Gene Kelly

1912 - 1996  (83 years)    Has 2 ancestors and 3 descendants in this family tree.

• Name	Gene Kelly
  Relationship	with Francis Fox
  Born	23 Aug 1912	Pittsburgh
  Gender	Male
  Died	2 Feb 1996
  Person ID	I372529	Geneagraphie
  Last Modified	30 Mar 2002

  
  

  Father	James Kelly,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Mother	Harriet Curran,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Siblings	4 siblings
  1. Jay Kelly   2. Jim Kelly   3. Louise Kelly   4. Fred Kelly
  Family ID	F147577	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Betsy Blair
  Married	Sep 1941	Philadelphia, PA, USA
  Divorced	1957
  Children	1. Living
  Last Modified	30 Mar 2002
  Family ID	F147578	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Jeannie Coyne,   d. 1973
  Married	1960
  Children	1. Living   2. Living
  Last Modified	30 Mar 2002
  Family ID	F147574	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 3	Patricia Ward
  Married	1990
  Last Modified	30 Mar 2002
  Family ID	F147579	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map	Click to display
  		Married - Sep 1941 - Philadelphia, PA, USA  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos

  372529.jpg

  
  

• Notes

  When Gene was younger he hated taking lessons, but that changed in highschool when he discovered that it made him popular with the girls. Gene was involved in many sports. Gymnastics, ice hockey, swimming, football, and baseball. He wanted to be a professional baseball player and play for the Pittsburgh Pirates when he grew up. In 1929 he enrolled in Penn State to major in journalism. After the crash he and his brother Fred performed in ametuer shows to help his parents financially. He later transferred to the University of Pittsburgh and graduated in 1933 with an economics major. In 1932, the Gene Kelly Studio of Dance was founded and had buildings in both Pittsburgh and Johnstown. Gene, Louise, and Fred were teachers, while his parents helped out with bookeeping, etc. Gene's first big break came in 1938 when he landed a role in Cole Porter's Leave it to me. He was wrapped up in an eskimo suit and was one of the many suitors turned down by the star of the play. He later starred in William Saroyan's The Time of Your Life in 1939. He then starred in Rodgers & Hart's Pal Joey where he was an immense hit. It was then that he was noticed by Hollywood. He joined Hollywood in 1942, but for six months was not cast in a single movie. After six months he was cast along with Judy Garland in For Me and my Gal. This was Judy Garland's first adult role. MGM than bought out his contract and starred him in a couple of movies that didn't really accent his talents. He was then lent to a floundering studio for one movie. This movie was Cover Girl, co-starring Rita Hayworth and it was a smash. It was than that MGM realized his talents and cast him in appropriate roles. Gene married Betsy Blair in Philadelphia in September of 1941. Their daughter, Kerry, was born in 1942. They divorced in 1957 after 15 years of marriage. Later he married Jeannie Coyne in 1960. They had a son, Timothy, born in 1962, and daughter, Bridget, born in 1965. Jeannie died of cancer in 1973. Gene then stayed close to home to be with his two young children. He married again in 1990 to Patricia Ward Gene Kelly died on February 2, 1996 at age 83.