Gene Kelly
Known for: Acting
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
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
1962
Series
The Mike Douglas Show
Self - Co-Host
1961
Series
Great Performances
Self
1971
Series
The Merv Griffin Show
Self
1962
Series
Omnibus
Self
1967
Film '72
Self
1971
Series
What's My Line?
Self
1950
Series
Champs-Elysées
Self
1982
Series
Cérémonie des César
Self - President
1976
Series
The Oscars
Self
1953
Series
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self
1948
Series
North and South
Sen. Charles Edwards
1985
Series
The Muppet Show
Self - Special Guest Star
1976
Series
Omnibus
Self (segment)
1952
Series
Numéro un
Self
1975
Series
The Kennedy Center Honors
Self
1978
Film
Singin' in the Rain
Don Lockwood
1952
Series
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
Self
1973
Series
The Danny Kaye Show
Self
1963
Series
MGM Parade
Performer in 'Ziegfeld Follies' (archive footage)
1955
Series
MGM Parade
Self - Actor
1955
Series
MGM Parade
1955
Series
MGM Parade
Self
1955
Series
MGM Parade
self
1955
Series
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Self
1973
Series
Reflets de Cannes
Self
1954
Series
Talking Pictures
Self (archive footage)
2013
Series
Going My Way
Father Chuck O'Malley
1962
Series
Il était une fois Champs-Élysées
Self (archive footage)
2022
Film
An American in Paris
Jerry Mulligan
1951
Film
On the Town
Gabey
1949
Film
Let's Make Love
Gene Kelly (uncredited)
1960
Film
The Young Girls of Rochefort
Andy Miller
1967
Film
Anchors Aweigh
Joseph Brady
1945
Film
The Three Musketeers
D'Artagnan
1948
Film
The Pirate
Serafin
1948
Film
Inherit the Wind
E.K. Hornbeck
1960
Film
What a Way to Go!
Pinky Benson
1964
Film
Cover Girl
Danny McGuire
1944
Film
That's Entertainment, Part II
Self - Co-Host / Narrator
1976
Series
Hollywood and the Stars
Self (archive footage)
1963
Film
40 Carats
Billy Boylan
1973
Series
Sins
Eric Hovland
1986
Film
Brigadoon
Tommy Albright
1954
Film
It's Always Fair Weather
Ted Riley
1955
Film
The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
Self (archive footage)
1986
Film
Summer Stock
Joe D. Ross
1950
Film
Xanadu
Danny McGuire
1980
Film
That's Entertainment!
Self - Host / Narrator
1974
Film
That's Dancing!
Self - Host
1985
Film
That's Entertainment! III
Self - Co-Host / Narrator
1994
Film
Night of 100 Stars
Self
1982
Film
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Self
1987
Film
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Eddie O'Brien
1949
The Funny Side
Self - Host
1971
Series
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Tom T. Triplett
1951
Film
Words and Music
Gene Kelly
1948
Film
Marjorie Morningstar
Noel Airman
1958
Series
Doug Henning's World of Magic
Self
1975
Film
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
Self
1995
Film
Mickey's 50
Self
1978
Film
Du Barry Was a Lady
Alec Howe / Black Arrow
1943
Film
Christmas Holiday
Robert Manette
1944
Film
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
Self (archive footage)
1972
Film
Gene Kelly: An American in Hollywood
Self - Portrait Subject & Interviewee (archive footage)
2025
Film
James Bond: The First 21 Years
Self
1983
Film
Ziegfeld Follies
Gentleman (segment "The Babbit and the Bromide")
1945
Film
Deep in My Heart
Performer (segment "Dancing Around")
1954
Film
Thousands Cheer
Eddie Marsh
1943
Film
Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues
Self
1988
Film
Showbiz Goes to War
(archive footage)
1982
Film
You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story
Self
1990
Film
It's a Big Country
Icarus Xenophon
1951
Film
Twenty Years After
(archive footage)
1944
Film
It's Showtime
Self (archive footage)
1976
Film
Judy Garland: By Myself
Self - Actor (archive sound)
2004
Film
Reporters
Self
1981
Film
Les Girls
Barry Nichols
1957
Film
Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer
Self (archive footage)
2002
Film
Sid & Judy
Self (archive footage)
2019
Film
The Cross of Lorraine
Victor
1943
Musikalische Unterhaltung
Self
1961
Film
La La La
Various Roles (archive footage)
2018
The Lion Roars Again
Self
1975
Film
For Me and My Gal
Harry Palmer
1942
Film
Olivia Newton-John: Hollywood Nights
Self
1980
Film
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1950s: The Golden Era of the Musical
Self (archive)
2009
Film
The Costume Designer
Self (archive footage)
1950
Film
Get Aboard! 'The Band Wagon'
Self (archive footage)
2005
Film
Black Hand
Giovanni E. 'Johnny' Columbo
1950
Film
Viva Knievel!
Will Atkins
1977
Film
The Young Girls Turn 25
Self (archive footage)
1993
Film
Love Is Better Than Ever
Gene Kelly (uncredited)
1952
Film
Living in a Big Way
Leo Gogarty
1947
Film
Seagulls Over Sorrento
Lieutenant Bradville
1954
Film
Jack and the Beanstalk
Jeremy Keen, the Peddler
1967
Film
The Happy Road
Michael J. Andrews
1957
Film
Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years
Self
1979
Film
Lucy Moves to NBC
Self
1980
Film
NBC: The First Fifty Years
Self
1976
Film
Hollywood Musicals of the 40's
Self (archive footage)
2000
Film
Tom & Jerry's 50th Birthday Bash
Self
1990
Film
Roger Rabbit and the Secrets of Toon Town
Self (archive footage)
1988
Film
The Men Who Made the Movies: Vincente Minnelli
Self (archive footage)
1973
Film
The Marx Brothers in a Nutshell
Self - Narrator (voice)
1982
Film
The Devil Makes Three
Jeff Eliot
1952
Easter Parade: On the Avenue
Self (Archive Footage)
2005
Film
Pilot #5
Vito S. Alessandro
1943
Film
Invitation to the Dance
Host / Pierrot / The Marine / Sinbad
1956
Film
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs: America's Greatest Music in the Movies
Don Lockwood
2004
Film
Ersatz
Don Lockwood (voice) (archive sound)
1978
Film
A Bing Crosby Christmas
Self / Narrator (archive footage)
1998
Film
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1940s: Stars, Stripes and Singing
(archive footage)
2009
JFK: The Lost Inaugural Gala
Self
2017
Film
Combat Fatigue Irritability
Seaman Bob Lucas
1945
Yabba Dabba Doo! The Happy World of Hanna-Barbera
Self - Host
1977
Film
The Julie Andrews Show
Self
1965
Film
True Blue
(Archive Footage)
2025
Film
Summer Stock: Get Happy!
Joe D. Ross (archive footage) (uncredited)
2006
Film
The Life You Save May Be Your Own
Tom T. Triplett
1957
Film
The Carpenters: A Christmas Portrait
Self
1978
Reunited at MGM: Astaire and Rogers Together Again
Self (archive footage)
2005
Film
Cinderella at the Palace
Host
1978
Cole Porter in Hollywood: Ça c'est l'amour
Self (archive footage)
2003
Film
Dancing, a Man's Game - Gene Kelly
Self
1958
Film
Behind the screens : Les demoiselles de Rochefort
Self
1966
Film
Frank Sinatra: Ol' Blue Eyes is Back
Self - Guest Performer
1973
Film
Frank Sinatra: Around the World
Self - Guest
2011
Film
The Sandy Duncan Special
Self
1974
Film
The Movie Palaces
Self
1987
Sylvie Vartan: Live in Las Vegas
Self
1982
Film
Happy Again
Don Lockwood (archive footage)
2006
Film
The Story of Submarine Warfare in the Pacific
Narrator (voice)
1945
Film
Directing Dolly: Gene Kelly Remembered
Self (archive footage)
2013
Hollywood: The Golden Years
Self - Host
1961
An Evening with Gene Kelly
Self
1977
Olympic Gala
1984