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Eugene Curran Kelly (born August 23, 1912 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and died February 2, 1996 in Beverly Hills, California after suffering two strokes at the age of 83), was best known as an American dancer in films, but was also an actor, singer, director and choreographer. An energetic and athletic performer, he was known for doing his own stunts.
Kelly was awarded the Legion of Honor by the French government in 1960.
Partial filmography
Kelly was awarded a special Academy Award “in appreciation of his versatility as an actor, singer, director and dancer, and specifically for his brilliant achievements in the art of choreography on film” in 1951 and reawarded in 1984's Academy Awards due to a fire which burned down his home in the previous year. He also received the Life Achievement Award from American Film Institute in 1985.
Kelly married three times:
- Betsy Blair (1940–1957) (one child, Kerry)
- Jeanne Coyne (1960–1973) (two children, Bridget and Tim)
- Patricia Ward (1990–1996)
He was the first American to choreograph and stage a ballet in the Paris Opera.
His most notable moments on film include:
- Singing and dancing in the rain in a much-parodied scene from the film Singin' in the Rain.
- Dancing with a mop, a squeaky floorboard and a newspaper in Summer Stock.
- Dancing on roller skates in An American in Paris.
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