Gene Kelly: Paula Abdul's American Idol

Long before Paula Abdul ever judged a contestant on "American Idol", she was a pop star herself. One of her commercial endorsements was for Diet Coke, in which she danced along with Gene Kelly from his appearance in Anchors Aweigh. Both Cary Grant and Groucho Marx also "appeared" in the commercial. But of the three stars, Paula considers Gene Kelly to be her idol. According to interviews, she first saw Singin' in the Rain at the age of 4, and she decided she wanted to be a performer.

When she began to fulfill that dream, Paula claims that Gene influenced her choreography. For the video to one of her first hits, "Opposites Attract", she created an animated character to dance with a la Joe Brady's dance with Jerry the Mouse. Gene saw the video and enjoyed it, and he asked Paula to have tea with him. According to an interview in Teen People magazine in May, 2006, Paula describes their meeting:

When I met him, it was as if I'd known him my whole life. We talked like two dancers talk; it's a language where you go back and forth really quickly. I remember saying to myself, "If I die today, I died meeting my hero."

Paula goes on to say that they had weekly tea parties until Gene passed away in 1996. She calls him "one of the most phenomenal male dancers in history...He took risks, made magic happen on-camera and did most of his own stunts. They broke the mold after him."

We agree, Paula, and how lucky you were to have had Gene for both a tea-partner as well as a virtual dance partner! And now, here's the commercial...

The Results: What's Your Favorite Gene Kelly Musical? Not Brigadoon!

Happy New Year, Gene Kelly fans! This wasn't the post I intended to write today, but I noticed that the blog's poll closed yesterday. And as you can see, the results were somewhat predictable with Singin' in the Rain our favorite by a landslide! SITR garnered 62% of the vote with 68 votes. An American in Paris had 17 votes (15%), Anchors Aweigh had 8 (7%), The Pirate had 12 (11%) and poor Brigadoon only received 4 votes (3%). So, why is there a photo of Brigadoon here and not Singin' in the Rain? It's no surprise that SITR is our favorite - it makes "top ten" lists regularly and it's the one movie I've never heard a Gene fan say they don't like. So, what's more interesting from the poll results is...what's the deal with Brigadoon?

Now, I didn't put much thought into the five selections to be honest - it was our first poll here on the blog. Truth be told, Brigadoon doesn't even make my personal top 5 favorite Gene Kelly films. But, I didn't realize that it wasn't nearly as loved as Gene's other films. Why is that? Part of the reason is that it was not filmed on location in Scotland - that would have gone a long way in changing the look and feel of the movie. In fact, if they had at least shot it outdoors in California it would have helped. Instead, it was filmed on an indoor set and it shows, despite the hard work of the talented artists and set designers at MGM. I think that this has to be the main reason that it isn't on everyone's top five list, because it certainly isn't because of the actors!

Gene gives one of his better performances as Tommy Albright, a man who gets the idea that his life isn't what he thought it would be. The ever-lovely Cyd Charisse is beautiful as Fiona, although her Scottish accent isn't always as convincing as her acting. And the Lerner and Loewe songs are stunning - is there a fan out there that doesn't melt with "Almost Like Being in Love"? In fact, the fantasy-plot has to take its rightful place as Gene's most romantic. Falling in love at first sight? Sure, Gene's brash characters have done it before (On the Town, An American in Paris, Singin' in the Rain, The Pirate...I could go on with a few more if you're not convinced by now!), but would Gaby, Jerry, Don, or Serafin have given up their lives-as-they-knew-it to live forever with their gal? Not even forever, just for one day every hundred years. That's what make the story of Brigadoon so magical! Maybe it looks like they are dancing in front of paintings, or maybe Van Johnson's character is just a bit too cynical, but in terms of pure story, Tommy's the kind of dreamer that a gal can fall in love with! So, maybe for this new year it deserves another look...I doubt it will wind up as our absolute favorite, but it's definitely worth re-watching! For a rather un-conventional "review" of the movie, be sure to visit Tom and Lorenzo for their comical take on the movie.

Stay tuned for a new poll soon! Also, feel free to comment on why you picked the favorite you did, or why you DO or DO NOT like Brigadoon!

How to Get Your Kids Interested in the Classics (Classic Movies, That Is...)

Every parent wants their children to be happy, healthy, and well educated...and it wouldn't hurt if they developed an aesthetic taste along the way and show a little class. What better way to give your children (grandchildren, nieces, nephews, siblings) some culture than to introduce them to Gene Kelly. Quick, before it's too late! If you think that today's ADHD, tv-addicted children are too hyped up on iPods and Wii to enjoy a good, old fashioned musical...well, you just may be wrong. To paraphrase a commercial from my own tv-addicted youth...try it, they'll like it. Here are three movies guaranteed to hook your kids on classic movie musicals.

1 - Singin' in the Rain - To paraphrase Lena (Jean Hagen) herself, "Well of course they'll like it, don't everyone?" Adults have frequently bestowed the "best" title upon SITR on many lists of favorites, and children will certainly agree. Face it, even without the singing and dancing, this movie is just plain funny! Both my friend's son and my niece were absolutely captivated. Even boys have to laugh when R.F. pulls the microphone cord and Lena falls on her you-know-what. Cosmo's (Donald O'Connor) "Make 'Em Laugh" does just that no matter the age, and the antics in "Good Morning" are fun, too. Don (Gene Kelly) ripping his coat leaving Kathy's (Debbie Reynolds) car? Lena getting a pie in the face? Hilarious! Besides, children understand exactly how much fun it is to splash around in a puddle! Happiness is universal whether you're an adult who just fell in love or a kid who just got a present. Give them this one, and they'll want more!

2 - Anchors Aweigh - Have the remote ready to fast forward through any scene with either Aunt Suzy (Kathryn Grayson) singing or Jose Iturbi performing. While we are trying to add culture to the kiddies' lives, operatic singing may have to wait for adulthood. Then again, I'm an adult and I still fast forward through Kathryn...but I digress. Kids will really identify with Donald (Dean Stockwell) because he's a kid too. Joe Brady (Gene Kelly) dancing with Jerry the Mouse will hold the interest of your youngest movie-watchers, despite the fact that the live-action-plus-cartoon routine is a common effect today and not quite as "special" as it was in 1945. Good for a laugh - Joe walking like a "dame" so Clarence (Frank Sinatra) can try to ask her out. Despite the innuendo with Clarence wanting to be a "Sea Wolf" like Joe, it will go over the little ones' heads and its 1945 humor is squeaky clean by today's standards.

3 - On the Town - Much of the 1949-era lingo will be lost on anyone born after 1940, but everyone will enjoy three crazy sailors on a quick and fun-filled day in New York. Okay, so it does become a search for women, but this is 1949 - it's clean! Kids will laugh at the havoc our guys cause in the museum (warning: don't try this on your next field trip) or dressing in drag at Coney island to hide. The quick pace will keep today's fast-paced children smiling.