Hunk of a Man

I was emailing Skip today asking him what the big deal with cable was. It seems like the 400 channels that are in the Durham Time Warner Cable area kinda suck. I don't see anything that I would ever want to watch. He suggested that I try the Turner Classic Movies Channel. So, I looked up their website to see what was coming on in the next week or so. And as it turns out, Gene Kelly is the Star of the Month and they are having Gene Kelly Mondays on TCM. Swoon!!!

I first fell in love with movie musicals in the summer of 1995, during a Ginger Rogers film series at the NC Museum of Art. When I saw the charming and dapper Fred Astaire swing Ginger Rogers effortlessly around the dance floor in her flowing gowns, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I thought Astaire was the dreamiest guy I had ever seen. I fell more in love with Fred Astaire than I did with Simon Le Bon when I was in the seventh grade or so it seemed at the time.

This film series included Swing Time, Top Hat, Shall We Dance and others. I don't think I had ever seen a musical before and certainly not one on the big screen. And the best part for me was viewing these movies outside (before the museum constructed that big outdoor setup that they have now which makes outdoor moving-watching there a huge pain in the ass). In his love scenes, Astaire's characters are always a little bit shy and awkward and his dancing is flawless, delicate and graceful. I remember telling Craven at the time"Fred Astaire is the kind of boyfriend I want." And this was true... until I saw Gene Kelly.

I think the first musical that I saw featuring Gene Kelly was The Ziegfield Follies. Or maybe it was An American In Paris. I don't remember. However, I do remember my jaw dropping the first time I saw him dance. Gene Kelly is HOT. Move over Simon Le Bon, Fred Astaire, Brad Pitt and hello Gene Kelly. Holy cow. He is an absolute hunk on the dance floor who dances with athleticism and masculinity (in contrast to Fred Astaire who dances more gentlemanly). And don't get me started on Gene Kelly's ass. Oooh! Christa and I have spent several evenings viewing Gene Kelly films and watching particular dance sequences over and over while squealing at the screen. She introduced me to his film Anchors Aweigh in which he has the most sexy telephone conversation I have ever heard.

I highly recommend that you catch some Gene Kelly films this month. Ooo-wee. I know I am.