Remembered as one of the greatest actors of Hollywood cinema, Gene Kelly is today best known for being the protagonist of the great success “Dancing in the Rain”. Let’s discover its history and its path in the world of cinema.
Who was Gene Kelly
Gene Kelly (Pittsburgh, August 23, 1912 – Beverly Hills, February 2, 1996), was an American actor. He grows up with his four siblings and parents who encourage him since he was a child to get closer to world of dance. Together with him, his little brother Fred takes this path and in the years to come the two will work together in the duo “The Kelly Brothers”.
He then opens a dance school in his hometown, la “Gene Kelly Studio of the Dance” where he works together with the brothers Louise and Fred.
He also attended university, graduating in Economics in 1933, but without pursuing this career.
Gene Kelly’s film debut
On the contrary, he begins a Broadway starting her career with “Leave It To Me”.
In this show he plays the role of support dancer to Mary Martin, who in the meantime performs with “My Heart Belongs to Daddy”. It gets too early most important parts like the one in the Rodgers and Hart project “Pal Joey” where, thanks to the main role, he makes himself known nationally.
Debuts in world of cinema in 1942 with “For Me and My Gal” alongside Judy Garland, but gets more success with the next “Charm” where he has Rita Hayworth as his partner. Soon he also received the first awards such as the nomination in 1946 for best actor for the film “Two sailors and a girl” alongside Frank Sinatra.
The great success of Gene Kelly
The moment of greatest success comes for him in the 50s when he gets two parts that become part of the history of cinema. The actor is in fact chosen as the protagonist of “An American in Paris” And “Singing in the rain” respectively of 1951 and 1952. He is also co-director of the latter project alongside Stanley Donen, starting to take his first steps as a director.
The musical in the United States is a genre that has always been successful and that Gene Kelly has certainly managed to elevate. He did it both as an actor and then later as a director. However, Kelly does not only create musicals, he also makes films of other genres such as the western, which he remembers for example “Don’t tease the sleeping cowboys”.