Since he was a child Stanley Donen attended dance classes and debuted on Broadway at age 17. With the help of the producer Arthur Freed and the actor Gene Kelly he got the chance to direct the musicals On the Town, Singin' in the Rain and Love Is Better Than Ever which revolutionized the genre. Another important work of his own was the musical version of the book of 'Antoine De Saint-Exupery' 's _The Little Prince (1974)_ . As producer he turned to the genre of comedy, with Surprise Package, but he also produced some films of other genres.


Father of Peter Donen, Joshua Donen and Mark Donen. Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume Two, 1945-1985." Pages 273-282. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1988. Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1969 and 1984. Profiled in "American Classic Screen Interviews" (Scarecrow Press). [2010]