Gene Kelly Tribute

INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT GENE...
» Gene was working on his autobiography at the time of his death. He died of complications from multiple strokes.
» Gene had three children...Kerry, Briget and Timothy.
» Gene was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994 by President Clinton.
» Gene's father was Al Jolson's road manager in the 1920's.
» During World War Two, Gene Kelly was a sailor stationed at the U.S. Naval Photographic Center in Anacostia, Washington, D.C. He starred in several Navy films while on active duty there; and in "civilian" films while on leave.
» Martial arts stars Jackie Chan and David Carradine both cite Gene was a personal influence.
» Gene was placed on the list of the Greatest Male Lead Actors by the American Film Institute, on June 16, 1999, coming in at number 15.
» Gene was originally the lead in Easter Parade (1948) but he broke his ankle playing touch football - which brought Fred Astaire out of retirement to play the role of Don Hewes.
» Gene was hired as a dance consultant by Madonna on her 1993 "Girlie Show" tour.
» Gene only appeared on-screen once with his competitor/fellow dance great Fred Astaire twice...in Ziegfeld Follies and That's Entertainment Part 2.
» Gene has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame at 6161 Hollywood Boulevard.
» The scar on Gene's left cheek was from an childhood tricycle accident.
» Gene was nominated in 1946 for Best Actor Oscar for Anchors Aweigh (1945). He appeared in one of the first combination live-action/animated sequences in this movie in a scene where he danced with Jerry (from Tom & Jerry). Originally the producers wanted him to dance with Mickey Mouse, but Walt Disney refused to have him featured in an MGM film.
» Gene filmed his famous rain-dancing sequence in Singin' In The Rain (1952) while sick with a 103-degree fever.
A great dance scene from Du Barry Was a Lady in which Gene starred with Lucille Ball and Red Skeleton.
This film was originally a Broadway musical from 1939, and was made into a movie in 1943. (Some trivia about Lucille Ball - the stylist on this film dyed Lucy's hair red for a scene...thus began her trademark look!
Clip from Anchors Aweigh in which he starred with Frank Sinatra. (This 1945 film was the first movie Gene and Frank worked together on. Take Me Out to the Ballgame and On the Town would both follow in 1949. They would not work together again until 1974 when That's Entertainment was released.)
Clip from Ziegfeld Follies in which he starred with Fred Astaire. (This 1946 movie featured an all-star cast including Lucille Ball, Esther Williams, Red Skeleton and Lena Horne just to name a few.)
From Summer Stock ,released in 1950, in which he starred with Judy Garland. (This was Judy's last movie with MGM Studios and the last time she and Gene would star together in any movie.)
From An American in Paris in which he starred with Leslie Caron. (This 1951 movie features an 18-minute ballet scene which cost over half a million dollars to film.)