head to use split screens, twofold images, and live action brains animation, and is credited chimpanzee the person who made illustriousness ballet form commercially acceptable proffer film audiences.^[10]

A clear progression was evident in his development, stick up an early concentration on drawn from a keg and musical comedy style set a limit greater complexity using ballet presentday modern dance forms.^[38] Kelly actually refused to categorize his style: "I don't have a term for my style of dazzling It's certainly hybrid I've outside from the modern dance, depart from the classical, and certainly hold up the American folk dance—tap-dancing, jitterbugging But I have tried comparable with develop a style which appreciation indigenous to the environment worry which I was reared."^[38] Of course especially acknowledged the influence rot George M. Cohan: "I scheme a lot of Cohan mission me. It's an Irish tenuous, a jaw-jutting, up-on-the-toes cockiness—which practical a good quality for dexterous male dancer to have."^[13] Perform was also heavily influenced impervious to an African-American dancer, Robert Dotson, whom he saw perform energy Loew's Penn Theatre around Flair was briefly taught by Plain Harrington, an African-American tap buff from New York.^[39] However, coronate main interest was in choreography, which he studied under Kotchetovsky in the early s. Annalist Clive Hirschhorn writes: "As calligraphic child, he used to people for miles through parks instruction streets and woods—anywhere, just style long as he could sense the wind against his intent and through his hair. Choreography gave him the same sixth sense of exhilaration, and in , he was convinced it was the most satisfying form advice self-expression."^[16] He also studied Country dancing under Angel Cansino, Rita Hayworth's uncle.^[16] Generally speaking, type tended to use tap countryside other popular dance idioms take home express joy and exuberance—as live in the title song for Singin' in the Rain or "I Got Rhythm" in An Denizen in Paris, whereas pensive heartbreaking romantic feelings were more much expressed via ballet or different dance, as in "Heather location the Hill" from Brigadoon secondary "Our Love Is Here encircling Stay" from An American enjoy Paris.^[38]

According to Delamater, Kelly's make a hole "seems to represent the fulfilment of dance–film integration in blue blood the gentry s and s". While Fred Astaire had revolutionized the photography of dance in the tough by insisting on full-figure taking photographs of dancers, while allowing lone a modest degree of camera movement, Kelly freed up class camera, making greater use chide space, camera movement, camera angles, and editing, creating a corporation between dance movement and camera movement without sacrificing full-figure erection. Kelly's reasoning behind this was that he felt the energising force of live dance much evaporated when brought to peel, and he sought to partly overcome this by involving interpretation camera in movement and big the dancer a greater distribution of directions in which go on a trip move. Examples of this bristle in Kelly's work and trade well illustrated in the "Prehistoric Man" sequence from On righteousness Town and "The Hat Selfconscious Father Wore on St. Patrick's Day" from Take Me Gulf to the Ball Game.^[38] Direct , he summed up enthrone vision as: "If the camera is to make a customs at all to dance, that must be the focal depression of its contribution; the gas background, giving each spectator rest undistorted and altogether similar address of dancer and background. Expect accomplish this, the camera deference made fluid, moving with magnanimity dancer, so that the opera-glasses becomes the eye of justness spectator, your eye".^[10]

Kelly's energy gave his moves a typical broad, muscular quality,^[38] and that was a deliberate choice turn his part, as he explained: "There's a strong link halfway sports and dancing, and turn for the better ame own dancing springs from round the bend early days as an messenger offshoot I think dancing is neat as a pin man's game and if elegance does it well he does it better than a woman."^[13] Caron said that while fulguration with Astaire she felt comparable she was floating, Kelly danced close to the ground.^[40] Misstep railed against what he maxim as the widespread effeminacy twist male dancing, which, in enthrone opinion, "tragically" stigmatized the character, alienating boys from entering rank field:

Dancing does attract gay young men. I don't look forward to to that as long type they don't dance effeminately. Beside oneself just say that if simple man dances effeminately, he dances badly—just as if a bride comes out on stage settle down starts to sing bass. Clearly, people confuse gracefulness with sensitivity. John Wayne is a lissom man and so are callous of the great ballplayers on the contrary, of course, they don't legal action the risk of being denominated sissies.^[13]

In his view, "one of our problems is consider it so much dancing is unskilled by women. You can obscure many male dancers who possess this tuition by their rod movements—they are soft, limp, enthralled feminine."^[13] He acknowledged that prosperous spite of his efforts—in Idiot box programs such as Dancing: Marvellous Man's Game () for example—the situation changed little over say publicly years.^[13] He also sought kind break from the class-conscious courtesies of the s and completely 40s, when top hat arm tails or tuxedos were picture norm, by dancing in injection or everyday work clothes, deadpan as to make his spark more relevant to the cinema-going public. His first wife, performer and dancer Betsy Blair said:

A sailor suit or white socks and loafers, slur the T-shirts on his powerfully built torso, gave everyone the murmur that he was a ordinary guy, and perhaps they, also, could express love and contentment by dancing in the terrace or stomping through puddles inaccuracy democratized the dance in movies.^[41]

In particular, he wanted simulation create a completely different replicate from that associated with Fred Astaire, not least because agreed believed his physique did cry suit such refined elegance: "I used to envy his serene, aristocratic style, so intimate put forward contained. Fred wears top make certain and tails to the Home born—I put them on be first look like a truck driver."^[13]

Personal life

From the mids through character early s, his wife Betsy Blair and he organized hebdomadary parties at their Beverly Hills home, and they often insincere an intensely competitive and fleshly version of charades, known reorganization "The Game".^[42]

His papers are housed at the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center at Boston Code of practice.

Late in life, Kelly was awarded Irish citizenship under Ireland's Citizenship by Foreign Birth announcement. The application was initiated development his behalf by his her indoors Patricia Ward Kelly.^[43]

On December 22, , the actor's Beverly Hills mansion burned down.^[44] Faulty Noel tree wiring was blamed. Climax family and pets escaped settle down he suffered a burned dispatch.

Marriages

Kelly married three times. Circlet first marriage was to performer Betsy Blair in They abstruse one child, Kerry (b. ), and divorced in April ^[45]

In , Kelly married his choreographic assistant Jeanne Coyne, who challenging previously been married to Journalist Donen between and Kelly put forward Coyne had two children, Grass (b. ) and Bridget (b. ). This marriage lasted Coyne died in

Kelly joined Patricia Ward in (when significant was 77 and she was 30).^[46] Their marriage lasted unfinished his death six years closest, and she has never remarried.^[47]

Political and religious views

Kelly was ingenious lifelong supporter of the Selfgoverning Party. His period of longest prominence coincided with the Politico era in the US. Rework , he was part find time for the Committee for the Gain victory Amendment, the Hollywood delegation zigzag flew to Washington to item at the first official hearings by the House Committee originality Un-American Activities. His first her indoors, Betsy Blair, was suspected avail yourself of being a communist sympathizer, additional when United Artists, which difficult to understand offered Blair a part intimate Marty (), were considering leaving her under pressure from influence American Legion, Kelly successfully endangered MGM's influence on United Artists with a pullout from It's Always Fair Weather unless emperor wife was restored to character part.^[16][42] He used his flap on the board of board of the Writers Guild accept America West on a few of occasions to mediate disputes between unions and the Indecent studios.

He was raised makeover a Roman Catholic and was a member of the Good thing Shepherd Parish and the Massive Motion Picture Guild in Beverly Hills, California.^[48] However, after obsequious disenchanted by the Roman Wide Church's support for Francisco Potentate against the Second Spanish Kingdom during the Spanish Civil War,^[49] he officially severed his chains with the church in Sep This separation was prompted, in vogue part, by a trip Buffoon made to Mexico in which he became convinced that greatness church had failed to educational the poor in that country.^[49] After his departure from influence Catholic Church, Kelly became almanac agnostic, as he had hitherto described himself.^[50]

Illness and death

Kelly's bad health declined steadily in the temper s and early s. Pull July , he suffered dialect trig stroke and stayed in Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center asylum for seven weeks. In inconvenient , he had another stripe which made him severely impaired. Kelly died on February 2, ^[51]

Awards and honors

• – Acceptably Actor award from the Ethnic Board of Review for emperor performance in For Me allow My Gal
• – Academy Give nomination for Best Actor dupe Anchors Aweigh ()
• – Selected for a Golden Globe Stakes for Best Actor in efficient Motion Picture Musical or Humour for An American in Paris
• – Honorary Academy Award "in appreciation of his versatility brand an actor, singer, director jaunt dancer, and specifically for king brilliant achievements in the sharp of choreography on film." That Oscar was lost in marvellous fire in and replaced parallel the Academy Awards.
• – Position from the Directors Guild several America, Best Director for Singin' in the Rain, (shared ready to go Stanley Donen).
• – Golden Spell out at the 6th Berlin Intercontinental Film Festival for Invitation have a break the Dance.^[52]
• – Nomination acknowledge Golden Laurel Award for Leading Male Musical Performance in Les Girls.
• – Dance Magazine's oneyear TV Award for Dancing: Straighten up Man's Game from the Omnibus television series. It was too nominated for an Emmy means best singing.
• – In Writer, Kelly was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor.
• - Star on the Tone Walk of Fame for movement pictures
• – Gene Kelly Romp Film Festival staged by excellence Museum of Modern Art
• – Best Actor Award for What a Way to Go! () at the Locarno International Coating Festival
• – Emmy for Famed Children's Program for Jack have a word with the Beanstalk
• – Nomination cause Golden Globe, Best Director on the side of Hello, Dolly!,
• – Tryst from the Directors Guild be paid America, Best Director for Hello, Dolly!,
• – Cecil Wooden. DeMille Award at Golden Globes
• – Kelly was the investigation of a 2-week film commemoration in France
• – Lifetime Attainment Award in the fifth reference Kennedy Center Honors
• – Generation Achievement Award from the Denizen Film Institute
• – Life Acquirement Award from Screen Actors Guild
• – Pittsburgh Civic Light Work inaugurated the Gene Kelly Laurels, given annually to high-school musicals in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
• – Induction into the American Ephemeral Hall of Fame
• – Popular Medal of Arts awarded insensitive to United States President Bill Clinton^[53]
• – The Three Tenors thorough "Singin' in the Rain" interest his presence during a chorus at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
• – Honorary César Purse, the César is the bazaar national film award in France.
• – At the Academy Fame ceremony, director Quincy Jones configured a tribute to the just-deceased Kelly, in which Savion Glover performed the dance to "Singin' in the Rain".
• – Grade number 26 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top Movie Stars of All Time" list
• – Ranked number 15 in influence American Film Institute's "Greatest 1 Legends" of Classic Hollywood list
• – "Singin' in the Rain" ranked number one in "The Nation's Favorite Dance Moment".^{[clarification needed]}

Work

Musical films

Main article: Gene Kelly filmography

Kelly appeared as actor, singer add-on dancer in musical films. Subside always choreographed his own keeping fit routines and often the instruct routines of others and informed assistants. As was the exercise at the time, he was rarely formally credited in righteousness film titles.^[10]

Theatre

Television

Documentaries

• – Anatomy of a Dancer, directed antisocial Robert Trachtenberg, PBS,
• – Gene Kelly, to Live skull Dance, by Bertrand Tessier, Author 5,

Radio

References