The death has been announced of one of Hollywood's iconic golden age directors Stanley Donen. He was aged 94 and most famous for directing Singin’ in the Rain and On the Town with Gene Kelly as well as Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Funny Face.
He also co-directed Singin’ in the Rain with Gene Kelly.
He went to the University of South Carolina and moved to New York in search of theatre work. His first job was in 1940 as a dancer in the chorus of Pal Joey, starring Gene Kelly.
The director got his big break when Gene Kelly was hired to choreograph Best Foot Forward in 1941 and he asked 17-year-old Donen to help him. Later on he co-directed On the Town and It’s Always Fair Weather.
MGM at that time used to acquire film rights to musicals and made a film version of Best Foot Forward in 1943 with Donen as the assistant choreographer.
Donen co-directed the film adaptations of The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees
He was awarded an honorary Oscar in 1998 "in appreciation of a body of work marked by grace, elegance, wit and visual innovation."
Donen was responsible for the look, style and energy of the great musicals of the 1950s and ’60s.
His biographer has described him as "a dancer and knew that movement was everything: the beat of the image, the movement of the image, the rhythm of the image — he makes the camera dance."
Tributes have been paid to the film maker:
Steven Spielberg on the passing of legendary filmmaker Stanley Donen at 94:
— Amblin (@amblin) February 23, 2019
"Stanley Donen was a friend and an early mentor. His generosity in giving over so many of his weekends in the late ‘60s to film students like me to learn..." [more following link] https://t.co/d12Fdn6bTA pic.twitter.com/O1mfCQsFeU
He is survived by partner Elaine May who he got together with in 1999 after four failed marriages.
