Actor, producer, director, choreographer, and one of the best dancers ever to tap, slide or leap his way across the silver screen. Did you know his acting wasn't bad either?  In 1945, he received a Best Actor nomination for his performance in ANCHORS AWEIGH.  And though better known for his dancing than his singing, Kelly nevertheless outdistanced all other male movie vocalists in the American Film Institute's 2004 poll of the 100 Greatest Movie Songs, singing five of the list's top 100.  Truly a prolific Hollywood talent.

After success on Broadway in "Pal Joey," Kelly made his screen debut for MGM alongside Judy Garland and George Murphy in FOR ME AND MY GAL (1942).

"For Me and My Gal" (clip) sung with Judy Garland (a .MP3 file courtesy Rhino Records).

(For help opening the above file, visit the plug-ins page.)

More Gene Kelly Music Clips:

"Long Ago and Far Away" (clip) from COVER GIRL (1944) sung with Rita Hayworth (a .MP3 file).
"Make Way for Tomorrow" (clip) from COVER GIRL (1944) sung with Phil Silvers and Rita Hayworth (a .MP3 file).
"I Begged Her" (clip) from ANCHORS AWEIGH (1945) sung with Frank Sinatra (a .MP3 file courtesy Rhino Records).
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" (clip) from TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME (1949) sung with Frank Sinatra (a .MP3 file).

(For help opening the above files, visit the plug-ins page.)

In MGM's 1946 all-star musical extravaganza, ZIEGFELD FOLLIES, Gene teamed up with Fred Astaire for a routine by George and Ira Gershwin called "The Babbitt and the Bromide" which was one of the highlights of the film, also featuring William Powell, Lena Horne, Judy Garland, Lucille Ball, Fanny Brice, Red Skelton, Cyd Charisse, Edward Arnold, and Esther Williams.  With the exception of a brief partnership while hosting the anthology THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT, PART II (1974), "Bromide" marked the only time Fred and Gene danced together on film. When asked which of his many co-stars was his favorite dance partner, Astaire and Kelly both always cited each other, referring to this number.(*1)

"The Babbitt and the Bromide" sung with Fred Astaire (a .MP3 file courtesy Rhino).

Kelly with another famous Hollywood dance sensation, Vera-Ellen, in ON THE TOWN (1949), a film Kelly co-directed with Stanley Donen.

Multimedia Clips from ON THE TOWN:

"Main Street" with Vera-Ellen  (a .AVI file courtesy MGM).
"Main Street" (clip) (a .MP3 file courtesy Rhino Records).
"New York, New York" (clip) sung with Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin (a .MP3 file courtesy Rhino Records).

(For help opening the above files, visit the plug-ins page.)

Memorable Quotations:

• "This happens all the time.  Every once in a while he gets illusions.  He thinks he's got muscles." --as Eddie O'Brien in TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME (1949).
• "That's . . . quite a dress you almost have on." --as Jerry Mulligan in AN AMERICAN IN PARIS.
• "Brother, if you can't paint in Paris, you'd better give up and marry the boss's daughter." --as Jerry Mulligan in AN AMERICAN IN PARIS.
• "Discouragement stimulates me." --as Jerry Mulligan in AN AMERICAN IN PARIS.
• "With a binding like you've got, people are going to want to know what's in the book." --as Jerry Mulligan in AN AMERICAN IN PARIS.
• "The more formal a party is, the less you have to wear." --as Jerry Mulligan in AN AMERICAN IN PARIS.
• "Civilization has a natural resistance to improving itself." --as Jerry Mulligan in AN AMERICAN IN PARIS.
• "Back home everyone said I didn't have any talent. They might be saying the same thing over here but it sounds better in French." --as Jerry Mulligan in AN AMERICAN IN PARIS.

Footnotes:

1. Taylor, John Russell.  "Astaire."  Films and Filming (August 1987): 21.

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