Gene Kelly Add to My Celebs Age 83 (passed away Feb. 2nd, 1996) Birthday Aug. 23rd, 1912 Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Height 170 cm

Gene Kelly's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) Going My Way Father Chuc… Here's Hollywood Gene Kelly The $64,000 Question Gene Kelly …

Main Movie Roles 1985 - That's Dancing! 1981 - Reporters 1980 - Xanadu 1973 - 40 Carats 1967 - The Young Girls of Rochefort 1964 - What A Way to Go! 1960 - Let's Make Love 1960 - Inherit The Wind 1957 - Les Girls 1956 - Invitation to the Dance 1955 - It's Always Fair Weather 1954 - Deep in My Heart 1954 - Brigadoon 1952 - Love Is Better Than Ever 1952 - Singin' in the Rain 1951 - An American in Paris 1950 - Summer Stock 1949 - Take Me Out to the Ball Game 1949 - On the Town 1948 - The Three Musketeers 1948 - Words and Music 1948 - The Pirate 1945 - Anchors Aweigh 1944 - Cover Girl 1944 - Christmas Holiday 1943 - Du Barry Was a Lady 1943 - Thousands Cheer 1942 - For Me and My Gal

NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at IMDB


BIOGRAPHY:

M-G-M was the largest and most powerful studio in Hollywood when Gene Kelly arrived in town in 1941. He came direct from the hit 1940 original Broadway production of "Pal Joey" and planned to return to the Broadway stage after making the one film required by his contract. His first picture for M-G-M was For Me and My Gal (1942) with Judy Garland (I). What kept Kelly in Hollywood were "the kindred creative spirits" he found behind the scenes at M-G-M. The talent pool was especially large during World War II, when Hollywood was a refuge for many musicians and others in the performing arts of Europe who were forced to flee the Nazis. After the war, a new generation was coming of age. Those who saw An American in Paris (1951) would try to make real life as romantic as the reel life they saw portrayed in that musical, and the first time they saw Paris, they were seeing again in memory the seventeen-minute ballet sequence set to the title song written by George Gershwin and choreographed by Kelly. The sequence cost a half million dollars (U.S.) to make in 1951 dollars. Another Kelly musical of the era, Singin' in the Rain (1952), was one of the first 25 films selected by the Library of Congress for its National Film Registry. Kelly was in the same league as Fred Astaire, but instead of a top hat and tails Kelly wore work clothes that went with his masculine, athletic dance style.


TRIVIA:

• He was awarded the National Medal of Freedom from President 'Bill Clinton (I)' (qv) in 1994.
• Kennedy Center Honoree, 1982
• He was voted the 42nd Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.
• Was named the #15 greatest actor on The 50 Greatest Screen Legends list by the American Film Institute
• "Singin' in the Rain" was awarded the 'Laurence Olivier' (qv) Theatre Award in 2001 for Outstanding Musical Production, with choreography by Kelly.
• Famed producer David O Selznick signed Gene to his first Hollywood contract after seeing him star in "Pal Joey" while on Broadway. Though Gene had had other offers from studios he chose to sign with Selznick mostly because his was the only studio that did not insist on a screen test before signing him. Selznick sold Kelly's contact to MGM before he could find a suitable role for him to appear in.
• Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1959
• Attended Peabody High School in the East Liberty section of Pittsburgh, Pa.

Gene Kelly Photos

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