August 23rd is the anniversary of the birth in 1912 of extraordinary American dancer (Eu)Gene Curran Kelly (wiki) (1912-1996) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Kelly worked his way through college as a dancer and teacher and joined a Broadway chorus line in 1938. Within two years, he had scored the dance lead in Pal Joey, and went on to Hollywood for his film debut in For Me and My Gal (1942).
Kelly served in the Navy during World War II but soon resumed his career after the conflict in such films as On the Town (1949), An American in Paris (1951), and Singin' in the Rain (1952) - each appearance marked by his spirited, athletic, and seemingly effortless dancing. Subsequently, he became a celebrated choreographer, played straight dramatic roles in such films as Inherit the Wind (1960), and directed the 1969 film version of Hello, Dolly!
His performance in the title song of Singin' in the Rain is perhaps his most memorable. Watch full screen!
And here's a top 10 Gene Kelly dance scene compilation (via @LandryST)
Related posts:
It's Fred Astaire's birthday - here are clips of some of his best dancing.
Happy Birthday, Rita Hayworth: here's an excellent compilation of her dancing, set to Stayin' Alive.
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