How two men influenced stage and film musicals, and today’s pop culture

Dancer, actor, choreographer, director
Born 1912 Died 1996
Parents made sure all 5 Kelly children had dancing, art, and music lessons out side of school.
Often made fun of by classmates because he took dance.

Gene Kelly
Involved in all areas of high school
Graduated high school at 16
Attended Penn State College in 1929
Great Depression- part time jobs gas station, tire roller, dance instructor
Transferred to Unvi of Pittsburg; majored in econ

• 1931- Harriet Kelly opens dance school with Gene has head instructor
• Viewed teaching as temporary, wanted to go to law school
• Only lasted 3 months in law school at Unvi of Pittsburg
• Dance school expanded to 2 locations
• Moved to New York

Age 26- 1 st job as chorus boy
1 st big break- Harry the Hoofer in the play “The Time of Your Life”
Quoted as saying “I realized that there was no character—whether a sailor or a truck driver or a gangster—that couldn’t be interpreted through dancing, if one found the correct choreographic language.”
Pal Joey- role on stage earned him a film contract
• Gene Kelly Pal Joey

Gene Kelly and Film
Film contract prohibited him from joining military
Loaned out to MGM for “For Me and My
Gal” with Judy Garland
MGM bought contract
Other big movies “Cover Girl”
(mentioned in Follies, and “Anchors
Away”
• For Me and My Gal
• Gene and Jerry

Gene Kelly
American in Paris and
Singin’ in the Rain
American in Paris- shot in Hollywood
Brought more honor and money to MGM and Kelly than any other movie before or since
1 st musical to win Oscar for Best Picture
7 other Oscars
Kelly Oscar for his “extreme versatility as an actor, singer, director, and dancer.
• I Got Rythem
• An American in Paris Trailor

Gene Kelly
American in Paris and
Singin’ in the Rain
Final film in Kelly’s great trilogy
On the Town, An American in Paris,
Singin’ in the Rain
1952
Based on songs by Arthur Freed
Look back of the development of movies
Near perfect film
Appears on several best movie lists
1 of 25 films on the Library of Congress
National Film Registry.
• Switch-a-Roo
• Singin in the Rain
• Make 'Em Laugh
• Broadway Melody

Bob Fosse
Director and Choreographer
Changed stage, film dance and still influences dance today
Provocative, entertaining, and never seen before
Like Gene Kelly he changed how dance was seen on screen
2D vs 3D
Robert Louis Fosse, Chicago 1927

Bob Fosse
Like Kelly big family youngest of 6 private lessons child prodigy
Dancing professionally in night clubs and vaudeville and burlequse in high school
Atmophere influenced later adult work
Dark Themes
Navy

Bob Fosse
After Navy was married 2X in 7 years
Minor chorus parts dancing
Big Break- MGM film “Kiss me Kate”
Big Break Broadway- The Pajama Game
Over night success because of dancing pelvic thrusts hunched shoulders pigeon toed feet mime like hand gestures
1 st of many Tony Awards
• Kiss Me Kate
• Steam Heat Pajama Game

Bob Fosse
Directors where scared of provocative moves
60’s-70’s called for a return to innocence
Sweet Charity
Cabaret
Pippin- highest earning Broadway show
• Big Spender
• Pippin Performance Tonys
• Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag

Bob Fosse and today’s Music
Mexican Breakfast/Single Ladies
Rich Man’s Frug/Get Me Bodied
Take Off with Us/Cold Hearted Snake
• Mexican Breakfast/Single Ladies
• Rich Man's Frug
• Get Me Bodied
Take Off with Us
Cold Hearted Snake

Kelly and Fosse almost lead parallel lives. Private lessons, child prodigies, performed professionally in high school in clubs and vaudeville, served in the military, married multiple times, worked for other film and the stage.
Why are their styles of dancing so different?
Defend your answer.