He's got rhythm The life and career of Gene Kelly

ONE OF GENE KELLY'S CO-STARS, the swimmer Esther Williams, leftfor posterity a succinct version of his life story: He was "a jerk, but he could dance!" Cynthia Brideson and Sara Brideson's "He's Got Rhythm," the first substantial biography of Kelly since his death in 1996, provides the details Williams leftout, but essentially says the same thing. The book retells the accepted view of Kelly's scandal-free life. He was a happily married man (that is, happily married until his divorce from his first wife, Betsy Blair, then happily married to his second, Jeanne Coyne, until her death, and then happily married to his third, Patricia Ward, until his own death). He was a devoted father to his three children (one with Blair, two with Coyne), a wonderful host to a world of friends at lively parties he gave in the house that was his home for 50 years, and, although a demanding taskmaster who could make Cyd Charisse cry, a heck of a swell guy who was tough only because of his incredible dedication to his profession. Is there no more? Was Gene Kelly, as he asks about Leslie Caron in "An American in Paris" (1951), the "still water that doesn't run deep"? The Brideson sisters offer little analysis of what they refer to as his "complexity," but they do raise significant issues. They admit "Gene pushed people to their limit." They quote friends who testify to Kelly's rages whenever he lost a game of any sort. (The composer André Previn, once a member of Kelly's elite circle of Hollywood intellectuals, stopped attending his parties because of the host's "desperate need to be the best.") Betsy Blair Kelly mentions his "lack of deep friendships" (in the authors' words), and Kelly himself is quoted as saying: "Show business is all I know. Take it away from me and you've taken everything." The book never addresses in depth the inner life of the man who said that, nor does it explain what generated his towering rages (other than a volleyball). The Brideson sisters - the authors of "Ziegfeld and His Follies" (Sara died earlier this year) - do cover Kelly's professional story in full detail. Eugene Curran Kelly was born in 1912, the third of five children in a Pittsburgh family. When he leftfor New York in 1938 at age 26, he was a college graduate, an experienced dancer and a co-owner of successful dance schools. Within three years, he made theater history, as the original Harry the Hoofer in "The Time of Your Life" (1939), the star of the groundbreaking musical "Pal Joey" (1940) and the dance director for the hit show "Best Foot Forward" (1941). He proved himself as actor, musical performer and choreographer - the tripartite basis of his lifetime success. It was inevitable that Hollywood would seek him out. Kelly went to California (with his 17- year-old bride) in November 1941. It was ideal timing. His wolfish charm, Irish grin and macho flamboyance were perfect for World War II musicals. Kelly, who later called himself the "Brando of dance," breezed on screen, clad in loafers and baseball caps, the embodiment of democracy. He didn't soar like his predecessor, the unparalleled Fred Astaire, who was as light as air. Kelly was connected to the earth, selling an insistent masculinity. He starred in a series of hit musicals, among them "On the Town" (1949), "An American in Paris" and "Singin' in the Rain" (1952). (If he had made no other film, his "doodle, doo, doo" dance in the downpour would have ensured his place in the movie pantheon.) Behind the scenes, Kelly stretched the concept of what a movie musical could be. Working with his most sympathetic collaborator, Stanley Donen, he used a rapidly moving camera to let the audience experience the sensation of dancing, infusing the moving image with the kinetic spirit of dance, capturing its energy and forward flow. He edited his dances without disturbing a viewer's sense of involvement. He danced with himself, using double exposure in "Cover Girl" (1944), and with the animated Jerry the Mouse in "Anchors Aweigh" (1945). Under Vincente Minnelli's direction, he created a 17- minute ballet that helped win a best-picture Oscar for "An American in Paris." Kelly's star rose steadily from the early 1940s until 1954, when the Bridesons pinpoint a change in his fortunes: "42- year-old Gene had fallen to the lowest point of his career." Stanley Donen had lefthim and was thriving as a director; his dance assistant, Carol Haney, had become a Broadway star; Vincente Minnelli had moved on; and Betsy Blair was making the Oscarwinning "Marty," for which she'd be nominated as best supporting actress. In an effort to regain mastery, Kelly conceived and directed his magnum opus, "Invitation to the Dance" (1956), a resounding flop. His 1958 TV special, "Dancing: A Man's Game," featuring Johnny Unitas, Sugar Ray Robinson and Mickey Mantle, was respected for his efforts to prove dancing was as masculine as sports like football, boxing and baseball, but Kelly never again achieved the level of success he had found in his collaborations with Donen and Minnelli. He was always respected and never forgotten, acting in movies, directing in both theater and film, and appearing on television. He died an acknowledged innovator and important force in the maturing of the American movie musical. His historical relevance deserves an analytical book with original insight, and Kelly's widow, Patricia Ward Kelly, a major force in keeping his reputation alive, is known to be at work on one. In the meantime, "He's Got Rhythm" provides a comprehensive overview enhanced by references to many previously published works, particularly Betsy Blair's 2003 autobiography, "The Memory of All That." JEANINE BASINGER'S latest book is "I Do and I Don't: A History of Marriage in the Movies."

Actor Gene Kelly (1912-96) will forever be linked with innovative dance routines and Singin' in the Rain, but he also choreographed, acted, directed, sang, produced films, was active in politics and sports, served in the military, and was a loving parent and family man. Kelly spoke several languages and lived in Europe for years. Coauthors Brideson and Brideson (Ziegfield and His Follies; Also Starring...: Forty Biographical Essays on the Greatest Character Actors of Hollywood's Golden Era, 1930-1965) draw from biographies and autobiographies of Kelly and his friends and family, "previously untapped primary sources," reviews, articles, and interviews. Kelly's life was largely in the spotlight, and he knew the promotional value of being accessible to the press. No secrets are revealed here, as it was already known that Kelly could be a harsh taskmaster, prone to the occasional homophobic slur. Overall, readers will get a well-documented recounting of a man who, despite shortcomings, believed that "true talent seems to show itself most often in kindness." VERDICT This title is slightly academic in tone, with a solid focus on Kelly's work life. Suitable for theater and film libraries and public libraries in need of a new biography of the performer.-Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley Sch., Fort Worth, TX © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.