When I am down and low, when I feel like nothing in the world can make me feel better, there are three things I turn to - Amelie (the French movie), Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire.
Amelie, is this AWESOME movie about an ordinary girl's desire to want to do good to others in small simple ways, like helping her landlady make peace with her past and her husband who left her for another woman. It is a simple story of a girl who spends her time alone dreaming about all the things we would dream about and trying to find love in her own life. Needless to say of course that it all works out well in the end and leaves us with a warn glow in our hearts. I have to say hats off and a heartfelt THANK YOU to director Jean-Pierre Jeunet for making such a lovely feel good movie.
But I digress. This blog is not about Amelie. As the title suggests, this is about the sheer genius of Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. Though both these stars are accomplished in many fields, the one I am referring to of course, is dancing! Watching these two move across the dance floor gives me goosebumps and a grin everytime. Each of these stars have the ability to transport me to a different world all together. A world where every thing is beautiful and just right. And then they came together in Ziegfeld Follies' dance number The Babbit And The Bromide and created magic! I have to share it with you in case you haven't already seen it and even if you have, for the sheer pleasure of watching this again....
Fred Astaire And Gene Kelly - Zeigfeld Follies (1946)
Even when these two are not dancing together,which was rare to begin with as they performed together only twice in their lives,watching each individually is one of the most uplifting feelings that I have ever felt. Be it Gene Kelly Singing In The Rain with Debbie Reynolds or Fred Astaire Dancing Cheek To Cheek with Ginger Rogers in Top Hat, there is never a time when I am watching one of their movies or dance routines and I don't have a silly smile on my face!
Gene Kelly - Singing In The Rain (1952)
Fred Astaire - Top Hat (1935)
I will never forget the first time I saw a Gene Kelly movie or a Fred Astaire movie on television. In India, my generation has largely not been exposed to these movies unless the parents are enthusiasts. Luckily for me though, TCM showed only old Hollywood movies. Unfortunately, that channel is no longer available on Tatasky. I used to record a few movies everyday. I started admiring Spencer Tracy and Ingrid Bergman. I developed great respect for Katherine Hepburn and Myrna Loy and cannot possibly not mention Red Skelton and Jack Lemon! Of course, I obsessively recorded any Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire movie that was aired. That is when I realised that nothing and no one made me feel as good as seeing these two dance.
So here's to the two most well known men in the dancing world! Thank you for making all the difference to my world!
