Acting
Gene Kelly
Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style, his good looks, and the likable characters that he played on screen. He starred in, choreographed, or co-directed some of the most well-regarded musical films of the 1940s and 1950s, until they fell out of fashion in the late 1950s. Kelly is best known today for his performances in films such as Cover Girl (1944), Anchors Aweigh (1945), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, On the Town (1949), which was his directorial debut, An American in Paris (1951), Singin' in the Rain (1952), Brigadoon (1954), and It's Always Fair Weather (1955). Kelly made his film debut with Judy Garland in For Me and My Gal (1942), and followed by Du Barry Was a Lady (1943), Thousands Cheer (1943), The Pirate (1948), Summer Stock (1950), and Les Girls (1957) among others. After musicals he starred in two films outside the musical genre: Inherit the Wind (1960) and What a Way to Go! (1964). In 1967, he appeared in French director Jacques Demy's musical comedy The Young Girls of Rochefort opposite Catherine Deneuve. Kelly solo directed the comedy A Guide for the Married Man (1967) starring Walter Matthau, and later the extravagant musical Hello, Dolly! (1969) starring Barbra Streisand, recognized with an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Kelly co-hosted and appeared in Ziegfeld Follies (1946), That's Entertainment! (1974), That's Entertainment, Part II (1976), That's Dancing! (1985), and That's Entertainment, Part III (1994). His many innovations transformed the Hollywood musical, and he is credited with almost single-handedly making the ballet form commercially acceptable to film audiences. Kelly received an Academy Honorary Award in 1952 for his career achievements; the same year, An American in Paris won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. He later received lifetime achievement awards in the Kennedy Center Honors (1982) and from the Screen Actors Guild and American Film Institute. In 1999, the American Film Institute also ranked him as the 15th greatest male screen legend of Classic Hollywood Cinema.
Filmography
Gene Kelly: An American in Hollywood
Film · 2025
True Blue
Film · 2024
Il était une fois Champs-Élysées
Series · 2022
Sid & Judy
Film · 2019
La La La
Film · 2018
JFK: The Lost Inaugural Gala
Film · 2017
Directing Dolly: Gene Kelly Remembered
Film · 2013
Talking Pictures
Series · 2013
Frank Sinatra: Around the World
Film · 2011
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1940s: Stars, Stripes and Singing
Film · 2009
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1950s: The Golden Era of the Musical
Film · 2009
Happy Again
Film · 2006
Summer Stock: Get Happy!
Film · 2006
Easter Parade: On the Avenue
Film · 2005
Get Aboard! 'The Band Wagon'
Film · 2005
Reunited at MGM: Astaire and Rogers Together Again
Film · 2005
Judy Garland: By Myself
Film · 2004
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs: America's Greatest Music in the Movies
Film · 2004
Cole Porter in Hollywood: Ça c'est l'amour
Film · 2003
Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer
Film · 2002
Hollywood Musicals of the 40's
Film · 2000
A Bing Crosby Christmas
Film · 1998
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
Film · 1995
That's Entertainment! III
Film · 1994
The Young Girls Turn 25
Film · 1993
You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story
Film · 1990
Tom & Jerry's 50th Birthday Bash
Film · 1990
Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues
Film · 1988
Roger Rabbit and the Secrets of Toon Town
Film · 1988
The Movie Palaces
Film · 1987
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Film · 1987
The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
Film · 1986
Sins
Series · 1986
That's Dancing!
Film · 1985
North and South
Series · 1985
Olympic Gala
Film · 1984
James Bond: The First 21 Years
Film · 1983
Showbiz Goes to War
Film · 1982
The Marx Brothers in a Nutshell
Film · 1982
Sylvie Vartan: Live in Las Vegas
Film · 1982
Night of 100 Stars
Film · 1982
Champs-Elysées
Series · 1982
Reporters
Film · 1981
Xanadu
Film · 1980
Olivia Newton-John: Hollywood Nights
Film · 1980
Lucy Moves to NBC
Film · 1980
Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years
Film · 1979
The Carpenters: A Christmas Portrait
Film · 1978
Ersatz
Film · 1978
Mickey's 50
Film · 1978
Cinderella at the Palace
Film · 1978
The Kennedy Center Honors
Series · 1978
Yabba Dabba Doo! The Happy World of Hanna-Barbera
Film · 1977
Viva Knievel!
Film · 1977
An Evening with Gene Kelly
Film · 1977
That's Entertainment, Part II
Film · 1976
It's Showtime
Film · 1976
NBC: The First Fifty Years
Film · 1976
The Muppet Show
Series · 1976
Cérémonie des César
Series · 1976
The Lion Roars Again
Film · 1975
Doug Henning's World of Magic
Series · 1975
Numéro un
Series · 1975
That's Entertainment!
Film · 1974
The Sandy Duncan Special
Film · 1974
40 Carats
Film · 1973
The Men Who Made the Movies: Vincente Minnelli
Film · 1973
Frank Sinatra: Ol' Blue Eyes is Back
Film · 1973
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
Series · 1973
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Series · 1973
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
Film · 1972
The Funny Side
Series · 1971
Great Performances
Series · 1971
Film '72
Series · 1971
Jack and the Beanstalk
Film · 1967
The Young Girls of Rochefort
Film · 1967
Omnibus
Series · 1967
Behind the screens : Les demoiselles de Rochefort
Film · 1966
The Julie Andrews Show
Film · 1965
What a Way to Go!
Film · 1964
Hollywood and the Stars
Series · 1963
The Danny Kaye Show
Series · 1963
The Merv Griffin Show
Series · 1962
Going My Way
Series · 1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Series · 1962
Hollywood: The Golden Years
Film · 1961
Musikalische Unterhaltung
Series · 1961
The Mike Douglas Show
Series · 1961
Inherit the Wind
Film · 1960
Let's Make Love
Film · 1960
Marjorie Morningstar
Film · 1958
Dancing, a Man's Game - Gene Kelly
Film · 1958
The Life You Save May Be Your Own
Film · 1957
Les Girls
Film · 1957
The Happy Road
Film · 1957
Invitation to the Dance
Film · 1956
It's Always Fair Weather
Film · 1955
MGM Parade
Series · 1955
MGM Parade
Series · 1955
MGM Parade
Series · 1955
MGM Parade
Series · 1955
MGM Parade
Series · 1955
Brigadoon
Film · 1954
Seagulls Over Sorrento
Film · 1954
Deep in My Heart
Film · 1954
Reflets de Cannes
Series · 1954
The Oscars
Series · 1953
Singin' in the Rain
Film · 1952
The Devil Makes Three
Film · 1952
Love Is Better Than Ever
Film · 1952
Omnibus
Series · 1952
An American in Paris
Film · 1951
It's a Big Country
Film · 1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Series · 1951
Black Hand
Film · 1950
Summer Stock
Film · 1950
The Costume Designer
Film · 1950
What's My Line?
Series · 1950
On the Town
Film · 1949
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Film · 1949
The Pirate
Film · 1948
The Three Musketeers
Film · 1948
Words and Music
Film · 1948
The Ed Sullivan Show
Series · 1948
Living in a Big Way
Film · 1947
Ziegfeld Follies
Film · 1945
Anchors Aweigh
Film · 1945
Combat Fatigue Irritability
Film · 1945
The Story of Submarine Warfare in the Pacific
Film · 1945
Cover Girl
Film · 1944
Christmas Holiday
Film · 1944
Twenty Years After
Film · 1944
Du Barry Was a Lady
Film · 1943
Thousands Cheer
Film · 1943
The Cross of Lorraine
Film · 1943
Pilot #5
Film · 1943
For Me and My Gal
Film · 1942