Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was the largest and most powerful studio in Hollywood when Gene Kelly arrived in town in 1941. He came direct from the hit 1940 original Broadway production of "Pal Joey" and planned to return to the Broadway stage after making the one film required by his contract. His first picture for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was For Me and My Gal (1942) with Judy Garland. What kept Kelly in Hollywood were "the kindred creative spirits" he found behind the scenes at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The talent pool was especially large during World War II, when Hollywood was a refuge for many musicians and others in the performing arts of Europe who were forced to flee the Nazis. After the war, a new generation was coming of age. Those who saw An American in Paris (1951) would try to make real life as romantic as the reel life they saw portrayed in that musical, and the first time they saw Paris, they were seeing again in memory the seventeen-minute ballet sequence set to the title song written by George Gershwin and choreographed by Kelly. The sequence cost a half million dollars (U.S.) to make in 1951 dollars. Another Kelly musical of the era, Singin' in the Rain (1952), was one of the first 25 films selected by the Library of Congress for its National Film Registry. Kelly was in the same league as Fred Astaire, but instead of a top hat and tails Kelly wore work clothes that went with his masculine, athletic dance style. Gene Kelly died at age 83 of complications from two strokes on February 2, 1996 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California.
Movie | Babylon | Self (Archival Footage) | 2022-12-22 |
Series | Joe Pera Talks With You | Gene Gibson | 2018-05-21 |
Movie | La La La | Various Roles (archive footage) | 2018-11-25 |
Movie | And the Oscar Goes To... | Self (archive footage) | 2014-02-01 |
Movie | Directing Dolly: Gene Kelly Remembered | Self (archive footage) | 2013-01-01 |
Series | Talking Pictures | Himself - Archive footage | 2013-01-05 |
Movie | The Awakening | Coroner Medical Examiner | 2005-11-01 |
Movie | Reunited at MGM: Astaire and Rogers Together Again | Self (archive footage) | 2005-08-16 |
Movie | Judy Garland: By Myself | Self - Actor (archive sound) | 2004-02-25 |
Movie | Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer | Self (archive footage) | 2002-09-24 |
Movie | Hollywood Musicals of the 40's | Self (archive footage) | 2000-09-01 |
Movie | A Bing Crosby Christmas | Self / Narrator (archive footage) | 1998-01-01 |
Movie | March in Windy City | Police Commander (uncredited) | 1998-05-03 |
Movie | The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies | Self | 1995-06-05 |
Movie | That's Entertainment! III | Self - Co-Host / Narrator | 1994-07-01 |
Movie | The Young Girls Turn 25 | Self (archive footage) | 1993-05-19 |
Movie | The Fugitive | US Marshall (uncredited) | 1993-08-06 |
Movie | Tom & Jerry's 50th Birthday Bash | Self | 1990-11-30 |
Movie | Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues | Self | 1988-01-02 |
Movie | James Stewart: A Wonderful Life | Self | 1988-11-22 |
Movie | Roger Rabbit and the Secrets of Toon Town | Self (archive footage) | 1988-07-14 |
Movie | The Movie Palaces | Self | 1987-06-25 |
Series | Sins | Eric Hovland | 1986-02-02 |
Movie | That's Dancing! | Self - Host | 1985-01-18 |
Series | North and South | Charles Edwards | 1985-11-03 |
Movie | James Bond: The First 21 Years | Self | 1983-05-27 |
Movie | The Marx Brothers in a Nutshell | Self - Narrator (voice) | 1982-01-02 |
Movie | Night of 100 Stars | Self | 1982-03-08 |
Movie | Reporters | Self | 1981-06-10 |
Movie | Lucy Moves to NBC | Self | 1980-02-08 |
Movie | Xanadu | Danny McGuire | 1980-08-08 |
Movie | Olivia Newton-John: Hollywood Nights | Self | 1980-04-13 |
Movie | Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years | Self | 1979-12-13 |
Series | The Kennedy Center Honors | Unknown | 1978-12-28 |
Movie | Mickey's 50 | Self | 1978-11-19 |
Movie | An Evening with Gene Kelly | Self | 1977-01-01 |
Movie | Viva Knievel! | Will Atkins | 1977-06-10 |
Movie | It's Showtime | Self (archive footage) | 1976-03-31 |
Movie | That's Entertainment, Part II | Self - Co-Host / Narrator | 1976-05-16 |
Series | The Muppet Show | 1976-09-05 | |
Movie | The Lion Roars Again | Self | 1975-01-01 |
Movie | That's Entertainment! | Self - Host / Narrator | 1974-06-21 |
Movie | The Sandy Duncan Special | Self | 1974-11-13 |
Movie | 40 Carats | Billy Boylan | 1973-06-28 |
Movie | The Men Who Made the Movies: Vincente Minnelli | Self (archive footage) | 1973-01-01 |
Series | The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts | Unknown | 1973-09-14 |
Movie | Frank Sinatra: Ol' Blue Eyes is Back | Singer, dancer (Guest Performer) | 1973-11-13 |
Movie | Hollywood: The Dream Factory | Self (archive footage) | 1972-01-10 |
Series | The Funny Side | Self - Host | 1971-09-12 |
Movie | Jack and the Beanstalk | Jeremy Keen, the Peddler | 1967-02-26 |
Movie | The Young Girls of Rochefort | Andy Miller | 1967-03-08 |
Movie | The Julie Andrews Show | Self | 1965-12-24 |
Movie | What a Way to Go! | Pinky Benson | 1964-10-12 |
Series | Going My Way | Father Chuck O'Malley | 1962-10-03 |
Movie | Hollywood: The Golden Years | Self - Host | 1961-01-01 |
Movie | Inherit the Wind | E.K. Hornbeck | 1960-07-07 |
Movie | Let's Make Love | Gene Kelly (uncredited) | 1960-09-08 |
Movie | Marjorie Morningstar | Noel Airman | 1958-04-24 |
Movie | The Happy Road | Michael J. Andrews | 1957-06-20 |
Movie | Les Girls | Barry Nichols | 1957-10-03 |
Movie | Invitation to the Dance | Host / Pierrot / The Marine / Sinbad | 1956-05-22 |
Movie | It's Always Fair Weather | Ted Riley | 1955-08-30 |
Movie | Deep in My Heart | Performer in Dancing Around | 1954-12-09 |
Movie | Seagulls Over Sorrento | Lieutenant Bradville | 1954-07-13 |
Movie | Brigadoon | Tommy Albright | 1954-09-08 |
Series | The Oscars | Unknown | 1953-03-19 |
Movie | Singin' in the Rain | Don Lockwood | 1952-04-09 |
Movie | Love Is Better Than Ever | Gene Kelly (uncredited) | 1952-02-23 |
Movie | The Devil Makes Three | Jeff Eliot | 1952-09-19 |
Series | Omnibus | Unknown | 1952-11-09 |
Movie | An American in Paris | Jerry Mulligan | 1951-09-26 |
Movie | It's a Big Country | Icarus Xenophon | 1951-11-20 |
Series | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | Unknown | 1951-10-05 |
Movie | Black Hand | Giovanni E. 'Johnny' Columbo | 1950-03-12 |
Movie | Summer Stock | Joe D. Ross | 1950-08-31 |
Movie | The Costume Designer | Self (archive footage) | 1950-07-13 |
Movie | Take Me Out to the Ball Game | Eddie O'Brien | 1949-03-09 |
Movie | On the Town | Gabey | 1949-12-08 |
Movie | The Pirate | Serafin | 1948-06-11 |
Series | The Ed Sullivan Show | Unknown | 1948-06-20 |
Movie | The Three Musketeers | D'Artagnan | 1948-10-19 |
Movie | Words and Music | Gene Kelly | 1948-12-31 |
Movie | Living in a Big Way | Leo Gogarty | 1947-06-10 |
Movie | Combat Fatigue Irritability | Seaman Bob Lucas | 1945-01-01 |
Movie | Ziegfeld Follies | Gentleman (segment The Babbit and the Bromide) | 1945-08-26 |
Movie | Anchors Aweigh | Joseph Brady | 1945-08-13 |
Movie | Twenty Years After | (archive footage) | 1944-01-01 |
Movie | Christmas Holiday | Robert Manette | 1944-07-31 |
Movie | Cover Girl | Danny McGuire | 1944-03-22 |
Movie | Pilot #5 | Vito S. Alessandro | 1943-06-24 |
Movie | Du Barry was a Lady | Alec Howe / Black Arrow | 1943-08-13 |
Movie | Thousands Cheer | Private Eddie Marsh | 1943-09-13 |
Movie | The Cross of Lorraine | Victor | 1943-11-12 |
Movie | For Me and My Gal | Harry Palmer | 1942-10-21 |