Gene Kelly

1940's

Works

Approach/style

Influences

Dance reflects character and helps to progress narrative. Tap - down to earth; ballet/modern - soulful expression.

Incorporated set within choreo: umbrella, curb and rain in SITR; beds in 'AW'

Use of camera: near and far to single camera - energy; animation: dancing with Jerry Mouse in 'AW'

Broad range of music; irish jig and Spanish Tucano in Anchors Aweigh; interpret lyrics within choreo

His impact on jazz was his individual. energetic dance style that combined athletic, gymnastic qualities with ballet, jazz and tap. Strong, masculine dynamics and big movements. Constantly changing facing.

Early 1940's he began making his mark as a dancer, choreographer, director and film maker in Hollywood musicals

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Mother

Ballet

Athletic childhood

Bernice Holmes

Father was Canadian-born, loved sport, especially ice hockey

At 15 Kelly played with a semi-professional ice hockey team. Also played football, baseball, volleyball, basketball, boxing and participated in gymnastics

Loved theatre

sent him and siblings to dance and music lessons

Kelly played violin and banjo - link SITR 'Fit as a Fiddle'

believed hard work and education leads to success

siblings performed vaudeville acts throughout childhood 'The Five Kellys' Fred and Gene created a duo-gag, song and dance numbers, magic. Played up to 4 shows per night.

bought out dance tacher Lou Bolton to own dance school in 1931. Kelly taught there, 1932 renaiming it 'Gene Kelly School of Dance' and took over management. Over 150 studs participated in the annual shows - link Kelly often dancing with chilldren

The deliberately masculine bravura style Kelly cultivated for dance - can be traced to his ballet training. 'Berenice Holmes was really reamarkable,', 'Because she had been with Bolm, she knew how a man could dance. she could do double tours en l'air better than a man'

A Diaghilev dancer, Alexander Kotchetovsky, helped round out Mr.Kelly's ballet education in the 1930's

with whom he studied ballet for several summers in Chicago in the 1930's; had danced with Adolph Bolm's companies i the US. Bolm epitomized the kind of virile кацапського male ballet dancer Diaghilev had unleashed upon Paris in 1909

Kelly was also the first American-born choreographer to create a ballet for the Paris Opera Ballet, 'Pas de Dieux'; Kelly attempted to popularise ballet in the 1950's

others

worked with Berkeley in For Me and My Gal (1942) and learned about camera. Beautiful Girl from SITR

inspired by other films: Singin’ in the Rain’s Beautiful Girl is Berkeley inspired and the coin tossing gangster in the Broadway Ballet scene was inspired by the film Scarface

Robert Alton; Alton was a dancer/choreographer on Broadway and Hollywood. He broke up the chorus line into solo and small group dances on Broadway

John Murray Anderson: was a theatre director/actor/songwriter; gave Kelly his first experience of dialogue; Kelly played the lead in One for the Money (1938); Kelly was inspired by his timing, portrayal of moods through lighting, his character insights and seamless transitions

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discovered Kelly in Pittsburgh, gave him a small role in 'Leave it to Me' (1938) on Broadway and later in Pal Joey (1940) - Kelly's big break

Early life

Kelly and siblings took dance classes from 8 yrs old; ridiculed by neighbours, quit, restarted age 15; influence masculine style

1933 degree in Economics; became director of 'Cap and Gown Club' - put on musicals

Mother - stage actress; taught children about entertainment industry

Born 1912; Working class Irish-Catholic family; one of five children; influence characters

career in NY

1st dialogue job in John Murray Anderson's 'One for the Money' - INFLUENCE

1939 choreographed for Ssummerstock Comp. Taught to act. Emcee'd a revue show by Betty Comden and Adolph Green (lyricist and book writer); link 'On the Town', 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game', 'SITR'

1st Broadway show 1938 'Leave it to Me' choreogaphed by Alton - INFLUENCE

1st Broadway choreography job 'Diamond Horseshoe'

1938 Kelly went to NY to choreograph and perform

1940 Pal Joey. Lead role. Harder edged characters and situations

developed MT genre. starred Stanley Donen as a dancer. Arthur Freed (hollwd producer) persuaded Louis B. Mayor to see Kelly. Offered MGM contract

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