# Happy 100th birthday, Gene Kelly! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2012, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-gene-kelly/632377 "2012-08-23T13:47:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-gene-kelly/632377/1 "2012-08-23T13:47:00Z")
I’m strictly an Astairean, but **archive guy** (or whatever the hell he’s calling himself these days) finally persuaded me that the fact that most of Kelly’s characters came across as somewhat cocky or caddish might mean that he was a good actor at portraying those characteristics, not that Kelly himself was a jerk. So, pull out _Singin’ in the Rain_ or another favorite, and raise a glass to one of America’s greatest film dancers. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-gene-kelly/632377/2 "2012-08-23T13:53:16Z")
I’ll always remember him in Kelly’s Heroes. That was him- right? ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-gene-kelly/632377/3 "2012-08-23T14:34:54Z")
No, that was Emmett. The makeup was great! ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-gene-kelly/632377/4 "2012-08-23T14:37:00Z")
Wow, and here I thought he was already dead. Sorry Gene, you livin’ machine. Won’t make that mistake again. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-gene-kelly/632377/5 "2012-08-23T14:56:50Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Wow, and here I thought he was already dead. Sorry Gene, you livin’ machine. Won’t make that mistake again. He is – died in '96. But he was born 100 years ago today. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-gene-kelly/632377/6 "2012-08-23T15:09:04Z")
No, you’re just trying to trick me. Like I said I’m not making that mistake again. Happy Birthday, inventor of the machine gun! ---
**Author:** ![Rollo\_Tomasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58956e/32.png) [@Rollo\_Tomasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rollo_Tomasi)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-gene-kelly/632377/7 "2012-08-23T16:35:41Z")
I’m a huge Gene Kelly fan. Sorry, **twickster** , but Kelly trumps Astaire every time in my book. I saw _Singin’ in the Rain_ for the umpteenth million time last night at one of those Fathom Event showings in movie theaters. I’ve never seen it on the big screen before, and it was even more delightful this time around. Plus, until you’re in a crowd of people laughing their heads off, it’s easy to underestimate how hilarious that movie is. Sure, the musical numbers are fantastic, but it’s gut-bustingly funny as well. Other Kelly essentials: _On the Town_, _An American in Paris_, _Anchors Aweigh_, _For Me and My Gal_ (his movie debut, an underrated little gem also starring Judy Garland and directed by Busby Berkeley, this time minus the kaleidoscope patterns made out of showgirls). ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-gene-kelly/632377/8 "2012-08-23T17:20:36Z")
Don’t forget _It’s Always Fair Weather_, a kind of melancholy sequel to _On the Town_. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-gene-kelly/632377/9 "2012-08-25T14:24:17Z")
No offense (or should I say ‘nothing personal’) to modern-day Americans but you are hastening the demise of institutions like Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. I think Hollywood has lost their kind completely. You now have trash talkers who sing lyrics meant to make young girls horny and lust for celebrities and athletes. Well, if that’s how you want your society to run, fine. Some good might come out of it. I’m just the kind of guy who likes to get stuck somewhere 60- to 70- years back. ---
**Author:** ![Rollo\_Tomasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58956e/32.png) [@Rollo\_Tomasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rollo_Tomasi)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-gene-kelly/632377/10 "2012-08-25T19:12:03Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > No offense (or should I say ‘nothing personal’) to modern-day Americans but you are hastening the demise of institutions like Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. I think Hollywood has lost their kind completely. You now have trash talkers who sing lyrics meant to make young girls horny and lust for celebrities and athletes. Well, if that’s how you want your society to run, fine. Some good might come out of it. I’m just the kind of guy who likes to get stuck somewhere 60- to 70- years back. Whew, I thought you were going to have to rely on gross, inaccurate generalizations to make your point. Thank goodness you didn’t have to resort to that, right? ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-gene-kelly/632377/11 "2012-08-25T22:11:15Z")
Erm… right. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-gene-kelly/632377/12 "2012-08-26T01:54:51Z")
I liked his film noir-y pic they showed. The Black Hand. Very different. ---
**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-gene-kelly/632377/13 "2012-08-26T02:20:19Z")
Interesting biography…growing up in the gritty steel city of Pittsburgh; ironically, in order to get to his “sissy” dance classes (required by his showbiz wannabe parents) he had to fight off the would-be bullies, which he did quite well. Family took over a failing dance studio during the Great Depression, Gene becomes instructor, gets to Broadway, etc. etc.