“You know you love me”
Gene Kelly winks knowingly at Barbara Laange in “The Happy Road” (1957)
Gene Kelly practicing the tightrope…
The “barrel roll” which Gene Kelly is doing here shows pronounced gymnastic element in his style. It reflects early dance training in Pittsburgh, where he grew up.
Kelly’s present style is very versatile, shows only influence of ballet and Spanish dancing on early hoofing. Kelly is heir to Fred Astaire’s title as top movie dancer.
Promotional pictures for “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” (1949) featuring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munchin and Esther Williams
Newspaper ads for Anchors Aweigh (1945) Gene Kelly & Frank Sinatra
Les Girls (1957)
Angelé (Taina Elg) lies to Barry (Gene Kelly) to keep him from firing the chronically inebriated Sybil (Kay Kendall)
Famous dancer Grover Dale talks working with Gene Kelly on “The Young Girls from Rochefort” (1967)
I’d like to ask the about Gene Kelly, whom you have also mentioned as an idol. This is one of his great last dancing roles, a big and good role. How much did you interact with him?
Definitely, he was a major idol of mine. Hey, we both discovered tap dancing in the hills of Pennsylvania. That doesn’t happen in every neck of the woods.
One day early in the shooting of Rochefort, we were filming in the town square and George noticed that Gene was watching us dance. What?! THE Gene Kelly has his eyes on us? I couldn’t believe it. But there he was, standing next to the camera, talking to Demy. As it turned out, Gene was telling Demy he wanted to stage a dancing scene with George and me.
Oh my god! In less than an hour, we were strutting next to a legend. The magic moment was interrupted by Demy, though, when he realized the three of us dancing together wouldn’t work with the storyline and would ruin the ending, which was already shot. But he managed to keep the new sequence in the movie by replacing George and me with two unnamed dancers.
George and I were crushed. But as I told George – who accused me of being a hopeless romantic – no one can ever take away from us the twenty minutes of dancing with Gene Kelly. And I stand by that.
Gene was everything you’d hope your idol to be: laid back, likeable, sweet, ambitious, and smart as a whip. I was too shy to tell him I hailed from Pittsburgh, as he did. On set, he was a class act. He spoke multiple languages and had an easygoing swagger about him. But he wasn’t showy or flirtatious. Unfortunately, though, his time in Rochefort was limited due to his upcoming project, Hello Dolly, which he was about to direct with Barbra Streisand for Twentieth Century-Fox.
Cover Girl (1944) - Gene Kelly & Rita Hayworth
mostlydaydreaming reblogged
Gene Kelly: Strenuous Work Sessions Form the Basis of Gene’s First Rate Routines
A pitcher warms up in a bullpen, Dancer Kelly warms up with taps
Special Kelly-invented exercises like this one, iron out all kinks
Ballet work and a sweat fellow. “Dancers sweat not perspire” Kelly says
Acrobatic steps (above) and combinations lead to high stepping on the right.
Daily three hours workouts, like the one pictured here, are all-important to any dancer. To Gene Kelly, fresh from his Navy stint, they are basic as breathing. Without these stringent practice sessions, Kelly the dancer, would be tied up in knots - literally. Conscience of this, Kelly works seriously, permits no visitors. “You perform when people are around, you can’t perform and practice,” he insists. As might be expected, his method is unorthodox. Clad in Navy pants, woolen socks, an old sweatshirt. Kelly begins, where others end - with taps. Ballet, semi-acrobatic exercises, combinations (ballet and tap) follow. Warmed up, Kelly takes to the air and another dazzling dance routine takes form.
Gene Kelly sitting down with famous Hollywood gossip columnist Louella Parsons on the set of “Anchors Aweigh” (1944)
A vaudeville hoofer becomes famous but unfortunately falls for a gangster’s “moll”… then promptly gets shown the door.
Gene Kelly & Cyd Charisse in “Singin’ in the Rain” (1952)
Gene Kelly & Phyllis Thaxter as “just friends” in Living in a Big Way (1947)
“There can be no love where there is suspicion…Jealousy!”
Gene Kelly, suspected as other man, between Franchot Tone and Marsha Hunt, in Pilot #5 (1943).
Gene Kelly enjoying a game of chess
“Tilde Getz can’t snare show stopping dancer Gene Kelly…”
Behind the scenes of Broadway’s Pal Joey (1940)
Anchors Aweigh (1945)
Joe (Gene Kelly) sings Clarance (Frank Sinatra) to sleep for a change…
mostlydaydreaming reblogged
Gene Kelly, Burt Lancaster, and John Garfield on the bench for Frank Sinatra’s team “Sinatra’s Swooners” September 17, 1948 at a celebrity charity softball game.
(from genekellylegacy)