Singin in the rain is a 1952 american musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by gene kelly and stanley donen, starring kelly, donald oconnor, and debbie reynolds. His father was of irish descent and his mother was of irish and german ancestry. Ill health plagued gene starting in the late eighties, and on february 2, 1996, he passed away after a series of debilitating strokes. Invitation to the dance is a 1956 anthology film consisting of three distinct stories, all starring and directed by gene kelly the film is unusual in that it has no spoken dialogue, with the characters performing their roles entirely through dance and mime. By the time he gets to that party, the guy shouting gotta dance. Kelly made his hollywood film debut in for me and my gal. Sexy gene kelly dance with mitzi gaynor gone about that gal duration. The movie also has another major dance sequence, gotta dance, that features kelly and the beauteous cyd charisse. Kelly appears in all three stories, which feature leading dancers of the era including tommy rall, igor youskevitch, tamara toumanova and. The film chronicles the debut of the new jersey nets firstever senior hiphop dance team, 12 women and 1 man all dance team newbies, from auditions through to performance.
As such, it makes sense that song and dance is a prevalent motif in the film. The best of gene kelly gene kelly eugene curran gene kelly august 23, 1912 february 2, 1996 was an american dancer, actor, singer, film director and producer, and choreographer. Its hard to imagine a man who performed on broadway and in some of the most iconic movie musicals in history saying he never wanted to be a dancer. Gene kelly, now at the height of his career, offered her the same kind of moral support she had once offered him. Gene kelly as the rube whos gotta dance, comes to the big city, encounters enough primarycolored character types to start a dozen or more separate movies some day, i really should watch. He is probably best known today for his performances in musicals, notably an american in paris 1951 and singin in the rain 1952. Gene kelly biography life, family, childhood, children. Gene kelly was a dancer whose athletic style transformed the movie musical and did much to change the american publics conception of male dancers. Inspired designs on tshirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more by independent artists and designers from around the world. Selznick sold half of kelly s contract to metrogoldwynmayer for his first motion picture.
A short but amazing clip from singin in the rain 1952 featuring cyd charisse as gene kelly s dance partner in the broadway melody. Eugene curran kelly august 23, 1912 february 2, 1996 was an americanirish dancer, actor of film, stage, and television, singer, film director, producer, screenwriter, comedian and choreographer. Singing in the rain singing in the rain performed by gene kelly hd 720p widescreen upscaled and cropped. Singin in the rain 88 movie clip switcharoo 1952 hd duration. A silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound.
From the opening scenes, a circus in an italian town, director, choreographer and star gene kelly as the clown, french dancer claire sombert as the loved, russian igor youskevitch as the lover, from the experimental musical invitation to the dance, 1956. Singin in the rain symbols, allegory and motifs gradesaver. Donen got an honorary oscar in 1998, and stole the show by singing cheek to cheek while dancing with his statuette. Gotta dance is a 2008 documentary film and tribeca film festival audience award finalist directed by dori berinstein. Not that madeup mumbojumbo he rattles off to dora bailey at the beginning of the movie, but his real storywarts and all. But defying normal expectations was just gene kellys way. Gene kelly 19121996 was an american dancer, actor, singer, director, producer and choreographer whose work in motion pictures spans from 1942 to 1996. Jun 26, 2007 9 videos play all classic movie musicals megan hayes. Gene kelly was in the three thats entertainment movies. It offers a lighthearted depiction of hollywood in the late 1920s, with the three stars portraying performers caught up in the transition from silent films to talkies the film was only a modest hit when it was.
Jul, 2019 singin in the rain sets the gold standard for movies that imagine a world full of pure joy, from gene kellys delirious stroll through a downpour, to donald oconnor cackling and spinning. Singing in the rain singing in the rain gene kelly hd. Rexshutterstock her costars were also feeling the strain. Actor, dancer, singer, choreographer, director, gene made it all look so easy but, in reality, he was a perfectionist who expected the same from his costars. I took it as it came and it happened to be very nice. Singin in the rain sets the gold standard for movies that imagine a world full of pure joy, from gene kellys delirious stroll through a downpour, to donald oconnor cackling and spinning. It is interesting to note that both kelly and astaire had raspy voices but were marvelous singers. Gotta dance featuring gene kelly and cyd charisse, from the musical film singin in the rain 1952. Don lockwood gene kelly is a popular silent film star with humble roots as a singer, dancer, and stuntman. Cyd charisse, who brought sizzle and sophistication to dance in such classic movie musicals as singin in the rain and silk stockings, died tuesday. A dance sequence, featuring the movie s two lead dancers, gene kelly and donald oconnor, was ruled out because oconnor, not on mgms payroll, was already committed to hosting nbcs tv. Astaire, of course, was the better dancer, but the singin in the rain sequence is perhaps the most beloved.
A dance sequence, featuring the movies two lead dancers, gene kelly and donald oconnor, was ruled out because oconnor, not on mgms payroll, was already committed to hosting nbcs tv series the. Kelly made a drenching rainstorm and umbrella his partners, and communicated the joy in movement at the heart of all of his performances. Summer stock 1950 turned out to be garlands last mgm project. The babbitt and the bromide from zigfield follies 1946. Gene kelly for me and my gal, invitation to the dance gene kelly. Gene kelly choreographed his dance scenes with cyd charisse to hide the fact that she was taller than he was. Metrogoldwynmayer was the largest and most powerful studio in hollywood when gene kelly arrived in town in. Although gene kelly 19121996 established his reputation as an actor and dancer, his contribution to the hollywood musical also embraces choreography and direction. In this elaborate production number, genes art imitates life as he traces the rise to stardom of a guy whos just gotta dance. The glorious dreamworld of singin in the rain film school rejects.
He continued to dance long after his retirement from the movies, but in his final years, he was stricken with several strokes which left him immobile. In this elaborate production number, gene s art imitates life as he traces the rise to stardom of a guy whos just gotta dance. Here are some facts about gene kelly and stanley donens classic musical to. Eugene curran kelly was born in pittsburgh, pennsylvania, the third son of harriet catherine curran and james patrick joseph kelly, a phonograph salesman. Gene kelly, american dancer, actor, choreographer, and motionpicture director whose athletic style of dancing, combined with classical ballet technique, transformed the movie musical. Jun 18, 2008 cyd charisse, who brought sizzle and sophistication to dance in such classic movie musicals as singin in the rain and silk stockings, died tuesday. If you enjoy gene kellys melodic vocal stylings as much as i. Anatomy of a dancer dvd the life and career of this film star and innovator whose work includes singin in the rain, on the town and an american in paris are vibrantly recalled in this profile of the driven genius often narcissistic, always a perfectionist who reenergized the movie musical and redefined dance on screen. Singin in the rain 60th ultimate collectors edition. Gene kelly became all things to the movie musical in its last great era, but hes best remembered as the guy who danced alone. Charisse, who was 86 or 87, depending on the source, had suffered an apparent heart attack yesterday when most people think of hollywoods greatest dancers, fred astaire and gene kelly are the two names that come to mind.
See more ideas about gene kelly, classic movies and old hollywood. First of all, the broadway melody ballet has everything to do with the movie. Dance motif singin in the rain is first and foremost a musical. All by herself, charisse makes gene kelly totally disappear when she bares her legs in singin in the rain, and she more than partner fred astaire helps to make the long dancing in the dark ballet in the band wagon 1953 my favorite dance number of the studio era. I ve always liked gene kelly, hes my favorite screen dancer. Cyd charisse was born tula ellice finklea on march 8, 1922 or. Some say ms charisse had the most perfectly proportioned.
Gene kelly dances with jerry of tom and jerry in anchors aweigh 1945, an iconic performance, which changed at least one critics opinion of kellys skills. A short but amazing clip from singin in the rain 1952 featuring cyd charisse as gene kellys dance partner in the broadway melody. All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. Jan 29, 2020 gene kelly was a dancer whose athletic style transformed the movie musical and did much to change the american publics conception of male dancers. That young hoofer in the yellow vest is a standin for don. Debbie reynolds had no dance experience before she made the movie. Kelly said he was too big for the kind of dancing astaire did so well. Singin in the rain broadway melody gene kelly and cyd. Kelly was in the same league as fred astaire, but instead of a top hat and tails kelly wore work clothes that went with his masculine, athletic dance style. Fred astaire once said his favorite dance partner was gene kelly.
The three starsgene kelly, donald oconnor and 19yearold debbie reynoldsmust have rehearsed endlessly for their dance numbers, which involve alarming acrobatics, but in performance theyre giddy with joy. Before the film has even started, we see cosmo, kathy, and lockwood dancing down the street and singing the title number. Gene kelly asks taina elg after shes auditioned for his act in les girls 1957. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style, his good looks, and the likable characters that he played on screen.
It was codirected by stanley donen, then only 28, and kelly, who supervised the choreography. Dec 30, 2014 a short but amazing clip from singin in the rain 1952 featuring cyd charisse as gene kelly s dance partner in the broadway melody. The number was so physically taxing that oconnor, who smoked four packs of cigarettes a day at the time, ended up in a hospital bed for a week after its. The best of gene kelly gene kelly on allmusic 1993. Its hard not to want to dance and sing along with each song on gotta dance. Kellys soakingwet singin in the rain dance number is the single most memorable dance number on film, peter wollen wrote in a. With gene kelly, donald oconnor, debbie reynolds, jean hagen. His dance to the title song has become an icon something that is regarded as the ideal of american entertainment. Gene kelly dances with jerry of tom and jerry in anchors aweigh 1945, an iconic performance, which changed at least one critics opinion of kelly s skills. In those movies, he worked with another great dancer, fred astaire. Reynolds with gene kelly in singin in the rain credit. He is best known for anchors aweigh 1945, on the town 1949, an american in paris 1951, and. Gene kelly died on february 2, 1996, in beverly hills, california. It offers a lighthearted depiction of hollywood in the late 1920s, with the three stars portraying performers caught up in the transition from silent films to.
Metrogoldwynmayer was the largest and most powerful studio in hollywood when gene kelly. Selznick sold half of kellys contract to metrogoldwynmayer for his first motion picture. Gene kellys experiments with dance and with ways of filming it include combining dance and animation anchors aweigh and invitation to the dance, and special effects the alter ego. Singin in the rain 1952 for the make em laugh number, gene kelly asked donald oconnor to revive a trick he had done as a young dancer.
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