Gene Kelly (1912-1996): His vital, cheerful masculinity belied his sensitivity and grace as both a choreographer and dancer, so Gene, who had planned to make only one film before returning to Broadway, found himself a movie star, in demand for both dancing and dramatic roles, and he retained that status for forty years. Kelly said about his film career: “There was no model for what I tried to do with dance. The critics didn’t know how to categorize it.”