MGM was the largest and most powerful studio in Hollywood in 1941 when Gene Kelly arrived in town. He came direct from the hit Broadway show "Pal Joey" and planned to return to the Broadway stage after making the one film called for in his movie contract. His first film for MGM was For Me and My Gal with Judy Garland. What kept Kelly in Hollywood were "the kindred creative spirits" he found behind the scenes at MGM. 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 would try to make real life as romantic as the reel life portrayed in that musical, and the first time they saw Paris, they were seeing again in memory the 17-minute ballet sequence set to the title song written by George Gershwin and choreographed by Kelly. The sequence cost half a million dollars to make--in 1951 dollars. Another Kelly musical of that era, Singin' in the Rain, was one of the first 25 films selected by the Library of Congress for its National Film Registry of movies that are part of the American heritage. Kelly was in the same league as Fred Astaire, but instead of a top hat and tails, Kelly wore work clothes that went with the masculine, athletic dance style he was creating with his "snappy paper-tearing, roller-skating, puddle-stomping footwork."
During World War Two he was a sailor stationed at the U S Naval Photographic Center in Anacostia, DC (where the documentary Victory at Sea was later assembled for NBC-TV). He starred in several Navy films while on active duty there; and in "civilian" films while on leave. Attended Peabody High School in Highland Park, PA. Ranked #26 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997] Inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 1992. He was awarded the National Medal of Freedom from Pres. Clinton in 1994. Kelly's father was Al Jolson's road manager in the 1920s. Brother of Fred Kelly. Had three children: Kerry, with Betsy Blair in 1940, and Bridget and Tim With Jeanne Coyne in the 1960s. Had a half-moon shaped scar on his left cheek caused by a bicycle accident he had as a young boy. Was "dance consultant" for Madonna's 1993 "Girlie Show" tour. Attended Penn State University before transferring to University of Pittsburgh, where he graduated. His first two wives were dancers. Actress Betsy Blair met Gene while she was a performer and he a choreographer in the show "Diamond Horseshoe." Second wife Jeanne Coyne was Gene's dancing assistant for many years before they married in 1960. A major talent in her own right, her dazzling footwork can be seen in the "From This Moment On" number alongside partner Bobby Van, and Ann Miller, Tommy Rall, Carol Haney and Bob Fosse in the musical Kiss Me Kate (1953). She died of leukemia in 1973. He and his younger brother Fred Kelly appeared together in a dancing vaudeville act. When Gene got his big break as Harry the hoofer in the dramatic Broadway production of "The Time of Your Life" in 1942, he was eventually replaced by brother Fred, who took it on the road and won a Donaldson award for his efforts. Working on an autobiography at the time of his death. Graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in economics. Kennedy Center Honoree, 1982 Singin' in the Rain was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 2001 (2000 season) for Outstanding Musical Production with choreography from Gene Kelly. Martial arts stars Jackie Chan and David Carradine both cite him as an influence. Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton in 1994. Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume Two, 1945-1985". Pages 510-515. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1988. He was voted the 42nd Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly. Was named the #15 greatest actor on The 50 Greatest Screen Legends list by the American Film Institute Is one of the many movie stars mentioned in Madonna's song "Vogue" Biography in: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 309-312. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1959 Ray Bradbury's novel "Something Wicked This Way Comes" was dedicated to him. He was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts in 1994 by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington D.C.