Thank You, Gene Kelly, for Not Directing Cabaret
This entry is part 6 of 13 in the series Essays / Analyses.Last week I stumbled across several 1976 newspaper articles in which Gene Kelly discusses his return to movies. After the death of his (second) wife, Jeanne Coyne, Kelly turned down virtually any film project that would take him away from the couple’s two young children, Tim and Bridget. At this point, single fatherhood was his life. But with the blessing of his kids, he returned to the silver screen in the dramatic (not musical)...
Read MoreThe Basics: Did Gene Win Awards for His Work?
This entry is part 7 of 16 in the series Gene Kelly: The Basics.Oh, yes, Gene won plenty of awards. First, he was given an Honorary Academy Award “in appreciation of his versatility as an actor, singer, director and dancer, and specifically for his brilliant achievements in the art of choreography on film.” This was one of the seven awards given for An American in Paris (1951). Sadly, the Oscar was lost in a house fire in 1983, but it was replaced at the 1984 Academy Awards. In...
Read MoreThe Basics: Did Gene Kelly Direct Any Films?
This entry is part 4 of 16 in the series Gene Kelly: The Basics.The answer to this question is a resounding yes! Gene started flexing his directorial muscles in On the Town (1949). This film, which he co-directed with Stanley Donen, was particularly innovative because it was the first musical to shoot on location. Because of Gene’s (and Donen’s) persistence, New York City’s most famous sites (rather than the usual replicated studio sets) are featured in the film’s...
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