Gene
Kelley was born in 1912 in Pittsburg,
Pennsylvania. He had grown up with talent
that wasn't seen often at the time. He had
flashy dance moves and a dynamic
personality. He quickly became a well known
actor in the 1940's. With his dance moves he
appeared in 47 films, which alone was quite
a feat for the time. He acted with his
brother, Fred Kelley, briefly in theatre but
the big screen was calling him.
In 1942
he starred with Judy Garland on the big
screen in a movie called "Me and My Gal".
This was the true launch of Gene Kelley's
career, as MGM Studios recognized his talent
at once. Being the largest and most powerful
studio in Hollywood, MGM signed him on to
become one of the most recognized talents of
all time.
With WWII
underway, many people from Europe fled to
America to avoid the Nazi powers. They came
to Hollywood with talents as artists such as
singers, dancers, and actors. This became an
active time for Hollywood and MGM studios as
the entertainment world expanded. Gene
Kelley had a talent that was often compared
to Fred Astaire. With awesome dance moves
and an electric personality Gene Kelley
brought the working man to the big screen in
his street clothes and rugged good looks.
His powerful dance moves intrigued the
audience and electrified Hollywood.
When Gene
Kelly starred with Debbie Reynolds in the
hit "Singing in the Rain" in 1952, he
captured the hearts of many. His powerful
and yet graceful dancing style earned him an
instant love of adoring fans. Being a smash
hit, the film was one of the first 25 films
selected by the Library of Congress for its
National Film Registry of movies to be part
of the American Heritage, an elite status
even today.
Gene
Kelley's stardom increased as he starred in
film such as An American in Paris, Cats
Don't Dance, Christmas Holiday, A Guide for
the Married Man, Marjorie Morningstar,
That's Dancing and That's Entertainment.
His
talents were clearly recognized as being
original and heartwarming. He had an
athletic style of dance so free and
innovative that he continues to impress yet
today. In 1992, he was entered into the
theater hall of fame because of his work on
"My Pal Joey" with his brother Fred Kelley.
He continues to be a part of American
culture as he was the silent eye behind
Madonna in 1993 for her Girlie Show Tour. In
1994 he was awarded the Presidential Medal
of Freedom by President Bill Clinton.
In his
personal life Gene Kelley was married three
times and had fathered three children. On
February 2, 1996 in Beverly Hills,
California Gene Kelley passed away due to
multiple strokes. He will forever be
remembered as a great talented dancer and
artist.
