Gene Kelly was one of the legends of classic Hollywood movies. He was one of the rare talents present in this Hollywood Industry. The legend kelly was good at every sector he pursued, whether it was Choreography, acting, dancing, or filmmaking.

Moreover, the legendary actor provided many hit movies during his time. He is famous for performing the role of Jerry Mulligan in the movie” An American in Paris.” It is a musical comedy film that was released in 1951. The Film successfully won six Emmy Awards through the magic of Kelly.

He had contributed so much to this Hollywood Industry, bringing a new taste in Film and changing Hollywood movies forever. One example of his masterpiece is On the Town mixing the dancing and music that blended perfectly. Moreover, it ranked nineteen on the American Film Institute’s list of Best Musicals.

The legendary gene kelly
The legendary gene kelly
Source: TCM

He will inspire the upcoming generation to change the path of cinema, bringing up something more creative. Furthermore, he is the man who took a big step by dealing with the awkward transition in Hollywood from silent pictures to sound pictures.

In addition, the legendary filmmaker is no more in this world, but his contribution to the Hollywood industry is unforgettable. You can learn about the mastermind of musical cinema’s personal life, professional life, and many more.

The Professional Career of Gene Kelly

Gene Kelly was a hardworking and talented actor. Kelly was a perfect dancer from a young age and started his career as a dancer. The actor worked in the dance studio of his family, which they renamed Gene Kelly Dance Studio, working in the role of a successful Choreographer for many years.

The dance legend Gene Kelly
The dance legend Gene Kelly
Source: The Rake

Later on, the famous filmmaker wanted to pursue a career away from his hometown, so he grabbed his bags, moved to New York in search of work for Choreography, and moved back to Pittsburgh after countless searches for work in Newyork. He worked in the position of Choreographer for several years.

The Film Career of An American In Paris Actor

Gene Kelly made his breakthrough from the lead role in Rodgers and Hart’s Pal Joey, being recognized for his works.

Moreover, the invitation from Hollywood began to arrive but eventually, he signed a contract with David O. Selznick when the commitment to Pal Joey was over in October 1941. Also, read about Jenifer Ackerman and her married life.

Later, David O. Selznick sold half of the contracts to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer(MGM) for his first debut movie, For My Girl and Me. He performed the role of Harry Palmer with co-star Judy Garland, but unfortunately, it was a flop, and Kelly felt terrible about it.

The Movie Scene of Gene Kelly
The Movie Scene of Gene Kelly
Source: Medium

From 1942 to 1943, he performed in many movies which did decent work but were not a massive success that could turn his career. But when MGM lent Kelly to work with Rita Hayworth, his career made a turnover gaining enormous success. The movie was Cover Girl, released in 1944.

No barrier could stop the American actor. The critics, Manny Faber, couldn’t stop praising him or his outstanding works. Later on, he played the role of Joseph Brady in the movie Anchor Aweigh showcasing his unique dance moves with acting making it the most successful Film of 1945.

Furthermore, the performer did countless movies giving his fans his athletic style of dancing, combined with classical ballet techniques in Film. Some of the movies are Living in the Big Way(1947), The pirate(1948), Word and Music(1948), and many more.

How did Gene Kelly change the Hollywood Movie Style?

The legendary filmmaker did one thing perfectly during his Hollywood Journey. He would create the mood and develop the movie’s character from dance. The actor did everything to achieve one thing: the blend of dance with the Film and the critical person to making Ballet acceptable in the films.

Moreover, he created the masterpiece Singin’ in the Rain with Stanley Donen. It was quite a different approach because he was working behind the camera directing and Choreographing. The Musical romantic Comedy film and critics say one of the greatest musical films ever made.

Singin' in the Rain Movie of Gene Kelly
Singin’ in the Rain Movie by Gene Kelly
Source: IMDb

His other movie, An American in Paris, is one of the collections of the Golden era of Musical threatre. It was released in 1951, playing the role of Jerry Mulligan. The United States Library of Congress in the National Film Registry selected it for preservation due to its cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance.

The golden era of musical threatre is the 1940s to 1950s, and Gene Kelly is one of the contributors to his golden age. He contributed to the musical Film golden era behind the camera and in front of the camera facing many ups and downs from the start of his career.

Did Gene Kelly Have a Wife?

Diving deep into the relatioship status of the On the Way Star, he was not single and a married man. The actor had not an ever-lasting bond with a single lady. Moreover, the pair may have conflicts, but Kelly married three times.

The first wife of Gene Kelly was Betsy Bair. The love birds tied their knot in 1941. They shared their married life for ten years and had a daughter Kerry Kelly. Their separation is still unknown, but they divorced in 1957 by divorcing each other.

The American actor married Jeanne Coyne after three years of his divorce. She was working with Kelly in the position of Choreographic Assistant. The love birds shared two children, Timothy and Bridget, but unfortunately, Gene faced her wife passing away in 1973.

Furthermore, The famous Film maker tied the knot with Patrica Ward in 1990. They had no problem with the age gap between them. It was sad that she only got a short period to spend time together because her husband faced death due to a heart stroke in 1996.

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