Arts Award. xx :] 4
Arts Award
Part C
My hero is Gene Kelly.
He is my hero because he is the person I look up to. I think he inspires me because he was such a good singer, dancer and actor. His lead role in Singing In The Rain was perfect for him because he had the right amount of stamina and energy to play Don Lockwood.
Early Life
He was born Eugene Curran Kelly on August 23rd 1912 – February 2nd 1996 in the Highland Park area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was the third son of James Kelly, a phonograph salesman, and Harriet Curran, who were both children of Irish Roman Catholic immigrants.
At the age of eight, he was enrolled in dance classes by his mother, along with his older brother James. Gene said “We didn't like it much and were continually involved in fistfights with the local boys who called us sissies...I didn't dance again until I was fifteen, by then I thought it would be a good way to get the girls.”
He attended St. Raphael Elementary School. He graduated from Peabody High School in 1929 at the age of sixteen. He enrolled in Pennsylvania State College to study journalism but the economic crash obliged him to seek employment to help with the family's finances. At this time, he worked hard on making dance routines with his younger brother Fred in order to earn the prize money in local contests, they also performed them in local nightclubs.
In 1931 he enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh (UoP) to study economics. While at UoP, Gene became involved in the university's Cap and Gown Club, which staged original, comedic musical productions. Earning a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with his graduation from UoP in 1933, he still remained an active member of the Cap and Gown Club, serving as its director from 1934 through to 1938.
The Kelly family started a dance studio on Munhall Road in 1930. However in 1932, the dance studio was renamed The Gene Kelly Studio of Dance.
In 1935 he enrolled to the University of Pittsburgh Law School. After two months he dropped out of Law School and decided to pursue his career as a dance teacher and full time entertainer.
In 1937, having successfully managed and developed the family's dance business, he moved to New York in search of work as a full time choreographer.
Career
He achieved his breakthrough as a dancer when he signed his contract with MGM studios. When MGM loaned him out to Columbia in 1944 to work with Rita Hayworth in Cover Girl he ahd his big breakthrough on film.
He starred in 26 films, such as:
Singin' In The Rain – Don Lockwood
The Pirate – Serafin
On The Town – Gabey etc. In all of the films he was in he choreographed his own dance routines and often the routines of others.
He also starred in 9 stage shows, such as:
Leave It To Me – Secretary to Mr. Goodhue
Pal Joey – Joey Evans
Time Of Your Life – Harry.
Kelly enlisted himself in the U.S. Naval Air Service at the end of 1944 and he was commissioned as Lieutenant Junior Grade. He was stationed in the Photographic Section, Washington D.C. Where he was involved in writing and directing a range of documentaries, then came his interest in the “Behind the Camera” side of film-making.
By Gaby Higginbottom. Sources: Wikipedia, IMDB, Answers and www.genekellyscene.com.
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