He Made Hollywood So Glamorous!

Perhaps the biggest portion that defined the Hollywood Golden Age of film that has lost almost every bit of momentum as the years of cinema pass by is the popularity of the movie musical. During World War II, dramas were rare and though the few that were made were exceptional, audiences wanted folly and comedy and the studios obliged. Actors from Danny Kaye to Fred Astaire, and actresses from Audrey Hepburn to Doris Day defined what a classic musical should be, but the man who defined above all what it meant to smile through song and dance was the incomparable Gene Kelly.
Gene danced like no one else. He had a power, a masculinity that one could not even begin to describe without the accompaniment of his moves. Choreographing everything he appeared in, Gene just had a natural talent for understanding the body and what made it look beautiful on the silver screen. If it was possible to only look at one work that exemplifies Gene's talent it has to be An American In Paris from MGM in 1951.
Is it the best film Gene is in? Decidedly not. Nor is it the best musical that Gene did work for (that title goes to Singin' In the Rain(1952)). But what makes this the film to watch to understand fully the talent of Gene Kelly, comes in the last 17 minutes of the film--the infamous An American in Paris ballet.
Gene choreographed, directed, staged and danced every aspect of the ballet. It took $500,000 to shoot and one month to complete it-yet without it, the film is incomplete and simply, it is the best example of what dedication and art to the craft of tap, jazz and ballet the brilliant Kelly brought to every frame.
An American In Paris won six Academy Awards including Best Picture but the lack of a Best Choreography statuette did not hold back the recognition of the power that Gene brought to the screen throughout the film, and especially the last 17 minutes. The Academy awarded Gene Kelly with a special honorary Oscar for his work and sheer appreciation for what he did for movie musicals.
In my opinion: the most deserved award; and upon viewing An American In Paris, s'wonderful when Oscar gets it right.