Gene Kelly

They just don't make 'em like Gene Kelly anymore, do they? George Clooney, Tom Cruise, you name any of today's big leading men and whatever their virtues, they fall short of the charm and all-around talent of Gene Kelly.

He could act, he could sing, he could dance, he could even choreograph - not to mention how devastatingly handsome he was too! This week we celebrate the 1912 birth of Eugene Kelly, the man who gave us Singin' in the Rain, An American in Paris and so much more.

It was in Pittsburgh, PA where he was born on August 23rd, 1912, the youngest of five children. His mother insisted that all of their children take music and dancing lessons, but Gene also managed to squeeze in football and hockey alongside.

Despite being relatively successful dancing with his brother, Fred, he never actually tried his luck dancing in New York until he was 27 years old - but he soon won critical acclaim for his comedy role in William Saroyan's play The Time of Your Life.The success from this led to his being cast in Pal Joey, the 1940 Rodgers and Hart musical.

In 1941, he left for Hollywood, where he was to bring a new vitality to dance on film and help change the whole concept of movie musicals. His first film, in 1942, was For Me and My Gal, in which he starred as a small-time vaudeville hoofer opposite Judy Garland. It was a huge success!

And then came the iconic scene from the movie Singin' in the Rain. Even today it doesn't seem dated, with a love-struck Gene Kelly and his umbrella, singing and splashing ecstatically and obliviously through a downpour on an all-but-deserted street. The sequence is widely regarded as a classic piece of cinematic choreography.

While dancing works only so well on the radio, Gene Kelly did lend his talents to our favorite form of entertainment too. He appeared on some of the best shows of old-time radio, such as Suspense and The Lux Radio Theater - and I'll wager his appearances sold a lot of soap!

He also appeared on episodes of The Adventures of Maisie, Hollywood Players, Family Theater, Burns and Allen, to name just a few. His first known appearance on the airwaves was in 1942 (Your Hollywood Radio Reporter) and his last in 1978 (The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast). What a lot of great memories in between!

There are quite a few shows available on RUSC, which you can see listed on his 'Star' page. However, Joy and I will be also be adding more over the coming week.

Happy listening my friends,