Let's celebrate Gene Kelly!

Hi everyone,

As you may know--especially if you read my post about attending last month's screening of Singin' in the Rain--Gene Kelly is one of my most favorite people no longer on the planet.

I can't remember exactly when I fell in love, but my first memory of him was watching his "Heather on the Hill" dance with Cyd Charisse in Brigadoon when I was  11 or 12. However, he was also in Xanadu, a movie I was completely obsessed with when I was 6! I had no idea who he was at the time--clearly mesmerized solely by that movie's combination of Olivia Newton John, roller skating, and catchy songs that I sang along to every time. But maybe it was really in Xanadu that Gene Kelly tapped into in my subconscious.

So, you could say that Gene Kelly's been in my life for most of it. And I can't image it without him. I joke that I must have fallen on my head when I was 12 because I seem to have never passed that celebrity-obsessed teenybopper stage. When I was 12, my life was about my three heroes: Johnny, Sting, and Gene!

After Brigadoon, I had to see every Gene Kelly movie I could find and read all about him. He's a really important figure in dance and film history, having invented a whole new dance style and making it accessible to everyone. But I never really thought of Gene that way: In my eyes, he was confident and handsome and romantic and smart and funny--and he danced on air!

Today would have been Gene Kelly's 100th birthday, and I've been contemplating how to celebrate it. Last night, I was still in the throes of brainstorming! What's the best way to spread the love to you about a guy who hit his prime in the early 1950s?

While pondering this question, I watched "So You Think You Can Dance," my summertime obsession! The weekly dance competition, which is working its way toward finding America's Two Favorite Dancers (one guy and one girl),  is down to its Top 10 contestants. This week, the group opened the show with a Gene Kelly tribute choreographed by Tyce Diorio. The dance, a kaleidoscope of Gene's famous dances and movie moments, began with the camera focused on Cyrus (my Favorite Guy) snapping a film clapperboard with Gene Kelly's name written on it. I gasped at the sight of it and beamed smiles as I recognized each familiar character and move.

That's it! Nobody makes me smile like Gene Kelly. Last week, Julie and Liam gave me a customized iphone case that's decorated with three photographs of Gene. I don't even own an iphone yet, but the case makes me smile whenever I look at it.

But what really sends me over the moon is the dancing. Gene shared pure joy with every step.

So, here's to a year of Gene Kelly celebration! I haven't yet figured out a schedule, what I'll call it, or what I'll draw, but The Kitties are already in rehearsal and auditioning for the starring role of our tribute. (Don't worry, I'll let you know when I figure out all the details.)

While The Kitties and I don't plan to feature his entire filmography, we will honor our favorite Gene Kelly dances from most of his musicals--with a few surprises thrown in as extra treats. I'll also be sure to include videos of each dance so that you can see the inspiration. May they give you the same glorious feeling I get every time I see them. It's kind of like this....

Our Gene Kelly Tribute is coming soon, so stay tuned.... In the meantime, don't forget to catch some of Gene's movies today on TCM. His wife, Patricia, is hanging out with host Robert Osborne this evening, starting at 8 p.m. Good movies, amazing songs and dances, and trivia--Talk about treats!

Enjoy,

Image copyright credits: Brigadoon: MGM; Xanadu: Universal Pictures; Gene Kelly still: unknown; Singin' in the Rain: MGM.

TCM's Summer Under the Stars

Hi everyone,

© Turner Classic Movies)

Is Melissa's Kitties turning into Movie Central? I don't watch movies all the time, I swear, but August is one of my favorite months of the year--movie-wise. Every August, Turner Classic Movies celebrates Summer Under the Stars, dedicating each day to the films of a single movie star. I think TCM created this festival just for me since that's pretty much how my brain works: If I see a good movie with a good actor in it, I need to see all of that actor's movies as soon as possible. In August, TCM makes that easy! As an extra treat, you might fall for another movie star you've never noticed before!

Here are some of this month's highlights:

• August 2: Myrna Loy -- She rocks in everything! The Best Years of Our Lives and The Thin Man are two of my favorite films.
• August 4: Marilyn Monroe -- As a kid, I worshipped Marilyn, so any movie today is good in my eyes. See The Prince and the Showgirl, Some Like it Hot, and The Seven Year Itch.
• August 5: Claude Rains -- He's got the voice. Now, Voyager! (with Bette Davis, who I love) and The Invisible Man are both great!
• August 7: Sidney Poitier -- He's got class. See Paris Blues (with Paul Newman, the coolest of the cool) and A Patch of Blue too! 
• August 8: Rita Hayworth -- Did you know she was a fantastic dancer? Check her out with Fred Astaire in You'll Never Get Rich and You Were Never Lovelier. (She was supposedly his favorite dance partner. You'll see why.)
• August  10: Lionel Barrymore -- It's Mr. Potter! Find him in You Can't Take It With You for a good laugh and Key Largo because it's awesome.  
• August 12: Ginger Rogers -- Swing Time has my favorite Fred and Ginger dance in it. Stage Door offers some great acting from a starry ensemble cast--including Katharine Hepburn, Eve Arden, and Ann Miller--and a good cry. 
• August 17: Katharine Hepburn -- You can't go wrong with this lady, but I'd recommend Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (with Sidney Poitier) and Bringing Up Baby (with the great Cary Grant--and a big cat). 
• August 22: Jack Lemmon -- You can't go wrong with this guy either. Today, I'd recommend The Apartment. You can also catch him in Some Like it Hot, which is being shown on Marilyn's day, August 4).
• August 23: Gene Kelly -- You know how I feel about this guy. Wish him a happy 100th birthday, take the day off, and watch all you can! Or: Assuming everyone's seen An American in Paris and Singin' in the Rain, I recommend On the Town (Gene's personal favorite), Cover Girl (with Rita Hayworth), and Inherit the Wind (an excellent drama with two of my other favorites, Spencer Tracy and Frederic March--not too shabby!)
• August 29: Ingrid Bergman -- See Gaslight and Casablanca because TCM host Robert Osborne would tell you they're Essential.

TCM should really hire me, don't you think? Get into your pajamas, make some popcorn, and enjoy!