Gene Kelly danced like an athlete and acted like a regular guy, and that combination changed the Hollywood musical. He brought a muscular, everyday energy to dancing on screen, and he made it look both joyful and hard-won.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1912, Kelly grew up in a family that ran a dance studio, and he studied dance, worked in theatre, and taught before reaching Broadway. His Broadway success in Pal Joey in 1940 led to Hollywood, where his first film was For Me and My Gal (1942), opposite Judy Garland.
At MGM Kelly became a leading musical star and a director. He starred in Anchors Aweigh (1945), On the Town (1949), An American in Paris (1951), for which he received an honorary Academy Award for his achievements in film choreography, and Singin’ in the Rain (1952), which he co-directed with Stanley Donen. He also directed and starred in Invitation to the Dance (1956) and later directed Hello, Dolly! (1969).
Kelly died in 1996, but his influence remains in every dancer who treats a musical number as a story, not just a display. He proved that a man in a sweater and a pair of dancing shoes could be as romantic as any matinee idol, and that dance could carry a film’s heart.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, Allan Warren — File:Gene_Kelly_Allan_Warren.jpg.