Gene Kelly The Legacy

06/11/2026

Gene choreographed a number for An American in Paris, using the bed as a prop. Unfortunately, it was cut from the movie and the footage was destroyed, so we don't have any film evidence except this still image. I have several pairs of Gene's pajamas. They were cotton, just like the ones in this photo, and many were similarly striped. He was just a regular guy.

04/11/2026

This photo created quite a stir because the caption described me as Gene's fiance [sic]. (It should be fiancée since I am a woman.) It was April 26, 1989, the night Gene was presented with the Pied Piper Award at the Annual Film and Television Music Awards for ASCAP at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. I remember our neighbor, the writer Winston Miller, came over to congratulate us and I had to explain that it was a mistake. It was hard for me, because I wanted it to be true. It would be more than a year before it would be. And then I couldn't tell anyone.

01/11/2026

Last night, I read at a new biography of a certain choreographer. I wanted to see how Gene was treated in the book and whether the stories about him were accurate. And then I came upon a line describing his choreography as "mawkish." In case you haven't looked that word up recently, here's a definition: "Mawkish is an adjective that means excessively sentimental, sappy, or sickeningly emotional. It often describes art, stories, poems, or displays of affection that feel fake, overdone, or uncomfortably sweet." I have two thoughts: 1) Gene hated when biographers inserted their own criticism. It is one of the reasons why he disliked the Hirschhorn biography about him. 2) Mawkish? I beg to differ.

28/10/2026

I do love this behind-the-scenes photo From the Three Musketeers (1948) of Gene with Keenan Wynn (Planchett) and June Allyson (Constance). Gene looks no different than he did when I was with him, except for the air and mustache. The relaxed angle reminds me of when he had to keep his leg elevated to reduce swelling. To pass the time, I read to him. Yes, it was heaven.

25/10/2026

Here's another film you might not have seen—Thousands Cheer (1943). Gene plays Private Eddie Marsh and is seen here, confined to his quarters, dancing with a mop. Gene said this was the first number he choreographed and staged for the movies. The studio didn't have a song for him, so he created the dance to "Let Me Call You Sweetheart." In it you will see Gene dancing on bar tops (something he did as a young man in Pittsburgh). It is one of my favorite numbers. I include it in my one-woman show and it always gets a laugh and a big round of applause. Please check it out on YouTube if you haven't seen it or if you just need something to brighten your day.

20/10/2026

This is from a movie many of you might not have seen. It is called "It's a Big Country: An American Anthology" (1951). It is essentially a propaganda film conveying a patriotic message about unity and diversity. Gene plays a Greek man named Icarus Xenophon who owns an ice cream parlor, and Janet Leigh plays Hungarian-American secretarial student Rosa Szabo in one of the segments titled "Rosika the Rose." Rosa's father, played by S.Z. Sakall, objects to a relationship between Icarus and Rosa. I saw Janet Leigh on several occasions, at big events and, also, at a party at her home with Bob Brandt. It was clear the feelings being Janet and Gene were mutual admiration and affection. Janet and her then husband Tony Curtis performed along with Gene at John F. Kennedy's Inaugural gala, January 19, 1961 at the National Guard Armory in Washington, D.C. The evening was organized and hosted by their dear friend Frank Sinatra who was then one of JFK's biggest supporters.

12/10/2026

Last night, thanks Sergi Nakaidze, I had the opportunity to the brilliant Georgian National Ballet - "Sukhishvili" - under the direction of Nino Sukhishvili, whose grandparents, Iliko and Nino Sukhishvili, founded the company in 1945. Gene loved this company and I've followed it since their visit to Los Angeles in 2007. Now my next goal is to see them in Georgia! I'm in the black and white checks, standing next to Nino in the black dress. The company is headed on a lengthy tour. Please check out their website to see if they are appearing near you. Trust me, you will not be disappointed!

10/10/2026

I know this shot from Anchors Aweigh (1945) is a fan favorite as I've heard from a lot of you about it. It is funny to see Frank Sinatra playing against type as the guy who can't get a girl and Gene is the ladies' man. In real life, Frank couldn't walk down the street without being mobbed. Gene was with him one day and Gene, too, got mobbed, even though he was wearing his uniform from the Navy. He said he had to show up at the base in Anacostia out of uniform.

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09/10/2026

This is a powerful scene in Summer Stock (1950) when Gene overhears Judy Garland singing the Harry Warren/ Mack Gordon song "Friendly Star." She sings it beautifully and the lyrics are heart rending: "There's a star for everyone / Brightly shining in the sky...But I can't seem to find / The one the heavens assigned to me." I've always said that the chemistry between Gene and Judy is palpable and I think it is especially so in this scene.

08/10/2026

Another talented individual inspired by Gene!I hope you can catch one of his tour dates!

We sat down for an exclusive interview with Romain Rachline Borgeaud, the artistic director, choreographer and producer of STORIES. Fusing contemporary tap dance and urban jazz, STORIES - The Tap Dance Sensation is a bold and energetic production that tells the story of Icarus, a successful young ac...