Known for Acting
Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style, his good looks, and the likable characters that he played on screen. He starred in, choreographed, or co-directed some of the most well-regarded musical films of the 1940s and 1950s, until they fell out of fashion in the late 1950s. Kelly is best known today for his performances in films such as Cover Girl (1944), Anchors Aweigh (1945), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, On the Town (1949), which was his directorial debut, An American in Paris (1951), Singin' in the Rain (1952), Brigadoon (1954), and It's Always Fair Weather (1955). Kelly made his film debut with Judy Garland in For Me and My Gal (1942), and followed by Du Barry Was a Lady (1943), Thousands Cheer (1943), The Pirate (1948), Summer Stock (1950), and Les Girls (1957) among others. After musicals he starred in two films outside the musical genre: Inherit the Wind (1960) and What a Way to Go! (1964). In 1967, he appeared in French director Jacques Demy's musical comedy The Young Girls of Rochefort opposite Catherine Deneuve. Kelly solo directed the comedy A Guide for the Married Man (1967) starring Walter Matthau, and later the extravagant musical Hello, Dolly! (1969) starring Barbra Streisand, recognized with an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Kelly co-hosted and appeared in Ziegfeld Follies (1946), That's Entertainment! (1974), That's Entertainment, Part II (1976), That's Dancing! (1985), and That's Entertainment, Part III (1994). His many innovations transformed the Hollywood musical, and he is credited with almost single-handedly making the ballet form commercially acceptable to film audiences. Kelly received an Academy Honorary Award in 1952 for his career achievements; the same year, An American in Paris won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. He later received lifetime achievement awards in the Kennedy Center Honors (1982) and from the Screen Actors Guild and American Film Institute. In 1999, the American Film Institute also ranked him as the 15th greatest male screen legend of Classic Hollywood Cinema.
Born
August 23, 1912
Died
February 2, 1996 (age 83)
Birthplace
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Filmography
138 films, 32 shows


That's Entertainment, Part II
1976 · 2h 13m
country: United States
Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire present more golden moments from the MGM film library, this time including comedy and drama as well as classic musical numbers.


The Cheyenne Social Club
1970 · 1h 43m
country: United States
Cowboy John O'Hanlan is surprised to learn that someone's left him a business in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He sets out to claim it, only to discover it's a brothel.


Hello, Dolly!
1969 · 2h 28m
country: United States
Dolly Levi is a strong-willed matchmaker who travels to Yonkers, New York in order to see the miserly "well-known unmarried half-a-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder. In doing so, she convinces his niece, his niece's intended, and Horace's two clerks to travel to New York City.


A Guide for the Married Man
1967 · 1h 29m
country: United States
A man gives his friend a series of lessons on how to cheat on one's wife without being caught.


Jack and the Beanstalk
1967 · 52m
country: United States
A delightful retelling of the classic fairytale by Hanna-Barbera, using live action and animation.


American in Paris
1964 · 30m
country: United States
The owner of a travel agency in Paris tries to help fellow Americans in trouble.


Gigot
1962 · 1h 44m
country: United States
A poignant comedy about a mute who befriends Nicole, the little daughter of a prostitute. Gleason shows his considerable talents as an actor without uttering a sound as he plays the bumbling, kind-hearted janitor, Gigot. Gleason wrote the original story and music for this film.


Dancing, a Man's Game - Gene Kelly
1958 · 55m
country: Unknown
In 1958, NBC's OMNIBUS, the Golden Age of Television’s most distinguished series, commissioned Gene Kelly’s first television special. Written, choreographed, co-directed and starring the Hollywood legend, DANCING, A MAN’S GAME enlisted some of the top names in sports to illustrate Kelly’s message about the masculine grace of dance.


The Tunnel of Love
1958 · 1h 38m
country: United States
A series of misunderstandings leaves a married man believing he has impregnated the owner of an adoption agency, and that she will be his and his wife's surrogate.


The Happy Road
1957 · 1h 40m
country: France
Two children run away from a Swiss boarding school and set out for Paris, with their frantic parents in hot pursuit.


Invitation to the Dance
1956 · 1h 33m
country: United States
Three completely different stories are told through dance.


It's Always Fair Weather
1955 · 1h 42m
country: United States
Three World War II buddies promise to meet at a specified place and time 10 years after the war. They keep their word only to discover how far apart they've grown. But the reunion sparks memories of youthful dreams that haven't been fulfilled -- and slowly, the three men reevaluate their lives and try to find a way to renew their friendship.


Singin' in the Rain
1952 · 1h 43m
country: United States
In 1927 Hollywood, a silent film star falls for a chorus girl just as he and his paranoid screen partner struggle to make the difficult transition to talking pictures.


On the Town
1949 · 1h 38m
country: United States
Three sailors wreak havoc as they search for love during a whirlwind 24-hour leave in New York City.


Combat Fatigue Irritability
1945 · 36m
country: United States
A WWII military training film in which a Navy officer is being treated for combat fatigue after his ship was torpedoed and sunk. The narrative explores the way his combat fatigue has affected him and proper treatment to help him recover.