Singin' in the Rain and The Pirate at Movies Til Dawn

Today let's take a tour through blogosphere for good posts about Gene Kelly's movies! Over at Movies Til Dawn, Raymond De Felitta has two great posts on our favorite musical, Singin' in the Rain. The first, "Singin' in the Rain": Backstage at a Backstage Story, focuses on the CD soundtrack to the movie and the sheer magnitude of what was involved with making movies, specifically the music. Part II is called Singin' in the Rain Pt. 2: The Mystery of Jimmy Thompson, in which the question is asked: "Who the hell was/is Jimmy Thompson?" As GK fans know (or maybe they don't if they're too busy paying attention to Gene), Jimmy is the dorky guy in SITR who sings the "Beautiful Girl" number. He also appeared as Charlie in Brigadoon and as one of the players in Summer Stock. Which was a surprise to me, actually - I never noticed that it was the same guy. Raymond asks a good question, and although it's suggested that Jimmy was some sort of protege of Gene, I have not found any good evidence of that in what I've read. I wouldn't mind knowing more about Mr. Thompson myself - is he still alive? The name is too common to find out on the web.

While you're over at the Movies Til Dawn site, there are also two interesting posts on another of our favorites, The Pirate. The first post highlights just how great the underrated movie is, and the second focuses on Judy Garland and how she was "on fire" in that film with sexual energy. Interestingly, in the same way I talked about how you can tell how much Gene loved Judy by how they appear on screen in the movie, Raymond's post discusses how much her husband, Vincent Minelli, was in love with her "through the lens" by the way he shot the film.

Gene Kelly and Judy Garland

Over on the Gene Scene message board, fans were excited with Renata's new video of Gene and Judy clips (see below). Well, I wanted to present that video as our "featured video clip" so it inspired me to do this post on...what else? Gene and Judy!

Gene Kelly and Judy Garland appeared in only three films together: For Me and My Gal (1942), The Pirate (1948), and Summer Stock (1950). Ironically, their first film together marks Gene's screen debut, and their last is Judy's final film for MGM. All three films feature a brash male character (is this a trend for Gene?) in the entertainment "business" pursuing Judy's more wholesome gal.

I was never a huge Judy Garland fan, but I just have to admit that she's wildly talented and I like her more each time I see the films. What is most evident in the montage of clips from these three films is the real-life relationship between Judy and Gene. And no, the word "relationship" used here does not imply a sexual or romantic one.

According to biographies, the pair met when Gene was performing in Pal Joey on Broadway. Judy, already a huge movie star, attended one of his performances and requested to meet. Gene accompanied Judy and her entourage, which included her mother and several press agents, to dinner. The group went to the Copacabana club for singing and dancing until 3 am. Judy asked her mother if she and Gene could walk around the city for a while. Permission granted, Gene took her for a walk through Central Park, walking and talking about the future possibilities of a movie together until 5 am.

That dream became a reality in For Me and My Gal. Gene appears somewhat star-struck as if he can't believe he's on screen with a big star like Judy! He always gave her credit for helping him learn how to dance for the film camera as opposed to dancing on stage for an audience. While Gene was a "newbie" when it came to acting in front of a camera, when it came time to dance the pair were well matched! By The Pirate, the mutual affection is evident in their performances. And in Summer Stock, the tables were nearly turned in that it was suddenly Judy who appeared lost at times. Despite her experience in the movies, her medical condition was precarious due to the "prescriptions" provided by the studio. In this film, Gene takes the lead to help her through it. Cast members reported that they waited, and waited, and waited for Judy to be emotionally ready to work or perform. Gene was patient, and he brought out the best in her as a result. Considering he's decribed by other co-stars as a "slave-driver", the fact that he was so patient during the filming of Summer Stock proves just how much he cared. The patience paid off, and Judy looks fabulous in her "Get Happy" finale, filmed months after the rest of the movie.

What I see in their on-screen appearances together is a mutual love, respect, and admiration. And so, I present our Featured Video Clip... Many thanks to Renata for her love of Gene and her talent at making videos!

Dancing with the Stars: How Would Gene Kelly Vote?

Tonight is the dance-off finale for "Dancing with the Stars". Wait...what does that have to do with Gene Kelly? He's not exactly on the show! Well, any fan of Gene is probably a fan of dance, and dance fans are definitely watching the show. If Gene were still around, wouldn't you love to be able to see him as a "Guest Judge"? Too bad the show didn't exist back when most of the dancers from cinema's classic musicals were still around to enjoy it with us.

So, how would Gene rate this season's three finalists? First, there's Marie Osmond, who has been entertaining long enough to overlap careers with Gene's. Watching Marie perform this season is a lot like watching Judy Garland in "Summer Stock" - she starts out rather plump in "Portland Fancy" and ends the movie looking svelte in "Get Happy". Marie's had a similar shrinking-effect! Gene would give her credit for working hard, putting some showmanship and enthusiasm in the steps, and because he'd remind her a little bit of Judy.



Next is Helio Castroneves. Since Helio's a race-car driver and not a dancer or entertainer, he's had quite a challenge. But, he's Brazilian and rhythm must be genetic because he has steadily improved and is now quite good. What would Gene say about Helio? I think Gene would be thrilled with Helio's performances because he dances in a masculine way similar to Gene's routines. He's a man's man, but he knows how to partner with the ladies. Also, Helio's smile is about as bright as Gene's in his happy hoofer mood! I think Gene would be proud of what Helio has been able to do.

The third finalist is "Spice Girl" Melanie Brown. Although Mel's not a professional dancer, she is a professional performer who's probably had a bit of dance training. I think Gene would be most impressed by her natural ability to quickly pick up a routine and dance it well. Her timing has been nearly perfect, and Gene would love the sultry sexiness that Mel brings to her dances.

So, if Gene were judge, who would he pick to win? Each "star" has great qualities about their dancing or they would not have made it this far through votes from both the judges and the fans. Would Gene favor the long-time trouper Marie, the smiling guy's guy Helio, or sleek and sexy Mel? Hmm...who's to say? I think he'd pick Mel with her Cyd Charisse-like lines. We'll never know what Gene would think, or if he'd even like the show at all. But, I think he'd appreciate the fact that America is watching dancing - we sure don't get to watch it in the movies anymore (High School Musical doesn't count).