AUGUST 23, 1912
His toe-tapping routines, silky-smooth vocals and gravity-defying acrobatics turned Gene Kelly into Hollywood royalty, forever recognised as the king of musicals.
But the actor’s legacy extends far beyond his now iconic roles, with his influence often cited as a turning point in the popularity of all-singing, all-dancing blockbusters, which took centre stage alongside more “serious” dramas after Kelly became a household name.
Born Eugene Curran Kelly 108 years ago this week, on August 23, 1912, the would-be star knew from a young age the power of rhythm and dance, and used his moves to get closer to girls in his early teens.
While receiving a lifetime achievement award in 1985, he recalled: “At 14 I discovered girls. At that time dancing was the only way you could put your arm around the girl. Dancing was courtship. Only later did I discover that you dance joy. You dance love. You dance dreams.”
It is perhaps ironic Kelly chose to reminisce about dancing with partners, for he was the actor The New York Times once dubbed, “best remembered as the guy who danced alone”.
When the charismatic dancer arrived in La La Land in the early-1940s, he followed in the footsteps of Fred Astaire, a Hollywood legend who expertly manoeuvred on the dance floor with endless beautiful starlets on his arm.
But, rather than follow Astaire’s well-trodden path, Kelly swapped the veteran performer’s top hat and tails for everyday costumes, such as sailor uniforms and trench coats, and ultimately transform choreography on screen for decades to come.
While his performances in films such as Living
In A Big Way (1947), The Pirate (1948) and Cover Girl (1944) paved the way for his new style of dance – more athletic and ballet-led than Astaire’s ballroom – the finest example of Kelly’s innovation are the routines featured in 1952 comedy classic Singin’ In The Rain.