IN PERSON- Gene Kelly—Singing and Dancing in the Rain

This program will be delivered via Zoom and will be streamed to our Kingsley Room. If you want to watch the program from home, register here.

Gene Kelly is one of the most engaging and influential dancers to ever set foot in Hollywood. He came at a time when movie dance was basically just a showcase for elegant partners in motion, but within a few years he had transformed not only the nature of male dancing but also the crucial role of the camera in making dance come alive on the big screen. Starting in the 1940s, Gene Kelly created dozens of classic numbers which helped to define the American movie musical and which continue to delight audiences of all ages around the world. This presentation will survey Kelly’s remarkable achievements, and examine his enduring impact on Hollywood.

Brian Rose is a professor emeritus at Fordham University. He’s written several books on television history and cultural programming, and conducted more than a hundred Q&A’s with leading directors, actors, and writers for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Screen Actors Guild, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and the Directors Guild of America.

Like all Southbury Public Library programs, this event is free to attend and open to anyone regardless of town of residency. Registration is required. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Southbury Public Library. For more information about this program, please email Rebecca at rrandall@biblio.org or call the reference desk at 203-262-0626 ext 130.