Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron - An American In Paris

musical history.

And when people mention the two men it is always "Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire".

One cannot argue with top billing.

Astaire was the studio established star of the time, but his era was all but done by the time Kelly emerged. The studio protected the reputation of its established star, but thatdoes not change the way history has come to regard these two in retrospect, nor does it change how the world, both professional and public regards them. Kelly is not underrated. Oscar in a new category created especially for him. The most recognised musical in the world. The two most recognised choreographies in movie

Kelly was kept in place at that time by the same studio decisions that maintain that Tom Cruise is the biggest start of his day over infinitely better actors like say Johnny Depp. That is simply the way studio marketing works. It is easiest seen int he control over the popular music market maintained today by Simon Cowel and Simon Fuller, or the RnB Market By Sean Coombs and Dr Dre. Are their people better? Of course not. But that's how it is sold and that's what the poeple of the time go with.

third billing in movies where he was the lead actor.

This and Singing in the rain are masterpieces, but they were the only two real opportunities he was given. Kelly was from the beginning of his career in the 40's a master, but was not regarded so until the 50's when he was already 40+ years old.

All this the result of an unhealthy amount of time spent watching Turner Classic Movies.

"George Balanchine and Rudolph Nureyev rated him the greatest dancer of the twentieth century, and he is generally acknowledged to have been the most influential dancer in the history of film and television musicals.[2] He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute."

I have always felt Astaire to be overrated, but I have always appreciated his humble remarks concerning Kelly. Kelly received a very late recognition in Hollywood. until the 50's he placed ...

I am incredibly grateful to Chocolate Frog for posting this, and for correcting me on a puzzling error, but I must point out that with every post their seems to be a pattern of a rather pretentious one-up-manship. Astaire has said it himself that Kelly was not regarded as highly as he should have been, and according to Wikipedia (to be continued)

With respect, you are looking in the wrong books. Kelly is regarded as by far the better dancer and recognised as the superior choreographer. Astaire was nominated for an Oscar. Kelly had a whole new category created just so one could be awarded him for what he acheived.

Think on this. Everyone from Morcamb and Wise to the muppets have spoofed Singing in the Rain. When Gregory Hines danced with Baryshnakov in White Nights, it was with Kelly he was compared, NOT Astaire.

Buy better books.

I wouldn't call Gene "underrated" but he does seem to take a backseat to Fred even though they were totally different, yet equal, dancers. Like you look in a book about musicals and they'll be 4 big pictures of Fred and a tiny one of Gene.

Underrated? I don't think so.

Kelly is regarded as one of the greats of the Hollywood Golden Era. Singin' in the Rain is - along with The King and I and The Sound of Music - the highest rated movie musical ever. An American in Paris is recognised by critics and students of film, alongside Ctizen Kane, as the perfect film. For this picture the Academy created a special Oscar to mark his achievement in film choreography.

Those are hardly the hallmarks of someone who has gone underrated.

Actually not. It's the grand suite from the composition An American In Paris - also by Gershwin. The movie score arrangement for this sequence is by Johnny Green.