Oscar weekend can set the movie lover to thinking not simply of the cinema of today but the icons of the form, those people who built Tinseltown myths through talent, gumption, luck, and more talent.
Few mythmakers were as quintuple-threat-y as Gene Kelly. The man could act, winsomely displaying an excess of charm, wit, and twinkle-of-eye. The man could sing, arms spread wide, face open, as if he knew each person in the movie theater he was singing to. The man could choreograph, helping other performers reach their personal heights. And he could direct, with aplomb.
And you might have heard that Gene Kelly could dance.
The actor-singer-dancer-superstar had a mega MGM-tastic career, and though 18 years have passed since his death, his on-screen performances continue to brim with kapow and inform modern properties like "Dancing with the Stars."
His widow Patricia Ward Kelly will look back on her husband's spectacular work and life at the Pasadena Playhouse on Saturday, March 1 and Sunday, March 2.
"...rare and familiar film clips, previously unreleased audio recordings, personal memorabilia, and insights culled from hours of interviews and conversations with her husband" will fill the evening.
"Singin' in the Rain" and "An American in Paris" are two of Mr. Kelly's seminal films, films that live on today in contemporary hearts, but count on hearing and seeing tales from the wide breadth of his long and hit-filled cinematic career.
The Scene
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Will you leave the playhouse warbling "Gotta Dance" over and over? We're hoping you'll do so now, because getting that particular ditty stuck in one's head makes a day about as upbeat as it can get.
