Did Gene Kelly do his own skating in Xanadu?

Gene Kelly and Olivia Newton-John’s dance number was shot after filming had finished. Kelly choreographed it. His conditions included a closed stage with only himself, Newton-John, a cameraman, a choreographer he had befriended and two others. Olympic skater Peggy Fleming helped plan the skating scenes.

Is Xanadu about roller skating?

So in many ways, Xanadu is as much about Kelly’s own storied musical career as it is about roller skating and neon.

Can Gene Kelly roller skate?

Gene Kelly bought the roller skates for the “I Like Myself” number from “IT’S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER” down the block from his house at Pioneer Hardware on Beverly Drive. He also mentioned that the skates were not altered in any way – they weren’t locked to his shoes, so when he tapped in them, he had no help.

Did Olivia Newton-John roller skate in Xanadu?

After the movie’s intro, Olivia Newton John roller skates through the park where she slides right up to our main character, Sonny Malone, played by The Warriors star Michael Beck. She plants a smooch on him before disappearing.

What did Gene Kelly think of Xanadu?

In the biography The Films of Gene Kelly, Song and Dance Man, his only quote about Xanadu is: “The concept was marvelous, but it just didn’t come off.”

Was Xanadu a success?

Xanadu is a 1980 American musical fantasy film written by Richard Christian Danus and Marc Reid Rubel, and directed by Robert Greenwald. Despite the lackluster performance of the film, the soundtrack album became a huge commercial success around the world, and was certified double platinum in the United States.

Is Xanadu a real city?

Xanadu, also called Shangdu is an archaeological site and summer capital of the Yuan dynasty that ruled the Mongol Empire. Xanadu is located in the modern-day Zhenglan Banner in inner Mongolia on the southeastern edge of the Mongolian plateau.

Was Gene Kelly a good roller skater?

Gene danced on roller skates in It’s Always Fair Weather, a lesser known scene that is perhaps the most remarkable of his career. I say that as a tap dancer who can’t imagine hoofing it on skates! According to Patricia, these were dime store roller skates, and he performed the number with no gimmicks or tricks.

In what movie does Gene Kelly roller skate?

IT’S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER
Gene Kelly dances on roller skates in IT’S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER (’55).

Is Xanadu the worst movie ever?

At the first ever Razzies in 1981, Xanadu was nominated for Worst Picture, Worst Director (which it won), Worst Actor (Michael Beck), Worst Actress (Olivia Newton-John), Worst Screenplay and Worst Original Song for Suspended in Time. That’s literally every award except two.

How old was Gene Kelly when he was in Xanadu?

Before it began filming, Xanadu had a bright future. It was front-page news that the Universal production would be a then-31-year-old Olivia Newton-John’s first film after the blockbuster Grease. And it would be the last film appearance screen legend Gene Kelly, then 68, would make before his death in 1996.

What did Gene Kelly say about Fred Astaire?

(They’re good friends, by the way, and right this minute Gene is working out a routine with Fred for the Ziegfeld Follies.) Gene spoke right up: “Fred Astaire? I think he’s a great artist. There’s a lot of things in his dancing I wish I had.

What did Gene Kelly do in the movie Xanadu?

Gene Kelly is such a golden era legend (and legitimately amazing dancer) that it’s a drag that Xanadu is his cinematic swan song. He’s not bad in the movie by any means. Kelly brings everything he has to the neon roller disco musical, it’s just so far out of control that he can’t course correct with his rakish smile and fancy footwork.

Where was Gene Kelly’s Xanadu dance number filmed?

Gene Kelly and Olivia Newton-John ‘s dance number was shot after filming had finished. Kelly choreographed it. His conditions included a closed stage with only himself, Newton-John, a cameraman, a choreographer he had befriended and two others. Interesting?

What’s the name of the guy in Xanadu?

Given that Xanadu wasn’t warmly received, it’s a bit of bummer that it ended up being Kelly’s last turn in a feature film. (He appeared in two TV roles before dying in 1996 .) Kelly himself was aware that the film hadn’t lived up to expectations.

Who was the cover girl in the movie Xanadu?

So that means that Xanadu is a remake of a sequel to a movie adaptation of a play. Xanadu stars Gene Kelly as Danny McGuire, a former big band leader who lost his muse ages ago. In the 1944 musical Cover Girl, Kelly played a character who works in a nightclub and happens to have the name Danny McGuire.