|
Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZKELLY, Gene(b 23 Aug. '12, Pittsburgh PA; d 2 Feb. '96) Dancer, actor, singer, choreographer, later film director. Like Fred Astaire, he was underrated as a (soft- voiced) singer because of his excellent dancing. On Broadway in Leave It To Me '38, One For The Money '39, starred in Pal Joey '41; first film For Me And My Gal '42 with Judy Garland. More than 30 films, mostly musicals, incl. Cover Girl '44 (songs by Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin), Anchors Aweigh '45 (with Frank Sinatra), On The Town '49 (film version of Leonard Bernstein show, with Sinatra), Summer Stock '50 (with Garland), then two of the best musical films ever made: An American In Paris '51 (written by Alan Jay Lerner, music by the Gershwins), Singin' In The Rain '52 (with contributions from Adolph Green, Betty Comden, Lennie Hayton, Nacio Herb Brown), topped off with Brigadoon '54 (music by Lerner and Loewe) and It's Always Fair Weather dc10 '55. Director Stanley Donen was also a choreograp- her dc0 and had started as a chorus boy in Pal Joey; he was co-director with Kelly on On The Town, Singin' In The Rain and Fair Weather: together they put the capstone on an era. Kelly was sole director and choreographer of the ambitious Invitation To The Dance '56, a musical with no dialogue; it won a prize in Berlin but was considered a failure. Good straight actor in Marjorie Morningstar '58 (did the best he could in a dreadful film), Inherit The Wind '60. Soundtrack albums are in and out of print. |