Video: Gene Kelly Tribute on PBS’s “A Capitol Fourth”
For those who missed the Gene Kelly centennial tribute on PBS’s annual July 4 program, “A Capitol Fourth,” someone by the name of Awesome Artists Live has been gracious enough to upload it to YouTube. I thought I’d also include here some of the tweets from those who watched the program live (my favorites from @HerbCarmen and @buckle2). So many Gene Kelly fans around the country… @videosawyer: Is it weird to do a tribute to Gene Kelly with no dancing in it ? Yes....
Read MoreThe World’s His Stage: Gene Kelly at The National Media Museum (UK)
This entry is part 1 of 6 in the series Gene Kelly: National Media Museum.Whilst flicking through Twitter one evening, I spotted a tweet from @GeneKellyFans promoting a course at the National Media Museum in Bradford, UK. to celebrate the centenary of Gene Kelly’s birth. Long story short, I immediately cleared my Wednesday nights for the next seven weeks and signed up. I must confess to both a personal and academic interest here as I start a part-time PhD later this year, researching...
Read More100 Reasons to Celebrate Gene Kelly #14: Those Ballet Numbers
This entry is part 14 of 16 in the series 100 Reasons to Celebrate Gene Kelly.Another reason to celebrate Gene Kelly is those brilliant ballet/dream numbers that he conceived, choreographed, and ultimately put onscreen. See, for example, the dream sequence in the middle of The Pirate (1948) – yes, the one revealing Kelly’s legs in those short, tight black shorts. There’s also, of course, the lavish and expensive (it cost half a million dollars!) ballet at the close of An...
Read MoreGene and Frank: A Successful Partnership
In the 1940s, three musicals united two future legends of entertainment: Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra. Onscreen, their characters displayed opposite personalities, and offscreen, the stars’ careers were in very different moments. But without a doubt, this partnership represented a turning point for both Kelly and Sinatra, marking their rise to bigger stardom. In 1945, the two dress as sailors for the first time in Anchors Aweigh (right), co-starring with singer Kathryn Grayson and Jose...
Read MoreOn the Town at the Glasgow Film Festival
This entry is part 7 of 8 in the series Glasgow Film Festival.Thursday, 23 February, 11:00 – On the Town (1949) I could barely contain my excitement as I bounded up the stairs of the GFT this morning. After Singin’ in the Rain, this is the Gene Kelly film I have watched more than any other. In fact, in the days of Betamax video, I taped it one Easter and watched it until the tape wore out, literally. On the Town is the second greatest thing Gene Kelly ever did and it is, without question,...
Read More100 Reasons to Celebrate Gene Kelly #6: Opening of On the Town
This entry is part 6 of 16 in the series 100 Reasons to Celebrate Gene Kelly.http://vimeo.com/30155062 “Another reason to celebrate Gene Kelly is the opening number, “New York, New York,” from On The Town (1949). Pure brilliance.” — Jessica Submit your contribution to “100 Reasons to Celebrate Gene Kelly” Google+
Read MoreThe Basics: Did Gene Kelly Wear a Hairpiece?
This entry is part 15 of 16 in the series Gene Kelly: The Basics. To lift viewers’ spirits, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) devoted yesterday’s schedule (Sept. 11) to films that celebrate New York City. Among the pictures shown: 42nd Street (Lloyd Bacon, 1933) Guys and Dolls (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1955) The Clock (Vincente Minnelli, 1945) Annie Hall (Woody Allen, 1977) On the Town (Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, 1949) On the Town is not my favorite Gene Kelly musical, but I am still a...
Read More100 Reasons to Celebrate Gene Kelly #4: ‘Cause One Film Is All It Takes
This entry is part 4 of 16 in the series 100 Reasons to Celebrate Gene Kelly.I’m a Gene Kelly fan because of Singin’ in the Rain (1952), which I watched on January 1 of this year. Ever since, I knew that this man was worth my interest. As a result, I slowly began immersing myself in all things Gene Kelly. I ran up my iTunes bill renting out his films (mostly musicals) and was glued to the Turner Classic Movies schedule for any chance that a film of his would be on. I also began...
Read MoreFilm Series in Washington Square Park: On the Town
This will be of particular interest to our New York City readers: To celebrate the opening of the renovated Washington Square Park, the IFC Center and the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation are presenting three free outdoor screenings of New York-centric musicals there in September. On the Town is the first one on September 8th, followed by Hair on September 15th, and then the festival closes with Wild Style on September 22nd. This will be a great opportunity for New Yorkers to see...
Read MoreGene Kelly vs. Fred Astaire: A Fan Weighs In
This entry is part 7 of 13 in the series Essays / Analyses.Over the years, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly have been compared and contrasted endlessly. They were often featured together in retrospectives in film, television, and even in a commercial. I shouldn’t be surprised if they got a bit tired of seeing each other at some level! And yet such a practice on the part of the public is understandable: when it came to male cinematic dancing in the 1940s and ’50s, the two of them were...
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