Notes On A Napkin

I just got this photo of Gene leading the Broadway Melody number in Singin' in the Rain, and I am happy to have it for the collection. There are things in it that I never noticed before, including the "SPECIAL FEATURE TRIP TO ASIA" sign at the back. As was typical then, the dancers are uncredited. But, with hope, some of you can identify them. I love the way that Gene leans into this, with one foot off the ground and the other on his toes. His whole body captures the movement. I'd say perfectly.

This still photo from the dream sequence in Anchors Aweigh always reminds me of the lyrics in Cole Porter's song "Get Out of Town": "Why not retire to a farm / And be contented to charm the birds off the trees." Porter wrote it for his 1938 musical "Leave It to Me!," which was Gene's first show on Broadway. It was sung by Tamara Drasin, who was often credited simply as Tamara. It was one of Gene's favorite songs. He said it was a song that he wished he could have performed.

Tamara also introduced another of Gene's favorites—Jerome Kern's and Otto Harbach's "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"—in the 1933 Broadway musical Roberta. Gene sang both to me, and, yes, I'm convinced he could sing the birds off the trees.

As always seems to happen to me these days, I go into the archive in search of one thing and come out with another. In this case, I went in search of a certain shadowy photo of Gene looking ominous in his overcoat and trilby hat as the murdering character in Christmas Holiday. Instead, I came out with this wonderful behind-the-scenes photo of director Robert Siodmak high on the camera crane directing Gene and his co-star Deanna Durbin, seen on the right looking out from the third-story balcony of a French-quarter cafe constructed on the Universal lot.

The description printed on the back of this photo describes this as a "tricky walking scene," with Gene and Durbin in a single traveling shot that "takes them from the third floor balcony to the patio." If you've never seen this movie, maybe this is a good time to check it out. If you have seen it, maybe it is time to revisit it and watch for the camera movement. Despite the title, it is definitely not a cheerful musical, though many who went to see it in 1944 thought that's what they were getting with Gene Kelly and Deanna Durbin!

Another recent acquisition for the archives. I have many photos from Gene's TV special "An American in Pasadena," but this one eluded me. I love the dynamism in this still photograph—the strength and power evident in Cyd Charisse's movement toward Gene. Not to mention, the inherent grace. Cyd's costume, like her iconic green dress in Singin' in the Rain, artfully reveals the long line of her beautiful legs, while adding to the fluidity in her pose. The show, directed by Gene's friend Marty Pasetta and written by another friend, Buz Kohan, was shot with a live audience at Pasadena Civic Auditorium in December 1977 and then aired on CBS on March 13, 1978. Gene is 65 here and Cyd 55.

I just read a comment on IMDb posted by a Brian Bradford. He says, "I worked on this show and Kelly was a wonderful guy. He was a down to earth hard working good guy." Thank you Brian, wherever you are. That pretty well sums up the guy I knew.

For his 80th birthday in 1992, Gene sent letters to his friends and family, saying that he and I were taking to the "high hills" to avoid the attendant publicity. In fact, we headed to one of our favorite haunts—the beautiful, European-style Bel Air Hotel—signed in under an alias and camped out in the Swan Suite. It was heaven. We had spent our honeymoon there two years before, and we loved every minute. Here you see Gene celebrating his birthday in classic Gene Kelly style—in his "jammies," with cookies and a Stinger for dessert after a glorious dinner with champagne to start. Would that I could wind back time.

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Well, since we’re on the topic of friends stopping by to visit friends, here is a photo of Eartha Kitt and Ike Jones visiting Gene on the set of Brigadoon (1954). Born in South Carolina in 1927, Kitt performed with one of Gene’s favorite companies—the Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe. Like Gene, she spoke fluent French. Born in Santa Monica, California in 1929, Ike Jones was the first African American graduate from the UCLA film school (1952). He was also the first to produce an A-List Hollywood movie, A Man Called Adam (1966). Jones received the Oscar Micheaux Award from the Producers Guild of America in 1995, an award named for the trail-blazing producer, director, writer Oscar Micheaux. Jones secretly married actress Inger Stevens in 1961. Gene cast her in A Guide for the Married Man (1967). Sadly, she died by suicide in 1970. Interesting connections. Friends.

Well, since we’re on the subject of backstage visitors and friendships, here’s another one for you: Fred Astaire visiting Gene and Judy Garland on the set of The Pirate. Fred had “retired” in 1945. Unbeknownst to all of them at this point, Fred would soon fill Gene’s role in Easter Parade due to Gene’s broken ankle. And to correct another fervent myth: Gene’s ankle was broken in a backyard volleyball game when he and his friend Noel Howard went up for a ball and Noel came down on Gene’s ankle and snapped it. So it wasn’t Gene stomping his foot in a rage or the even more outrageous lie that he was yelling homophobic epithets (thanks to Arthur Laurents!). It was Gene who suggested to MGM that they bring Astaire out of retirement to take his place. Gene told me that Fred graciously called Gene to ask if it was okay with him. Gene said, Yes, I told them to call you. Gene had choreographed much of the picture, so you see Astaire dancing to Kelly’s choreography. And that changed the trajectory of Astaire’s career. So there you have it. Friendship.

Gene believed in ballet training for the core of his movement and through it learned the value in maintaining the long “line” of his body. By the same token, he learned that he could “break” the line to create an effect, as he did here when he performed for some of the dancers from The Young Girls of Rochefort. Young people often asked Gene what they should study and he said, “Everything!” And he meant everything, including every form of dance. He felt you needed classical training to dance Jazz—the line in order to break the line.

I love the ease in Gene’s glance over at Olivia Newton-John in this photo from Xanadu. He adored her and he tailored the choreography to make her shine. As Olivia writes in her book Don’t Stop Belivin’, “That was the thing about Gene: it wasn’t about him looking like the best dancer. He wanted the entire dance to be the best dance ever, which meant everyone would look his or her best….Gene choreographed the dance to make me look like I had been tapping my entire life.” She goes on to talk about something that was central to Gene: “Gene taught me lessons that went beyond dancing,” she writes. “One day on the Xanadu set, he said that there had to be a raison d’etre for everything you did, on the dance floor and in life….Gene meant that there has to be an important reason or purpose for someone or something to exist. ‘We always need a reason for being. A reason at the core,’ Gene explained. ‘Something that excites you. Motivates you. Thrills you. That gives you purpose to do the work in the first place.” A good lesson, I’d say…