1 / 10
His life was the stuff of a Hollywood musical. Kelly was a would-be baseball player and failed law student who once made money teaching basic dance steps in the basement of his parents’ Pennsylvania home.
2 / 10
After a few Depression-era amateur contests, he conquered Broadway and then Hollywood, starring in such films as 'Singin’ in the Rain,' 'On the Town' and 'An American in Paris.'
3 / 10
Along the way, he revolutionized motion picture choreography and achieved success as a director and producer as well. Debbie Reynolds, who co-starred in 'Singin’ in the Rain,' remembered Kelly on Friday as “a great dancer . . . a cinematic genius [whose] work will influence films forever.”
4 / 10
“He made me a star,” she said after hearing news of his death. “He taught me how to dance and how to work hard, to be dedicated and yet still loving, as he was to his family and friends.”
5 / 10
Kelly’s most memorable credits show a pattern of American archetypes: Runyonesque entertainers, sailors on leave, and an expatriate artist in love with a French girl.
6 / 10
For all the casualness, Kelly was a serious student and teacher of his art. “My own style [of dance] is strong, wide open, bravura,” Kelly said in a 1969 interview. "I tried to base it all on male movements, athletic movements."
7 / 10
Age slowed Kelly as a performer, but did nothing to diminish his creative drive. Increasingly, the self-described “jack of all trades” turned more to choreography, directing and producing.
8 / 10
One of the most iconic figures in American dance and film history, passed away on February 2, 1996 at the age of 83. His innovative dance style and unique choreography revolutionized the way dance was portrayed in movies and helped solidify his status as a true legend.
9 / 10
As respected as he was likable, Kelly “died peacefully in his sleep” in his Beverly Hills home with wife Patricia at his bedside, according to his publicist, Warren Cowan. Kelly had suffered strokes in 1994 and 1995 and had been in ill health since.
10 / 10
Hollywood lovers, young and old still hold Gene Kelly in the highest of regards, and the man, the myth, the legend will forever be solidified in silver screen history.
Gene Kelly, the exuberant, charismatic hoofer who danced, sang, smiled and splashed his way into the hearts of generations, died in 1996 leaving behind an incredible legacy of films and characters!
As respected as he was likable, Kelly "died peacefully in his sleep" in his Beverly Hills home with his wife, Patricia, at his bedside.
