Dakota Beacon

On this day in 1912, an American legend was born in Pittsburgh.  Gene Kelly would have been 108 today.  Born to an Irish American family (by way of Canada and Derry, Ireland), Eugene Curran Kelly was the middle child of five.  His introduction to dancing was when his mother took him and a brother, Fred, to dancing school.  He recalled that the two did not care much for it.  They were teased by the other neighborhood kids and ended up in fights.  His dream back then was to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Eventually the kids danced in a local vaudeville act, “The Five Kellys”, and in time the family bought the dance school and Gene taught there for a time.  

But his career path was by no means settled.   He graduated from high school at 16 and began to study journalism at Pennsylvania State College; however the stock market crash forced him back to work again, helping to support his family.  He and brother Fred taught, choreographed and danced in night clubs on occasion.  By 1931 he was back in school, this time in the University of Pittsburgh, studying economics . . . and becoming involved in college musical productions.  From there he went to law school.  

Meanwhile his family’s dance studio business flourished and they opened two new schools, naming one the “Gene Kelly Studio of Dance”.  He was hired by a Pittsburgh synagogue to teach dance and stage their annual musical production.  This was a great success and Kelly left law school. He was with the synagogue for seven years.  He went to New York seeking work choreographing.  He returned to Pittsburgh and in 1940 was a theater actor there.  His work in Pittsburgh had been noted earlier by choreographer Robert Alton.  This eventually led to his landing the lead rôle in the Rogers and Hart musical, Pal Joey.  This put him over as a star.  When his contract for Pal Joey ended he went to Hollywood, signed with David O. Selznick.

His first movie was For Me and My Gal, with Judy Garland.  This was a success and led to his rôle in Du Barry Was a Lady, with Lucille Ball.   He danced to his own choreography in Thousands Cheer (1943).  In 1944, he starred with Rita Hayworth in Cover Girl.  Later that year he interrupted his Hollywood career to enlist in the U.S. Navy.  He served stateside, where his work involving production of documentaries encouraged his pursuit of film directing.  

One of his most popular performances was in Anchors Aweigh!, where he danced with the cartoon character, Jerry Mouse.  When I was a child I had a picture book with the story of the sad little mouse king who came alive dancing with Gene!  (I wonder what ever happened to that well-loved book!)    Many projects followed.  In 1948 he teamed up with Judy Garland again - in The Pirate, a Cole Porter musical which showcased his spectacular athleticism and dancing.  The famous Nicholas Brothers danced with him in this - my very favorite of his movies, and the one in which I really believe Judy Garland was at her best as the befuddled Manuela.  Her timing and comic talent was great in The Pirate!  

He followed this with The Three Musketeers and the iconic dance number, “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” (with Vera-Ellen) in Words and Music.  He was to have starred - again with Judy Garland - in Easter Parade but broke an ankle.  He persuaded Fred Astaire, whom he always admired, to come out of retirement to take the part.  Following this were Take Me Out to the Ball Game with Esther Williams, wherein he paid homage to his Irish heritage, and another sailor movie, On the Town.  After this, Kelly, always ready to recognize others’ contributions, insisted that assistant choreographer Stanley Donen receive screen credit.  

Kelly’s fondness for France and things French (he was fluent in French) led to his An American in Paris, which showcased the young French dancer Leslie Caron, and featured an amazing 17-minute ballet “dream sequence”.  It was a masterpiece.  This was followed by another masterpiece, perhaps one of the most beloved of all Hollywood musicals, about Hollywood musicals - Singin’ in the Rain, with Debbie Reynolds and the incredible  Donald O’Connor.  One of the key numbers, besides the famous title song and dance, was “Gotta Dance” where he danced with Cyd Charisse.  

Eventually, as the Hollywood musicals wound down, Kelly returned to Broadway, to direct Flower Drum Song and to Paris, where he choreographed and produced a highly acclaimed ballet to Gershwin’s Concerto in F.  

Stateside, he continued to work on many projects.  He won an Emmy for his children’s show, Jack and the Beanstalk.  He began devoting much of his time to directing, including Guide to the Married Man and Barbra Streisand in Hello, Dolly!

In his later years he appeared as a host in That’s Entertainment!  (I, II and III) and That’s Dancing!  He was known for his attention to detail, in his meticulous (some said relentless) rehearsal and his demanding standards.  This he shared with some other greats in the industry, such as Fred Astaire, whom he greatly admired, although the two had vastly different personas and styles.  Kelly showed the world that dancing was truly a man’s art.  His athleticism and (for lack of a better word) swagger, took male dancing to a new level of masculinity.  He found it discouraging that so few boys studied dancing and that the art was not considered “manly” by many.  He also overcame what he saw as a class-conscious prejudice.  Dancing, Kelly believed, was for everyone.

Always busy, always innovating and experimenting in film and theater, Kelly’s last movie was the musical Xanadu with Olivia Newton-John.  The film was not a huge success.  

In 1994 he suffered a stroke; in 1995 he had another stroke and died February 6, 1996.  

Celebrate his birthday with some of the treasures he has left us on film!

In the title song, “For Me and My Gal” with Judy Garland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ShowRENlPs

A total change of pace - "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" from Words and Music, with Vera-Ellen:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaAiKkmjp3c

The Pirate - Kelly dancing with the Nicholas Brothers!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiYf0L-QP_k

In Anchors Aweigh, with Jerry Mouse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2msq6H2HI-Y

From Take Me Out to the Ball Game- Kelly sings and dances “The Hat Me Dear Old Father Wore” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH7E5rCgS3k

From the same movie, a tribute to that great fielding combination - “O’Brien to Ryan to Goldberg” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9ZQlgapKwg  (Gene Kelly’s boyhood dream was to play shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates!)

And back to Anchors Aweigh - Kelly shows off his stuff to Kathryn Grayson, displaying a tour de force perhaps drawing on his study with Angel Cansino (uncle of Rita Hayworth) in “Cumparsita”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J21Xv0L01MI

From An American in Paris - "I Got Rhythm":  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8eFmkjcGkE

Kelly in Brigadoon - here he does a sand dance with back up from some "Hielan Kye" and some startled sheep . . . and Van Johnson!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qYCDEsersw

and from the same film, with Cyd Charisse - "The Heather on the Hill":  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCxS2z6VIJA

One of America’s favorite movie musicals, Singin in the Rain - here are a few favorite moments with Gene Kelly:

“Moses Supposes” - Kelly and O’Connor spoof Hollywood’s elocution experts!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3YWWfnWBJM

“Gotta Dance!”  (with Cyd Charisse)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpCLxnVpgbo

“You Were Meant for Me” (with Debbie Reynods):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqsrVQfNYPc

“Good Mornin’” - with Debbie Reynolds and the incomparable Donald O’Connor”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCSUsF_YEe0

Finally, one of the most iconic of American Hollywood Musical numbers ever!  (Trivia note:  at the time this was filmed, Kelly was very sick with a high fever - didn’t slow him down much.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1ZYhVpdXbQ

I hope this has been as much fun for you as it has for me!  

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