GENE KELLY

Dancer, Actor, Choreographer

Gene Kelly was known mostly as a dancer, the "common man's dancer" because of his athletic approach, but he was also an actor, a director, and perhaps most of all a choreographer.

Eugene Curran Kelly was born in Pittsburgh on August 23, 1912. At an early age, his mother had the five Kelly children performing at amatuer nights, but Gene, being very athletic, wanted to be a baseball player. He was made to take dancing lessons, which he enoyed only after he realized that it made him popular with girls. The family even opened a dance studio, with Gene being the main attraction while he was still in high school. He loved to dance, but thought it best to have a more normal career. Graduating from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in economics, he went to law school, but finally decided to try New York as a choreographer. He got a job dancing instead, making his first appearance in 1938's Cole Porter production of Leave It To Me, which was also Mary Martin's debut. His part in Pal Joey on Broadway got him a trip to Hollywood, where his first film was For Me and My Gal with Judy Garland in 1942.

From there his career soared. He made many more films, and choreographed some of his own roles, such as Cover Girl, Brigadoon and An American in Paris. He got to showcase his ideas of how dancing and athletics are connected when he directed and starred in such films as On the Town and Singin' in the Rain. This last film is perhaps the one he is most remembered for, and one which he also choereographed. It has also been called the greatest musical ever made, with a good story line and outstanding dance numbers. At the time, however, it seemed overshadowed by An American in Paris, which had just won six Academy Awards including Best Picture, and Kelly won another for choreography based partly on the fantastic 17-minute closing sequence. He also directed movies in which he did not act, such as Hello, Dolly!, and directed non-musicals, such as Cheyenne Social Club and A Guide for the Married Man. He won great acclaim for his acting in the non-musical Inherit The Wind Kelly was the first American to ever be invited to present an original ballet at the Paris Opera, which he did to Gershwin's Concerto in F. This presentation was a tremendous success. As a result, it became a part of the Paris Opera's repertoire, and he was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. Other awards he earned include the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1985. He died in 1996.