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Gene Kelly

Gene Kelly

Actor and director, also producer and writer · Died February 2, 1996, aged 83 · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style, his good looks, and the likable characters that he played on screen. He starred in, choreographed, or co-directed some of the most well-regarded musical films of the 1940s and 1950s, until they fell out of fashion in the late 1950s. Kelly is best known today for his performances in films such as Cover Girl (1944), Anchors Aweigh (1945), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, On the Town (1949), which was his directorial debut, An American in Paris (1951), Singin' in the Rain (1952), Brigadoon (1954), and It's Always Fair Weather (1955). Kelly made his film debut with Judy Garland in For Me and My Gal (1942), and followed by Du Barry Was a Lady (1943), Thousands Cheer (1943), The Pirate (1948), Summer Stock (1950), and Les Girls (1957) among others. After musicals he starred in two films outside the musical genre: Inherit the Wind (1960) and What a Way to Go! (1964). In 1967, he appeared in French director Jacques Demy's musical comedy The Young Girls of Rochefort opposite Catherine Deneuve. Kelly solo directed the comedy A Guide for the Married Man (1967) starring Walter Matthau, and later the extravagant musical Hello, Dolly! (1969) starring Barbra Streisand, recognized with an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Kelly co-hosted and appeared in Ziegfeld Follies (1946), That's Entertainment! (1974), That's Entertainment, Part II (1976), That's Dancing! (1985), and That's Entertainment, Part III (1994). His many innovations transformed the Hollywood musical, and he is credited with almost single-handedly making the ballet form commercially acceptable to film audiences. Kelly received an Academy Honorary Award in 1952 for his career achievements; the same year, An American in Paris won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. He later received lifetime achievement awards in the Kennedy Center Honors (1982) and from the Screen Actors Guild and American Film Institute. In 1999, the American Film Institute also ranked him as the 15th greatest male screen legend of Classic Hollywood Cinema.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 23, 1912
Died
February 2, 1996 (aged 83)
From
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Works as
Actor and director, also producer and writer
Titles
48 on MovieCove · 72 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 30% in 30 days

What are Gene Kelly's films like?

Across their 38 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Society.

Genres

Comedy19 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 44th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Animation2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 63rd percentile
: browse their Animation movies
Fantasy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile
: browse their Fantasy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
47%
Society
13%
Self
13%
Ideas
11%
Morality
10%
Power
4%
Survival
3%
Romantic love20 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship7 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 38 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 31 · Serious 5 · Dark 2

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 14 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 12

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 20 · Charged 17 · Intense 1

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 25 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 4

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 21 · Funny 10

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 22 · Even-paced 15 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 31 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 33 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

27 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 17 of 27 analyzed roles.

Hero
17 of 27
Ally
4 of 27
Shapeshifter
2 of 27
Mentor
2 of 27
Trickster
1 of 27
Shadow
1 of 27
Show the 27 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
24
Romantic
18
Warm
16
Tense
7
Absurd
4
Other
23

How their films linger

Feel-good29 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy26
  • Bittersweet10
  • Ambiguous1
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Gene Kelly's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 48 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on HBO Max (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Gene Kelly's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

72 credits, 48 with a MovieCove page; 72 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Royal Rascal Talkie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Writer

  • True Blue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as (Archive Footage)

  • Starstruck: Gene Kelly's Love Letter to Ballet(2023)

    Choreographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • La La La (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as Various Roles (archive footage)

  • Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1940s: Stars, Stripes and Singing(2009)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Summer Stock: Get Happy! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Joe D. Ross (archive footage) (uncredited)

  • Happy Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Don Lockwood (archive footage)

  • AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs: America's Greatest Music in the Movies(2004)

    as Don Lockwood

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Cats Don't Dance(1997)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Sins(1986)

    Show 3 episodes · as Eric Hovland

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows

  • North & South: Book 1, North & South(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Sen. Charles Edwards

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • That's Dancing!(1985)

    Producer · as Self - Host

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Olympic Gala (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Actor

  • Showbiz Goes to War(1982)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Xanadu(1980)

    as Danny McGuire

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Cinderella at the Palace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Host

  • Ersatz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Don Lockwood (voice) (archive sound)

  • Viva Knievel!(1977)

    as Will Atkins

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • That's Entertainment, Part II(1976)

    Director · as Self - Host

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • 40 Carats(1973)

    as Billy Boylan

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Cheyenne Social Club(1970)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Hello, Dolly!(1969)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • A Guide for the Married Man(1967)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • The Young Girls of Rochefort(1967)

    as Andy Miller

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Jack and the Beanstalk(1967)

    Director · Choreographer · Producer · as Jeremy Keen, the Peddler

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • American in Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director

  • What a Way to Go!(1964)

    Choreographer · as Pinky Benson

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Vacation Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Gigot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Director

  • Going My Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 30 episodes · as Father Chuck O'Malley

  • Let's Make Love(1960)

    as Gene Kelly (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Inherit the Wind(1960)

    as E.K. Hornbeck

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Dancing, a Man's Game - Gene Kelly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Director · as Self

  • The Tunnel of Love(1958)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Badman's Country(1958)

    Art Direction

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Marjorie Morningstar(1958)

    as Noel Airman

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Les Girls(1957)

    as Barry Nichols

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Happy Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Director · Producer · as Michael J. Andrews

  • The Life You Save May Be Your Own (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Tom T. Triplett

  • Invitation to the Dance(1956)

    Director · Choreographer · Writer · as Host / Pierrot / The Marine / Sinbad

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • MGM Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 3 episodes · as Performer in 'Ziegfeld Follies' (archive footage) · as self · as Self · as Self - Actor

  • It's Always Fair Weather(1955)

    Director · Choreographer · as Ted Riley

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Deep in My Heart(1954)

    as Performer (segment "Dancing Around")

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Brigadoon(1954)

    Choreographer · as Tommy Albright

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Crest of the Wave(1954)

    as Lieutenant Bradville

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Omnibus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · Choreographer · as Self (segment)

  • The Devil Makes Three(1952)

    as Jeff Eliot

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Singin' in the Rain(1952)

    Director · Choreographer · as Don Lockwood

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Love Is Better Than Ever(1952)

    as Gene Kelly (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • It's a Big Country: An American Anthology(1951)

    as Icarus Xenophon

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Tom T. Triplett

  • An American in Paris(1951)

    Choreographer · as Jerry Mulligan

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Summer Stock(1950)

    as Joe D. Ross

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Black Hand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Giovanni E. 'Johnny' Columbo

  • On the Town(1949)

    Director · as Gabey

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Take Me Out to the Ball Game(1949)

    Choreographer · Story · as Eddie O'Brien

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Words and Music(1948)

    as Gene Kelly

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Three Musketeers(1948)

    as D'Artagnan

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Pirate(1948)

    Choreographer · as Serafin

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Living in a Big Way(1947)

    Choreographer · as Leo Gogarty

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Story of Submarine Warfare in the Pacific (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • Ziegfeld Follies(1945)

    as Gentleman (segment "The Babbit and the Bromide")

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Anchors Aweigh(1945)

    Choreographer · as Joseph Brady

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Combat Fatigue Irritability (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Director · as Seaman Bob Lucas

  • Christmas Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Robert Manette

  • Cover Girl(1944)

    as Danny McGuire

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Twenty Years After (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as (archive footage)

  • The Cross of Lorraine(1943)

    as Victor

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Thousands Cheer(1943)

    as Eddie Marsh

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Du Barry Was a Lady(1943)

    as Alec Howe / Black Arrow

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Pilot #5 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Vito S. Alessandro

  • For Me and My Gal(1942)

    as Harry Palmer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 71 titles from 1942 to 2024; peak year 1960.

Biggest box office

Xanadu (1980)

$23M worldwide

Highest rated

Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

19422024

Peak 1960 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 16 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting57 of 71: 43 only acting, 14 with another role · typical Midcredits score68thDirecting16 of 71: 8 only directing, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score78thWriting3 of 71: 1 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing3 of 71: 0 only producing, 3 with another roleOther crew15 of 71: 4 only other crew, 11 with another role · typical Midcredits score74th

71 titles, 15 with more than one role — acting and directing overlap on 7 of them.

By decade

1940s18 · 18 acting · 6 crew1950s22 · 18 acting · 10 crew1960s11 · 6 acting · 7 crew1970s6 · 4 acting · 2 crew1980s5 · acting1990s1 · crew2000s4 · acting2010s1 · acting2020s3 · 1 acting · 2 crew

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 39% of 23 roles
424752

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Gene Kelly's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 70th percentile, the median of all 46; across their 38 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 70th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 38

Approval · how many liked their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 38

Reach · how many have seen their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 38

Midcredits score across 48 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up20
  • 50th to 74th17
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

30 of their 48 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser30
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor

AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs: America's Greatest Music in the Movies (2004)

86th percentile spread · 17% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, director

Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Midcredits 99th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 67/100 in their films, across 36 reviewed titles; fans 74, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Gene Kelly's work okay for kids?

Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles1–12 · median 4 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity9 titles4–28 · median 18 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity7 titles0–24 · median 13 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles12–36 · median 20 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles2–13 · median 3 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Gene Kelly work with?

People who share at least 2 of Gene Kelly's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Arthur Freed shares the most, 10.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles