Gene Kelly

American dancer, actor, director and choreographer. A legendary song and dance man, one of the most innovative talents in the history of movie musicals, Gene Kelly revolutionized Hollywood musicals with his fresh, imaginative dance routines in the '40s and '50s. He was the first choreographer to use dance to advance the story and to reveal the emotions, personalities and psychological make-up of characters. As the third of five children of a gramophone salesman and homemaker, Kelly grudgingly began tap dancing lessons at age seven at the insistence of his mother. Gene, his older brother Jim and younger brother Fred formed a dancing trio that performed at local shows. Despite his talent, he was not an apt pupil and instead gained kudos for his outstanding athletic prowess. Passionate about sports, he excelled at hockey, football, baseball and gymnastics. As his dancing talent became popular with girls during adolescence, he took more interest, but no thought of serious pursuit. A good student and avid reader, Kelly graduated the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in economics with an eye toward law school. To help supplement his income he performed, staged and choreographed local shows and taught dance in a school owned by his mother. When he began his legal studies, he knew he was wasting his time; dance was where his talent lay. By 1935 the Kelly family ran two successful schools in Pittsburgh entitled the Gene Kelly School of Dance, where 20-year-old tap dance instructor Gene began to study ballet in his spare time, working long hours to make up for lost time. At age 26 Kelly moved to New York to establish himself as a choreographer. No work was available upon his first casting calls yet within one week Kelly was dancing in the chorus of a Cole Porter musical, "Leave It To Me," his Broadway debut. Steady chorus work continued in "One For The Money" and Kelly received critical praise for his role of Harry The Hoofer in William Saroyan's "The Time Of Your Life." His striking performance in the leading role in "Pal Joey" in 1940 paved the way to Hollywood. After marrying actress Betsy Blair in 1941, he made his film debut the following year opposite Judy Garland in "Me and My Gal." It was followed by "Cover Girl" in 1944, where he displayed virtuoso choreography by dancing with his reflection which leaps from a shop window and takes on a life of its own. Kelly, Blair, and others from the film community traveled to Washington D.C. in 1947 to protest the House Un-American Activities Committee. Kelly defied MGM's warnings that he was putting his career in jeopardy but, despite his protesting, he suffered no repercussions. Wife Betsy Blair was not so lucky; her acting career was handicapped for several years. Kelly had another brush with the authorities at MGM the following year for performing an interracial dance routine with the Nicholas Brothers in the film "The Pirate." Urged by authorities to cut the number, Kelly adamantly refused. His determination made him a key player, earning him a reputation as a benevolent though demanding perfectionist with a quick temper, who worked dancers overtime to achieve perfection. "I want to do everything as well as it can be done, even if I'm doing a bad musical." Kelly's indefatigable effort got results in 1950 when he was chosen to direct and choreograph his pivotal and thus favorite film, "On The Town," the first musical in which choreography was completely integrated with the story. A special Academy Award followed a year later for Kelly's versatility as an actor, singer, dancer and, especially, choreographer in the classic "An American in Paris." "Singin' In The Rain" in 1952 was the pinnacle of his song and dance career. Dramatic roles followed in the '50s with "Marjorie Morningstar" and "Inherit The Wind." Despite his talent and versatility, he was never happy on camera, "Performing bores me. I haven't got the heart of a real performer. The big thrill for me is creating something. There's great magic in that." Kelly's marriage to Betsy Blair ended in divorce in 1957. In the late '40s they had one daughter, Kerry. Three years later Kelly married his former dance student in Pittsburgh and long-time assistant Jeannie Coyne. Their son Timothy and daughter Bridget were raised by Kelly when Coyne died of leukemia on 10 May 1973. It was a disastrous year; his wife, mother and manager all died. A decade later, on 22 December 1983, a fire destroyed his home and he lost all the mementos of his 45-year-career. Kelly's appearance in the three "That's Entertainment" films and "That's Dancing" earned him a new generation of fans. He was awarded the Kennedy Center Honor in 1982, the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1985 and the National Medal of Arts in 1994. Reflecting upon his career in 1985 Kelly said, "Overall, I'm happy with my body of work onscreen. I just wish I had done more dances. I had more dance ideas in me. But that's all right. I'm satisfied with what I did." In 1990 Kelly made a third marriage to writer Patricia Ward, 46 years his junior. She was at his side when he died on 2 February 1996 at his home in Beverly Hills, California from a series of debilitating strokes. Link to Wikipedia biography