Gene Kelly

During World War II, he was a sailor stationed at the United States Naval Photographic Center in Anacostia, D.C. (where the documentary "Victory at Sea" (1952) was later assembled for NBC-TV). He starred in several Navy films while on active duty there and in "civilian" films while on leave.

Attended Peabody High School in the East Liberty section of Pittsburgh, PA.

In October 1997 he was ranked #26 in Empire magazines "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.

Inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 1992.

Kellys father was Al Jolson s road manager in the 1920s.

Had three children: Kerry Kelly , with Betsy Blair , in 1942, and Bridget Kelly and Tim Kelly, with Jeanne Coyne , in the 1960s.

Was dance consultant for Madonna s 1993 "Girlie Show" tour.

Attended Penn State University before transferring to University of Pittsburgh, where he graduated with a degree in economics.

His first two wives were dancers. Betsy Blair met him while she was a performer and he a choreographer in the show "Diamond Horseshoe". Second wife Jeanne Coyne was Genes dancing assistant for many years before they married in 1960. A major talent in her own right, her dazzling footwork can be seen in the "From This Moment On" number alongside partner Bobby Van , Ann Miller , Tommy Rall , Carol Haney and Bob Fosse in Kiss Me Kate . She died of leukemia in 1973.

He and his younger brother Fred Kelly appeared together in a dancing vaudeville act. When Gene got his big break as Harry the hoofer in the dramatic Broadway production of "The Time of Your Life" in 1939, he was eventually replaced by brother Fred, who took it on the road and won a Donaldson award for his efforts.

Working on an autobiography at the time of his death.

Graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in economics.

Kennedy Center Honoree, 1982

A stage version of "Singin in the Rain" was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 2001 for Outstanding Musical Production, with choreography by Kelly.

Martial arts stars Jackie Chan and David Carradine both cite him as an influence.

Awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Bill Clinton in 1994.

Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume Two, 1945-1985". Pages 510-515. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1988.

He was voted the 42nd Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Was named the #15 greatest actor on The 50 Greatest Screen Legends list by the American Film Institute

Is one of the many movie stars mentioned in Madonna s song "Vogue"

Biography in: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 309-312. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1959

Ray Bradbury s novel "Something Wicked This Way Comes" was dedicated to Kelly.

Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6153 Hollywood Blvd.

His last movie musical was Xanadu co-starring Olivia Newton-John.

Had a fever of 103 degrees while filming the famous rain scene in Singin in the Rain (1952) .

Producer David O. Selznick signed Kelly to his first Hollywood contract after seeing him star in "Pal Joey" on Broadway. Though Gene had had other offers from studios, he chose to sign with Selznick mostly because his was the only studio that did not insist on a screen test before signing him. Selznick sold Kellys contact to MGM before he could find a suitable role for him to appear in.

He and MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer shared a long-standing feud stemming from even before Kelly entered the motion picture business. One evening after seeing Gene perform in "Pal Joey" on Broadway, Mayer met him backstage and offered to sign him to MGM without a screen test. When Kelly later received a call from an MGM representative requesting a screen test, he insisted there was some sort of mistake, saying he had Mayers word he did not have to make one and told the rep to ask Mayer himself. When the rep did, he called back days later stating that he did talk to Mayer and that he still had to make a test. Kelly was furious and wrote a scathing letter to Mayer for retracting his promise. For the first couple of years he worked for Mayer, Kelly was uncertain that Mayer even read the letter until he brought it up in an argument one evening.

Tony Martin , the husband of MGM star/dancer Cyd Charisse , said he could tell who she had been dancing with that day on an MGM set. If she came home covered with bruises on her, it was the very physically-demanding Gene Kelly , if not it was the smooth and agile Fred Astaire.

Was originally set to star as Don Hewes alongside Judy Garland in Easter Parade . However, before filming began he broke his leg, resulting in Fred Astaire coming out of retirement to replace him.

Bob Fosse originally wanted him for a lead role in a musical film adaptation of the Maurine Dallas Watkins play "Chicago" around the early 1970s. He eventually gave up the choice, and Fosse opted to do a stage musical instead.

His death is mentioned in the Dream Theater song "Take Away My Pain" from their album "Falling into Infinity" released in 1997 with the lyric "he said look at poor Gene Kelly, I guess he wont be singing in the rain".

Joined the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity while studying at the University of Pittsburgh.

He was a lifelong staunch liberal Democrat.

Was a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

His father was of Irish descent and his mother was of half Irish and half German ancestry.

Jeanne Coyne , Kellys second wife, was previously married to his show-business partner Stanley Donen.

Inducted into the International Tap Dance Hall of Fame in 2014.

His trademark scar on the left side of his face was the result of a bike accident when Gene was 5 years old, which required stitches.

He named A Tree Grows in Brooklyn as his favorite film for the AFI.

In order to secure the film rights to the hit musical "Best Foot Forward," MGM loaned Kellys to Columbia for one picture. Although it was assumed the studio would mount an adaptation of Kellys stage hit "Pal Joey," for which it owned the screen rights, Columbia instead co-starred him with its top star, Rita Hayworth , in Cover Girl . Ironically, when they did finally film the property over a decade later with Frank Sinatra , Hayworth again co-starred.

After his death it was reported that he had donated money to the Provisional IRA in the 1970s.

In early 1943 MGM announced he was to appear in the forthcoming production The Human Comedy . The film was eventually made, but he wasnt in it.

Was one of Heath Ledger s idols.

Judy Garland was responsible for MGMs Arthur Freed buying out David O. Selznick s personal exclusive contract with Kelly, who arrived in town in 1941. He came direct to Hollywood from his 1940 successful Broadway musical production of "Pal Joey." He planned to return to New York City, to the Broadway stage, after fulfilling his one-picture deal with Selznick. However, Selznick basically kept him off the screen after he arrived in Hollywood, basically putting his career on hold. Garland, who knew about Kellys reputation on Broadway, told Freed--who was the producer in charge of making MGMs musicals--that she wanted Kelly as her partner in her next musical for the studio. Freed negotiated a deal with Selznick that resulted in MGM buying out Kellys contract, which enabled him to play opposite Judy in For Me and My Gal . The film was a huge success and jump-started Kellys (up to that point) faltering film career.

He lost his Catholic faith in the late 1930s.

(December 2005) A retired Illinois chief of police and published author, Gene Kelly is working in Las Vegas as a coroners investigator, police consultant, and in independent film production.

[on his career] I took it as it came and it happened to be very nice.

When Ginger Rogers danced with Astaire, it was the only time in the movies when you looked at the man, not the woman. .