Alina Posted August 30, 2003 Share Posted August 30, 2003 Yes it does. Also, wonderful stories of their life together and friendship in later years. Link to comment
dirac Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 Funny Face, I actually thought Kelly was good in MM, considering he was, IMO, miscast (and too old). It's not ethnicity so much as type. I understand both Kelly and Minnelli wanted very much to do Brigadoon on location, but the studio said no. Link to comment
Estelle Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 I saw "The Pirate" yesterday: wow!! :hyper: The plot is completely silly, but it was so funny to watch, and those crazy costumes (ah, Judy Garland's hats, Gene Kelly's purple belt and cloak... ) And did he have nice legs! Link to comment
canbelto Posted May 3, 2004 Share Posted May 3, 2004 Kelly was also a good comedian, in a kind of snarky, understated way. Singin' In the Rain gets much of its appeal from Kelly's famous "Dignity, always dignity" monologue. Marilyn Monroe also had this quality -- she could be funny and seem like she wasnt trying to be funny. Link to comment
Giannina Posted May 12, 2004 Share Posted May 12, 2004 When released, "The Pirate" was one of my favorite Gene Kelly movies. I've recently seen it again and tho it pales in time it still has wonderful stuff in it. And I can hum most of the score. Mack the Black!! Giannina Link to comment
dirac Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 I saw "An American in Paris" again recently. I was too hard on it, I think. It's lovely to look at and has a lot of charm, and the dream ballet holds up well by dream ballet standards. Link to comment
ballet_n00b Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 My favourite Gene Kelly film is Cover Girl (also my favourite Rita Hayworth film). It gets pretty sentimental at times but I love it anyway. I'm not a huge fan of "An American in Paris", only thing I really liked was that line that Oscar Levant delivered: "I'm a concert pianist. That's a pretentious way of saying I'm unemployed at the moment." Pretty much sums it up. Link to comment
dirac Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 I like "Cover Girl," too. Hayworth looks luscious even by Hayworth standards and the Kern/I. Gershwin score is lovely. It was Kelly's real breakout picture, and not even at his home studio.... Link to comment
sandik Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 Singing in the Rain. The "Moses Supposes" number. Link to comment
ABT Fan Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 Singing in the Rain. The "Moses Supposes" number. That's my all-time favorite! The rhythms and personality make me smile every time. If I'm watching "Singing" on video, sometimes I'll rewind it after the Moses number to watch it again (and again!). Link to comment
sidwich Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 Singing in the Rain. The "Moses Supposes" number. "Moses Supposes" is my favorite number from "Singin' in the Rain," too. It deliriously silly and brilliant at the same time. About Kelly and Garland, MGM tried to pair them more often as a team since the chemistry and rapport are clearly there, but circumstances (usually, Garland's) got in the way. Most famously, "Easter Parade" was supposed to be a major vehicle for them, but for once, it was Kelly who couldn't do it (I think he broke an ankle). Astaire came out of his first retirement to do it and you can see that the part of the meanie is not really a fit for Astaire's onscreen persona. I still adore the movie just for seeing Astaire and Garland together onscreen. Link to comment
dirac Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 Garland and Kelly are the great musical team that never quite happened. Kelly tended to overpower his leading ladies, but he often defers to Garland (because she was the bigger star and out of respect for her great gifts) in a way that makes him especially appealing - he performs with her. (The exception is "The Pirate" where Garland was in poor health and and Kelly's performance is Gene Unchained.) Kelly did break an ankle at home, thus losing the role and bringing Astaire out of retirement, which can't have made Kelly happy in any respect. As noted earlier, Kelly often played roles with an element of "heel" in them - he wasn't Pal Joey for nothing. Also true in his straight roles ("Christmas Holiday," etc.) I agree, sidwich, that it's nice to see Astaire and Garland together. I have every respect for Charles Walters but I don't think much of "Easter Parade," though. Fortunately when it comes on I know how to time it so I can tune in for "A Couple of Swells." Link to comment
ascballerina Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 Singing in the Rain. The "Moses Supposes" number. I like all of Singin' in the Rain, but yes, Moses Supposes is one of the best moments in there. I also liked Hello, Dolly!, which he directed. Fortunately when it comes on I know how to time it so I can tune in for "A Couple of Swells." My mother has seen that scene so many times she knows all the choreography and where it goes in the song Link to comment
dirac Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Kelly's widow, Patricia Ward Kelly, takes her show on the road. His dream was to become a shortstop for his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates. Instead he became a classically trained ballet dancer, and studied modern dance with Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey. A trained acrobat and gymnast, he could even walk a tightrope She's been promising a book for years. I wonder if it'll ever see the light of day. Link to comment
lmspear Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Kelly's first wife, Betsey Blair, wrote a memoir several years ago that covers the journey from Broadway to Hollywood through their divorce in the late 1950's. Link to comment
miliosr Posted August 9, 2014 Share Posted August 9, 2014 Gene Kelly at the Paris Opera Ballet in 1960: http://life.time.com/culture/gene-kelly-rare=photos-of-a-song-and-dance-legend/#1 (You have to type in 'Gene Kelly 1960' in the Search box and 'Gene Kelly: Rare Photos of a Song and Dance Legend' will be a choice.) Claude Bessy was at Nicolas Le Riche's farewell! Link to comment
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