The Gene Scene, an Associate of Amazon.com Books, is proud to offer musical-related books for sale. Amazon.com is the best source for in-print books. Links for books, when available, are provided below.
The Memory of All That: Love and Politics in New York, Hollywood, and Paris
Betsy Blair, Gene's first wife, has written her memoirs. Betsy's life is fascinating even if she did not have the distinction of being the wife of Gene Kelly. She had a career of her own both in the theater and on film, including her Academy Award nominated role in the film Marty. Her involvement with politics caused scrutiny by the Communist-hunters of the 1950s. After she and Gene divorced in 1957, she married director Karel Reisz. Betsy now lives in London. Having had the wonderful opportunity to meet her, I can vouch that she is as exuberant as she probably was as a young teenager when she met Gene! Order the book now from Amazon.com - click here!
Gene Kelly was working on his autobiography for the last two decades of his life. First his work was destroyed by a house fire in 1983. Then he died before completing it. However, it has long been believed that his wife, writer Patricia Ward Kelly, would complete his work and publish it. It was to be entitled Life's Too Short after one of Gene's favorite sayings. Unfortunately, the book is currently delayed. As soon as I hear about an official publication date, the news will be posted here.
Gene Kelly : A Life of Dance and Dreams
This book by Alvin Yudkoff is the most recent Gene biography. According to Amazon.com, "In this candid biography, the beloved dancer, choreographer, actor, and director is depicted for the first time not just as the genius and star whom millions still watch with awe, but as the complex and difficult man his family, intimates, and colleagues knew." While this isn't the best biography by far, it presents the first half of Gene's life well. To buy:
This is a coffee-table-size biography with plenty of photos. Although this was published in April, 1997, the publisher appears to be out of stock. Morley and Leon's biography relies heavily upon the work of Clive Hirschhorn, which means that any factual errors Clive had, they now have too (Gene's birthday is the 23rd of August according to documents in his own handwriting, not the 3rd). Overall, if you are a Gene fan you will enjoy the book and you will definitely enjoy the photos. Leslie Caron writes a lovely, touching introduction. Buy from Amazon.com
Reel to Real: 25 Years of Celebrity Interviews by David Fantle and Thomas Johnson
Okay, so this isn't technically a biography, but it contains a great interview with Gene as well as many other stars of his era. Buy it from Amazon.com
Gene Kelly by Clive Hirschhorn.
(London: W. H. Allen, 1974, 1984 and Chicago: Regnery, 1974) This was the first version of Gene's biography and it was published during Gene's life. Although it is very enjoyable, certain aspects of Mr. Kelly's life are not well represented, including his involvement with liberal politics in the 40s and the dissolution of his friendship with Stanley Donen. Also, the first printing was in the early 70s with a slight revision around 1985, so the latter part of Gene's life is not portrayed. Overall, this is a worthwhile biography, but because it is out of print, it is extremely difficult to find, and well worth the price once you do find it.
The Films of Gene Kelly by Tony Thomas.
(NY: Citadel Press, 1974, 1991) This is one of the many "Films of" books in the series by Citadel publishing. The book lists each of Gene's films in order with a detailed plot summary and plenty of pictures. This book is out of print and hard to find.
Gene Kelly by Jeanine Basinger
(NY: Pyramid, 1976) This is one of a series of small biographies in the "Pyramid Illustrated History of the Movies." Though small, it is very enjoyable and out of print.
Tap! by Rusty E. Frank
(NY: Morrow, 1990) This book does not have a chapter devoted to Gene, but it does focus on brother Fred Kelly. And of course, Fred talks about growing up with Gene and their "early" show business days. There's also great chapters on Donald O'Connor and the Nicholas Brothers. Buy from Amazon.com.
Musicals
Singin' in the Rain by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Yes, folks, this is the script to our favorite movie. This publication is now out of print.
Singin' in the Rain by Peter Wollen
(London: BFI Publishing, 1992). This is a very small book, but it is full of information about the movie. Buy from Amazon.com.
MGM's Greatest Musicals: The Arthur Freed Unit
by Hugh Fordin, NY: Da Capo Press, 1996. This book is an "unabridged republication," or a paperback reprint of the book originally titled The World of Entertainment! Hollywood's Greatest Musicals, published by Doubleday in 1975. This is an excellent history of the Freed Unit, who produced not only many of Gene's greatest musicals (Singin' in the Rain, On the Town, An American in Paris, The Pirate), but also other greats like Meet Me in St. Louis. This is a must for film musical fans. Click to purchase from Amazon.com
They Sang! They Danced! They Romanced! A Pictorial History of the Movie Musical
by John Springer with a foreward by Gene Kelly, Citadel Press: 1991. A great overview of the golden age of movie musicals! This book is now out of print.
The Great Movie Musical Trivia Book
by Jeff Kurtti, Applause: 1996. A great source for trivia! This book includes a favorite of the Gene Team: Singin' in the Rain. Available from Amazon.com
Red Hot & Blue : A Smithsonian Salute to the American Musical
by Amy Henderson, Dwight Blocker Bowers, and the National Portrait Gallery. This is a large hardcover published by the Smithsonian Institution in November, 1996 to honor the history of the American musical. And hey, check out that cover! Available from Amazon.com
The New York Musicals of Comden & Green : On the Town, Wonderful Town, Bells Are Ringing
by Betty Comden, Adolph Green (Editor), Leonard Bernstein. This 328 page hardcover, published in October 1996, is a must for Comden and Green fans!
Available from Amazon.com.
The American Film Musical
by Rick Altman, paperback, published March, 1989. Available from Amazon.com
Hollywood Musicals Year by Year
by Stanley Green, paperback, published December, 1990. Available from Amazon.com
The Melody Lingers On: The Great Songwriters and Their Movie Musicals
by Roy Hemming. A must for movie musical fans.
Available from Amazon.com
The Magic Factory: How MGM Made An American in Paris
by Donald Knox. (NY: Praeger, 1973) If you like An American in Paris, this small book tells how the film came to be. Unfortunately, it's also out of print and very rare.
The Hollywood Musical by Clive Hirschhorn (foreward by Gene Kelly). (London: Octopus Books, 1981 and NY: Crown, 1981) This is another coffee table book with "1,354 Films Described and Illustrated." It's out of print and hard to find.
Showstoppers: Busby Berkeley and the Tradition of Spectacle
by Martin Rubin. (Columbia University Press, 1993) Complete study of Berkeley's career, illustrated with numerous photographs. Available from Amazon.com
The Sound of Music : The Making of America's Favorite Movie
by Julia Antopol Hirsch, paperback, published November, 1993. Okay, so maybe it's not America's favorite musical, but it was a lot of fun. We won't mention that Gene turned down the opportunity to direct this immensely successful film. Availble from Amazon.com
Gene's Favorite Books
As you may already know, Gene Kelly was an avid reader. I've tracked down the following references about what kinds of books he enjoyed.
In the book Gene Kelly - Versatility Personified by Michael Burrows (1972), Gene is asked: “As an avid reader, is there a particular book to which you turn from time to time - and why?”
Gene answered, “James Stephens' The Crock of Gold, simply because it delights me, and in this troubled world gives me surcease and balm for my woes.”
In the book Gene Kelly by Clive Hirschhorn, Gene relates the story of meeting Cole Porter while working on Porter's Broadway show Leave It to Me in 1938:
“I was sitting alone in a corner of the theater during rehearsals one morning,” Gene said, “when Cole spotted me and asked Bob Alton who that unusual man was - and what I was doing reading instead of ‘making time’ with the girls like the other guys. Alton asked him whether he'd like to meet me, and Cole said yes, he would. He was curious to know what I was reading. So Alton introduced Cole, who was still in a wheelchair as a result of his riding accident, and we shook hands. I told him I was reading Point Counter Point, and he asked me what I thought about Huxley. Then he wanted to know if I'd been to college and what, ultimately, I wanted to do in show-business. I told him, and he promised to help if he could.”
Other Movie Stars
Natasha : The Biography of Natalie Wood
By Suzanne Finstad (Hardcover - June 2001) This is the newest bio on the talented actress. It's available from Amazon.com
Me and My Shadows: A Family Memoir
By Lorna Luft (Judy Garland's daughter). This account of Judy's life by her daughter was made into a television movie in 2001. Available from Amazon.com
Judy Garland : World's Greatest Entertainer
By John Fricke. Tons of photos of Judy! Available from Amazon.com
Judy Garland: Beyond the Rainbow
By Ruth Leon and Sheridan Morely. Available from Amazon.com
Dancing on the Ceiling: Stanley Donen and His Movies
By Stephen Silverman. Warning: This book does not speak kindly of Gene! Silverman tells much about Donen's films, but little about his actual life. While Gene is presented unfavorably throughout, the author does not provide any insight into the dissolution of the Donen/Kelly friendship. He also comments all too little on Donen's relationship with Betsy Blair (the first Mrs. Kelly) or his wife Jeannie Coyne, who later became the second Mrs. Kelly. Available from Amazon.com
All or Nothing at All: A Life of Frank Sinatra
By Donald Clarke. Latest Sinatra bio. Available from Amazon.com
Frank Sinatra Film Companion
By Daniel O'Brien. Detailed info on all of Sinatra's movies, including the three in which he co-starred with Gene. Available from Amazon.com
A Talent for Genius: The Life and Times of Oscar Levant
By Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger. An interesting bio of Gene's An American in Paris co-star. Available from Amazon.com
Debbie: My Life
By Debbie Reynolds, paperback, published February, 1991. In her autobiography, Debbie depicts Gene as a slavedriver on the set of Singin' in the Rain and recalls how Gene didn't want her to star in it. She later recanted these details in interviews, especially after Gene's death. Debbie gives a good account of her exciting life.Available from Amazon.com
The Golden Age of Movie Musicals and Me
By Saul Chaplin, 1994. Songwriter Saul Chaplin (Gene's friend) writes about his career in the movies. Available from Amazon.com
Off Stage
By Betty Comden, 1996. Betty Comden gives an account of her early life before she became one of the scriptwriters of Singin' in the Rain and On the Town. Available from Amazon.com
Other Film Books
Marjorie Morningstar: A Novel
by Herman Wouk. Well, it's not about Gene, but it's the novel his movie was based on. First published in 1955, Marjorie Morningstar is about a young woman ready to rebel against her traditional family values (a serious version of the movie Dirty Dancing!). The novel is quite different from the movie and is actually a better story. Available from Amazon.com
MGM: When the Lion Roars
by Peter Hay. (Atlanta: Turner Publishing, 1991) A coffee table book about the history of MGM with tons of pictures and information. Available from Amazon.com
Best of MGM: The Golden Years 1928-1959
by James Robert Parish - Includes bios of all your favorite stars. Available from Amazon.com
Also try searching for hard-to-find books on E-Bay!
(C) 1996-2008 Donna J. Pointkouski
Reproduction is forbidden without the express written consent of the author.
Creation Date: September 10, 1996
Last Updated: November 30, 2008
The Gene Scene, an Associate of Amazon.com Books, is proud to offer musical-related books for sale. Amazon.com is the best source for in-print books. Links for books, when available, are provided below.
by Amy Henderson, Dwight Blocker Bowers, and the National Portrait Gallery. This is a large hardcover published by the Smithsonian Institution in November, 1996 to honor the history of the American musical. And hey, check out that cover! Available from Amazon.com
