Gene Kelly: A Celebration

Rating:
Summary: Colorful, but not entirely comprehensive!
Review: I am so ecstatic that they finally have a book out there all about Gene Kelly.. The pictures are great. It's well worth your time to order it.. I am such a HUGE fan of Gene Kelly, he is the ultimate cure for the blues, him and chocolate <grin> Forever sigin' In The Rain.. :o)

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book
Review: I really thought this book was great! If you are a Gene Kelly fan this book is for you. It has little tid bits about Gene that a fan would want to know. Gene Kelly- A Celebration mostly talks about the movies Gene made and his contributions to the movies. Great pictures also. I highly recommend buying this book.

Rating:
Summary: Too Many Photos, Not Enough Story
Review: The other reviewers have said what I am going to say: There just is not enough about Gene Kelly's life in this book. It's a little TOO "celebratory". Any conflicts that arise between him and others at the time are glossed over as Kelly doing no wrong. Some of his failures are presented as if they did not create a problem for the star, yet anyone who has lived on this planet (so then everyone) KNOWS that Kelly's failures and difficulties were probably not as ho-hum as the authors would like us to believe. In their attempt to be respectful of the venerable star, they take us sometimes for fools who have not experienced life. I'm only two-thirds of the way through the book, but it does not seem to me they are going to mention the fact that Kelly kept Michael Kidd from becoming more than he could have been, speculated by some to be the result of jealousy and insecurity about the competition Kidd offered. Also, several of Kelly's famous dance numbers are referred to as "the most remembered", "his biggest", "his most famous", "his daringest", etc. Well, they can't ALL be that. This indulgence in hyperbole is reminiscent of a "That's Entertainment" film. The photographs are wonderful, but the book's layout creates an awkardly cumbersome book that is too heavy for what it contains, and just doesn't "fit" well on your lap when reading in bed, nor does it carry around well when moving from room to room in your house on a lazy Saturday when trying to enjoy your book. I know that seems petty, but reading is an entire experience with a definite ritual. The shape of this book interferes with that coffee-and-pajamas-on-the-couch ritual. It's just too heavy and could have been easily condensed into something smaller and more manageable. Nitpicking aside, read this if you are a Kelly fan. It's a delightful journey back in time.

Rating:
Summary: Too Many Photos, Not Enough Story
Review: The other reviewers have said what I am going to say: There just is not enough about Gene Kelly's life in this book. It's a little TOO "celebratory". Any conflicts that arise between him and others at the time are glossed over as Kelly doing no wrong. Some of his failures are presented as if they did not create a problem for the star, yet anyone who has lived on this planet (so then everyone) KNOWS that Kelly's failures and difficulties were probably not as ho-hum as the authors would like us to believe. In their attempt to be respectful of the venerable star, they take us sometimes for fools who have not experienced life. I'm only two-thirds of the way through the book, but it does not seem to me they are going to mention the fact that Kelly kept Michael Kidd from becoming more than he could have been, speculated by some to be the result of jealousy and insecurity about the competition Kidd offered. Also, several of Kelly's famous dance numbers are referred to as "the most remembered", "his biggest", "his most famous", "his daringest", etc. Well, they can't ALL be that. This indulgence in hyperbole is reminiscent of a "That's Entertainment" film. The photographs are wonderful, but the book's layout creates an awkardly cumbersome book that is too heavy for what it contains, and just doesn't "fit" well on your lap when reading in bed, nor does it carry around well when moving from room to room in your house on a lazy Saturday when trying to enjoy your book. I know that seems petty, but reading is an entire experience with a definite ritual. The shape of this book interferes with that coffee-and-pajamas-on-the-couch ritual. It's just too heavy and could have been easily condensed into something smaller and more manageable. Nitpicking aside, read this if you are a Kelly fan. It's a delightful journey back in time.

Rating:
Summary: A great book about THE MAN
Review: This book is a must for all Gene Kelly fans. It has wonderful pictures of him, and allows you insight into his life. This book describes the making of each movie that he made. Buy this book, and I'm sure you won't regret it.

Rating:
Summary: A great book about THE MAN
Review: This book is a must for all Gene Kelly fans. It has wonderful pictures of him, and allows you insight into his life. This book describes the making of each movie that he made. Buy this book, and I'm sure you won't regret it.