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• Gene Kelly was an American dancer, actor, singer, director, producer, and choreographer, who is known for his energetic and athletic dancing style in musical films. His first Broadway role, in November 1938, was as a dancer in Cole Porter's [[Leave It to Me!]] as the American ambassador's secretary who supports Mary Martin while she sings "My Heart Belongs to Daddy". His breakthrough stage role came as the lead in Rodgers and Hart's Pal Joey, which propelled him to stardom. He was consequently signed to his first motion picture in 1942: For Me and My Gal, with Judy Garland. He reigned as the lead Hollywood song and dance man with Fred Astaire until the wane of musical film in the late 1950s. He went on to a successful career on producing and directing. Kelly died in his sleep on February 2, 1996, in Beverly Hills, California, after suffering two strokes, at the age of 83.

• Fast Facts

  1. Full Name: Eugene Curran Kelly
  2. Birth Date: August 23, 1912
  3. Place of Birth: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  4. Studied economics, funding his education by working as a soda jerk and a brick layer
  5. Spouse(s)
  6. 1. Betsy Blair (1941-1957)
  7. 1. Jeanne Coyne (1960-1973)
  8. 1. Patricia Ward (1990-1996)
  9. Had a 103-degree fever when he danced to the title song in Singin' in the Rain
  10. Asked Fred Astaire to replace him in Easter Parade breaking his ankle playing touch football
  11. Awarded the [http: //www.nea.gov/honors/medals/index.html National Medal of Arts] by President Clinton in 1994, but was too sick to attend the ceremony
  12. Selected number 15 on the list of the Greatest Male Lead Actors by the American Film Institute in 1999
  13. Missed out on opportunities to star in the film versions of Guys and Dolls and Pal Joey (the role he originated on Broadway) because MGM refused to loan him out to other studios
  14. Quote: "I got started dancing because I knew it was one way to meet girls"
  15. Died: February 2, 1996

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Betsy Blair | Singin' in the Rain | Brigadoon | Fred Astaire | Judy Garland | Liza Minelli | Frank Sinatra | Stanley Donen | Donald O'Connor | Debbie Reynolds | Leslie Caron | Rita Hayworth | Cary Grant

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