Did Gene Kelly Marry?
By Courtney
This post is part of the series Gene Kelly: The Basics, which addresses fundamental questions fans often ask about the star.
I can’t imagine an adult man not wanting marriage. Freedom is lonely…it’s sheer boredom…’getting to know you’ is the loveliest thing in life….A little variety can’t possibly compensate for the joys of solidity, of having someone close by your side, of having children. For the joy of having a child, I’d eliminate a lot of freedom. And for a wife. A woman clips your wings a bit, but she’s worth it.
— Gene Kelly, TV Radio Mirror - November 1962
Gene Kelly was married three times during his life.
Betsy Blair
His first wife was Betsy Blair (1923-2009). She was an aspiring actress/dancer from New Jersey who met Gene in 1940 when she was a day early for a night club audition. He was the choreographer for the show, and she was hired. They began dating, and were married in September of 1941. She was 17.
While married to Gene, Betsy was involved with various political groups, and would eventually be investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Betsy Blair's most famous role was in the film Marty (1955) for which she received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination and won a BAFTA award as Best Foreign Actress. Shortly after these acclaims, she and Gene began living separate lives, and the couple divorced in 1957.
Betsy continued to work on the stage in New York and London and in films overseas after the divorce. She died from cancer at age 85 in London.
While married to Gene, Betsy was involved with various political groups, and would eventually be investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Betsy Blair's most famous role was in the film Marty (1955) for which she received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination and won a BAFTA award as Best Foreign Actress. Shortly after these acclaims, she and Gene began living separate lives, and the couple divorced in 1957.
Betsy continued to work on the stage in New York and London and in films overseas after the divorce. She died from cancer at age 85 in London.
Jeanne Coyne
Gene's second wife was Jeanne Coyne (1923-1973). Jeanne had first met Gene as a child, taking classes from him at The Gene Kelly Studio of the Dance in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. After appearing on Broadway, Jeanne moved to California and became a regular at the Kelly house, along with her first husband (and Gene Kelly's creative partner), Stanley Donen. Jeanne and Donen would divorce in 1949 after a year of marriage.
Jeanne assisted Gene and many other stars throughout the 1950s and, along with dancer Carol Haney, helped with some of Gene's most famous films and dance numbers. Jeanne appeared in such films as On the Town (1949), Summer Stock (1950), Singin' in the Rain (1952), and Kiss Me Kate (1953).
After Gene and Betsy divorced, Jeanne was Gene's constant companion and they married in August of 1960. After marrying, Jeanne decided to give up her career to focus on being a wife and mother. Jeanne Coyne died in 1973 from leukemia.
Jeanne assisted Gene and many other stars throughout the 1950s and, along with dancer Carol Haney, helped with some of Gene's most famous films and dance numbers. Jeanne appeared in such films as On the Town (1949), Summer Stock (1950), Singin' in the Rain (1952), and Kiss Me Kate (1953).
After Gene and Betsy divorced, Jeanne was Gene's constant companion and they married in August of 1960. After marrying, Jeanne decided to give up her career to focus on being a wife and mother. Jeanne Coyne died in 1973 from leukemia.
Patricia Ward
Gene's third wife was Patricia Ward. She met Gene in 1985: he was narrating a documentary for the Smithsonian Museum, and she was the scriptwriter. Gene invited her to move to California, and in 1990 they wed.
Sources
- Blair, Betsy. The Memory of All That: Love and Politics in New York, Hollywood, and Paris. New York: Knopf, 2003.
- Hirschhorn, Clive. Gene Kelly: A Biography. New York: St. Martin’s, 1985
- Yudkoff, Alvin. Gene Kelly: A Life of Dance and Dreams. New York: Watson-Guptill, 1999.
