Gene Kelly: Pitt alumnus, Hollywood star

Even drenched in water, Gene Kelly could still dance and sing his way to a thrilling performance…

Gene Kelly danced his way from Pitt’s campus to the Hollywood screens.

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Even drenched in water, Gene Kelly could still dance and sing his way to a thrilling performance that captured audiences’ hearts.

“Everyone wanted to be Gene Kelly,” said Kiesha Lalama, the education director for the Pittsburgh CLO and the director of the CLO’s Gene Kelly Awards.

Gene Kelly, a popular American actor, director and choreographer, graduated from Pitt in 1933 with a degree in economics. With his class, style and sheer perfectionism, Kelly brought a masculine pride to musical film that continues to resonate in today’s performances. Known mostly for his work in the 1952 musical “Singin’ in the Rain” and his reputation for being the all-American man who reinvented the masculine character in musical film, Kelly went on to perform in, direct and choreograph a variety of musicals. Originally from Pittsburgh, he died on Feb. 2, 1996, but his legacy continues with the celebration of the 100th anniversary of his birth on Aug. 23, 2012.

To celebrate his legacy, Pitt has designated two events in honor of his affiliation with the school. Umbrella-wielding students danced to the “Cupid Shuffle” to commemorate his birthday on Aug. 23, and on Oct. 25, Kelly’s widow, Patricia Kelly, will host “Pitt’s Gene Kelly Centennial Celebration” that will focus on Kelly’s film career, with Pittsburgh-related commentary.

Kelly attended Pitt before beginning his entertainment career. He graduated in 1933 with a Bachelor of Arts in economics. He also worked at his family’s dance studio, then located in Squirrel Hill, and choreographed musicals at the Pittsburgh Playhouse and Nixon Theater.

Soon after moving out of Pittsburgh, Kelly began working on the Broadway show “Pal Joey.” As a character of the original cast in 1939, he played the audacious and crafty Joey Evans who, unlike many of Kelly’s later characters, didn’t necessarily represent the “all-American guy.”

“Pal Joey” — a Rodgers and Hart musical — was Kelly’s breakout role, introducing him to musical film and steering him away from musical theater. Because of this role, he went on to work on his first film in 1942 with MGM, “For Me and My Gal.” Kelly performed the role of Harry Palmer, another bold character somewhat similar to his previous role of Joey Evans.

“It was only later that he became known for playing all-American type guys. Even then, he always had a sort of arrogance in his star image that made him have a sort of an edge,” said Jane Feuer, a professor of film studies at Pittand a judge for the Gene Kelly Awards, local musical theater accolades recognizing high-school-aged performers.

Feuer said Kelly invoked a more masculine character through his roles that helped to recreate the male lead in musicals.

“The previous male star was Fred Astaire, who didn’t have a macho image. Gene Kelly was always this kind of brash guy from Pittsburgh,” she said.

Lalama sees Kelly’s contributions as monumental for the present-day male dancer.

“He had such style and grace. I think he paved the way for many male dancers to be themselves,” she said.

His contributions as an actor continued to infiltrate his career as he delved into choreography. Because he danced more masculinely, he choreographed for men to look masculine, as well.

“His contribution to choreography is that he choreographed men to dance roles as men, to dance as masculine characters like sailors or baseball players. A lot of the dancing was masculine, relative to the ballet and ballroom dancing in other films,” Feuer said.

And although he left the city to pursue his acting career, Kelly always continued to portray himself as a real Pittsburgher. Feuer explained that Kelly lived in Pittsburgh until he was almost 30 years old, establishing a solid connection with the city.

“He wasn’t just someone who was born here and left. He had his education here,” she said.

And according to Pitt Vice Provost and Dean of Students Kathy Humphrey, that education was a pivotal one.

“I think that — not only Gene Kelly — we have incredible people that have graduated from this University because this is an incredible institution, and it just creates incredible talent,” Humphrey said during the Aug.23 umbrella dance commemorating Kelly’s birthday.

“I just think it’s awesome that we have an opportunity to celebrate one of our own,” she said.

One of Kelly’s most recognizable achievements is his performance in “Singin’ in the Rain.” This performance, particularly the umbrella dance that acted as inspiration for the freshmen tribute, now acts as Kelly’s greatest claim to his legacy.

“It’s so happy. It’s cheerful. It’s very well done,” Feuer said.

Kelly developed a standard for the arts that continues to infiltrate  different realms of education. Because of his versatility as a performer and his many interests that extended from musical film and theater, Kelly offered much more to his audiences, Lalama explained.

“There’s a value to the legacy of Gene Kelly and everything he did that just adds substance to everything Pittsburgh does,” she said.

And his legacy continues to spread with the 100th anniversary of his birthday.

“He was a very important Hollywood director and star. He wasn’t just a star, he was also someone who thought about it. He was a very bright man, very creative,” Feuer said. “He was very smart and very articulate, a major artist of the 20th century.”