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Engraved portrait of Gene Kelly
Film & Screen · 1940s

Gene Kelly

In memoriam 1912–1996

“He brought athletic joy and the common man's swagger to the movie musical.”

Eugene Curran KellyReal name
August 23, 1912, Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaBorn
February 2, 1996, Beverly Hills, CaliforniaDied
Awarded 1952 for choreographic achievement on filmHonorary Oscar
"Singin' in the Rain," performed with a high feverFamous solo
The Turning Point

Kelly became a Broadway star originating the title role in Pal Joey (1940), then moved to Hollywood. His athletic, populist dancing made him a movie star with For Me and My Gal in 1942, opposite Judy Garland.

Gene Kelly in an MGM publicity photo
Gene Kelly in an MGM publicity photo

Pittsburgh to Broadway

Kelly grew up in Pittsburgh, where his family ran a dance studio. After succeeding on Broadway, his star-making title role in Pal Joey in 1940 brought him to Hollywood's attention.

Kelly in his 1942 film debut For Me and My Gal
Kelly in his 1942 film debut For Me and My Gal

Reinventing the Musical

Athletic and inventive, he merged ballet, tap, and modern dance with a working-man's energy. As co-director he helped break musicals out of the soundstage, filming On the Town on location and crafting the ambitious ballet in An American in Paris.

Singin' in the Rain and Beyond

His 1952 co-direction of Singin' in the Rain produced one of cinema's most famous numbers. Honored with a special Academy Award the same year, he remained a defining force in screen choreography and direction.

Career Timeline

  1. 1912Born Eugene Curran Kelly in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  2. 1938Moves to New York to pursue dancing
  3. 1940Stars in Broadway's Pal Joey
  4. 1942Film debut in For Me and My Gal
  5. 1944Innovates dance on film in Cover Girl
  6. 1945Dances with cartoon Jerry in Anchors Aweigh
  7. 1949Co-directs On the Town, shot on location
  8. 1951An American in Paris wins Best Picture
  9. 1952Co-directs and stars in Singin' in the Rain
  10. 1952Receives an honorary Academy Award
  11. 1985Honored with an AFI Life Achievement Award
  12. 1996Dies in Beverly Hills, aged 83

Biggest Hits

1942
For Me and My GalFilm debut opposite Judy Garland
1944
Cover GirlHis "alter-ego" dance pioneered film technique
1945
Anchors AweighDanced with animated Jerry Mouse; Oscar nod
1949
On the TownGroundbreaking musical shot on New York streets
1951
An American in ParisBest Picture winner with a 17-minute ballet
1952
Singin' in the RainIconic title number; widely called the greatest musical
1954
BrigadoonLerner and Loewe musical fantasy
Did You Know
  • He reportedly filmed the title "Singin' in the Rain" number while running a high fever.
  • He served in the U.S. Naval Air Service during World War II as a photographic-unit director.

The Moment You Remember

Umbrella in hand, hat tilted, Gene Kelly splashes through the puddles of a studio street, swinging from a lamppost and grinning up at the rain. The title number of Singin' in the Rain captured pure, unguarded happiness, and it has never lost its charm.

Portrait: Allan Warren · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

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