Stanley Donen

    April 13, 1924 February 21, 2019 • 94 y.o. (100)

    Place of Birth Columbia, South Carolina, USA
    Place of Death New York City, New York, USA
    Citizenship United States
    Career 1943 — 2011
    Genres Comedy, Romance, Musical
    Height 1.73 m 5′ 8″
    Zodiac sign aries
    Religion jewish
    Education
    Nickname The King of Musicals

    Facts

    In 1943 Arthur Freed, the producer of musical films at Metro Goldwyn Mayer, bought the film rights to Best Foot Forward and made a film version starring Lucille Ball and William Gaxton. Donen moved to Hollywood to audition for the film and signed a one-year contract with MGM. Donen appeared as a chorus dancer and was made assistant choreographer by Charles Walters. At MGM Donen renewed his friendship with Kelly, who was now a supporting actor in musicals. When Kelly was loaned to Columbia Pictures for a film, he was offered the chance to choreograph his own dance numbers and asked Donen to assist. Kelly stated: "Stanley needed a job. I needed someone to count for the cameraman, someone who knew the steps and could explain what I was going to do so the shot was set up correctly." Donen accepted and choreographed three dance sequences with Kelly in Cover Girl (1944). Donen came up with the idea for the "Alter Ego" dance sequence where Kelly's reflection jumps out of a shop window and dances with him. Director Charles Vidor insisted that the idea would never work, so Donen and Kelly directed the scene themselves and Donen spent over a year editing it. The film made Kelly a movie star and is considered by many film critics to be an important and innovative musical. Donen signed a one-year contract with Columbia and choreographed several films there, but returned to MGM the following year when Kelly wanted assistance on his next film.

    In 1944, Donen and Kelly choreographed the musical Anchors Aweigh, released in 1945 and starring Kelly and Frank Sinatra. The film is best known for its groundbreaking scene in which Kelly dances with Jerry the Mouse from the Tom and Jerry cartoons. The animation was supervised by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and is credited to the MGM animation producer Fred Quimby, but the idea for the scene was Donen's. Donen and Kelly originally wanted to use either Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck for the sequence and met with Walt Disney to discuss the project; Disney was working on a similar idea in The Three Caballeros (1944) and was unwilling to license one of his characters to MGM. The duo spent two months shooting Kelly dancing and Donen spent a year perfecting the scene frame by frame. According to Barbera "the net result at the preview of Anchors Away that I went to, blew the audience away".

    While Kelly completed his service in the U.S. Naval Air Service as a photographer from 1944 to 1946, Donen did uncredited work as a choreographer on musical films. Of this period Donen said, "I practiced my craft, working with music, track and photography. I often directed the sequences. I always tried to have an original idea about how to do musical sequences." Donen stated that he was excused from military service as 4-F due to his high blood pressure. When Kelly returned to civilian life, he and Donen directed and choreographed Kelly's dance scenes in Living in a Big Way (1947). They then began work on an original story about two baseball players in the early 20th century who spend their off-season as vaudevillian song and dance men. This film would eventually become Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949). Kelly and Donen hoped to co-direct the film, but Freed hired Busby Berkeley instead, and they only directed Kelly's dance numbers. The film starred Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin.

    Top Rated Movies

    Filmography chart

    Title Ratings: 6.74
    My Ratings:
    • Romance 25%
    • Comedy 24%
    • Musical 13%
    • Drama 11%
    • Mystery 4%
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      Critics
                                  • Reset

                                  Director — 30

                                  1999
                                  1
                                  1999

                                  Drama, 1 hr 40 min
                                  United States • Stanley Donen

                                    1985
                                    2
                                    1985 — 1989

                                    Comedy, Drama, Mystery, 43 min
                                    United States • Allan Arkush...

                                      1983
                                      3
                                      1983

                                      Comedy, Romance, 1 hr 40 min
                                      United States • Stanley Donen

                                        1980
                                        4
                                        1980 — uncredited

                                        Sci-Fi, Horror, Adventure, 1 hr 45 min
                                        United Kingdom • Stanley Donen...

                                          1978
                                          5
                                          1978

                                          Musical, Comedy, Sport, 1 hr 45 min
                                          United States, United Kingdom • Stanley Donen

                                            1975
                                            6
                                            1975

                                            Comedy, Crime, Drama, 1 hr 58 min
                                            United States • Stanley Donen

                                              1974
                                              7
                                              1974

                                              Musical, Family, Fantasy, 1 hr 28 min
                                              United Kingdom, United States • Stanley Donen

                                                1969
                                                8
                                                1969

                                                Comedy, Drama, Romance, 1 hr 36 min
                                                United States, United Kingdom • Stanley Donen

                                                  1967
                                                  9
                                                  1967

                                                  Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, 1 hr 43 min
                                                  United Kingdom • Stanley Donen

                                                    10
                                                    1967

                                                    Comedy, Drama, Romance, 1 hr 51 min
                                                    United Kingdom, United States • Stanley Donen

                                                      1966
                                                      11
                                                      1966

                                                      Action, Adventure, Crime, 1 hr 45 min
                                                      United States • Stanley Donen

                                                        1963
                                                        12
                                                        1963

                                                        Comedy, Mystery, Romance, 1 hr 53 min
                                                        United States • Stanley Donen

                                                          1960
                                                          13
                                                          1960

                                                          Comedy, Drama, Romance, 1 hr 44 min
                                                          United Kingdom • Stanley Donen

                                                            14
                                                            1960

                                                            Comedy, 1 hr 40 min
                                                            United Kingdom • Stanley Donen

                                                              15
                                                              1960

                                                              Comedy, Drama, Romance, 1 hr 32 min
                                                              United Kingdom • Stanley Donen

                                                                1958
                                                                16
                                                                1958

                                                                Musical, Comedy, Romance, 1 hr 51 min
                                                                United States • George Abbott...

                                                                  17
                                                                  1958

                                                                  Comedy, Romance, 1 hr 40 min
                                                                  United Kingdom • Stanley Donen

                                                                    1957
                                                                    18
                                                                    1957

                                                                    Comedy, Romance, 1 hr 45 min
                                                                    United States • Stanley Donen

                                                                      19
                                                                      1957

                                                                      Musical, Comedy, Drama, 1 hr 41 min
                                                                      United States • George Abbott...

                                                                        20
                                                                        1957

                                                                        Musical, Comedy, Romance, 1 hr 43 min
                                                                        United States • Stanley Donen

                                                                          1955
                                                                          21
                                                                          1955 — (fill-in director), uncredited

                                                                          Fantasy, Musical, Adventure, 1 hr 53 min
                                                                          United States • Vincente Minnelli...

                                                                            22
                                                                            1955

                                                                            Musical, Comedy, Drama, 1 hr 41 min
                                                                            United States • Stanley Donen...

                                                                              1954
                                                                              23
                                                                              1954

                                                                              Musical, Biography, Comedy, 2 hr 12 min
                                                                              United States • Stanley Donen

                                                                                24
                                                                                1954

                                                                                Musical, Romance, Western, 1 hr 42 min
                                                                                United States • Stanley Donen

                                                                                  1953
                                                                                  25
                                                                                  1953

                                                                                  Musical, Comedy, Romance, 1 hr 22 min
                                                                                  United States • Stanley Donen

                                                                                    1952
                                                                                    26
                                                                                    1952

                                                                                    Comedy, 1 hr 19 min
                                                                                    United States • Stanley Donen

                                                                                      27
                                                                                      1952

                                                                                      Comedy, Romance, 1 hr 21 min
                                                                                      United States • Stanley Donen

                                                                                        1951
                                                                                        28
                                                                                        1951

                                                                                        Musical, Comedy, Romance, 1 hr 43 min
                                                                                        United States • Stanley Donen...

                                                                                          29
                                                                                          1951

                                                                                          Musical, Comedy, Romance, 1 hr 33 min
                                                                                          United States • Stanley Donen

                                                                                            1949
                                                                                            30
                                                                                            1949

                                                                                            Musical, Comedy, Romance, 1 hr 38 min
                                                                                            United States • Stanley Donen...

                                                                                              Producer — 16

                                                                                              1986
                                                                                              1
                                                                                              1986

                                                                                              Award, 3 hr 15 min
                                                                                              United States • Marty Pasetta

                                                                                                1983
                                                                                                2
                                                                                                1983

                                                                                                Comedy, Romance, 1 hr 40 min
                                                                                                United States • Stanley Donen

                                                                                                  1980
                                                                                                  3
                                                                                                  1980

                                                                                                  Sci-Fi, Horror, Adventure, 1 hr 45 min
                                                                                                  United Kingdom • Stanley Donen...

                                                                                                    1978
                                                                                                    4
                                                                                                    1978

                                                                                                    Musical, Comedy, Sport, 1 hr 45 min
                                                                                                    United States, United Kingdom • Stanley Donen

                                                                                                      1974
                                                                                                      5
                                                                                                      1974

                                                                                                      Musical, Family, Fantasy, 1 hr 28 min
                                                                                                      United Kingdom, United States • Stanley Donen

                                                                                                        1969
                                                                                                        6
                                                                                                        1969

                                                                                                        Comedy, Drama, Romance, 1 hr 36 min
                                                                                                        United States, United Kingdom • Stanley Donen

                                                                                                          1967
                                                                                                          7
                                                                                                          1967

                                                                                                          Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, 1 hr 43 min
                                                                                                          United Kingdom • Stanley Donen

                                                                                                            8
                                                                                                            1967

                                                                                                            Comedy, Drama, Romance, 1 hr 51 min
                                                                                                            United Kingdom, United States • Stanley Donen

                                                                                                              1966
                                                                                                              9
                                                                                                              1966

                                                                                                              Action, Adventure, Crime, 1 hr 45 min
                                                                                                              United States • Stanley Donen

                                                                                                                1963
                                                                                                                10
                                                                                                                1963 — produced by

                                                                                                                Comedy, Mystery, Romance, 1 hr 53 min
                                                                                                                United States • Stanley Donen

                                                                                                                  1960
                                                                                                                  11
                                                                                                                  1960

                                                                                                                  Comedy, Drama, Romance, 1 hr 44 min
                                                                                                                  United Kingdom • Stanley Donen

                                                                                                                    12
                                                                                                                    1960

                                                                                                                    Comedy, 1 hr 40 min
                                                                                                                    United Kingdom • Stanley Donen

                                                                                                                      13
                                                                                                                      1960

                                                                                                                      Comedy, Drama, Romance, 1 hr 32 min
                                                                                                                      United Kingdom • Stanley Donen

                                                                                                                        1958
                                                                                                                        14
                                                                                                                        1958

                                                                                                                        Musical, Comedy, Romance, 1 hr 51 min
                                                                                                                        United States • George Abbott...

                                                                                                                          15
                                                                                                                          1958

                                                                                                                          Comedy, Romance, 1 hr 40 min
                                                                                                                          United Kingdom • Stanley Donen

                                                                                                                            1957
                                                                                                                            16
                                                                                                                            1957

                                                                                                                            Musical, Comedy, Drama, 1 hr 41 min
                                                                                                                            United States • George Abbott...

                                                                                                                              Actor — 3

                                                                                                                              1978
                                                                                                                              1
                                                                                                                              1978 — Nightclub Emcee, segment "Dynamite Hands", Cab Driver, segment "Baxter's Beauties of 1933", uncredited

                                                                                                                              Musical, Comedy, Sport, 1 hr 45 min
                                                                                                                              United States, United Kingdom • Stanley Donen

                                                                                                                                1952
                                                                                                                                2
                                                                                                                                1952 — Man Seated at Table with Gene Kelly, uncredited

                                                                                                                                Comedy, Romance, 1 hr 21 min
                                                                                                                                United States • Stanley Donen

                                                                                                                                  1943
                                                                                                                                  3
                                                                                                                                  1943 — Cadet, uncredited

                                                                                                                                  Musical, Comedy, 1 hr 34 min
                                                                                                                                  United States • Edward Buzzell

                                                                                                                                    Writer — 1

                                                                                                                                    1949
                                                                                                                                    1
                                                                                                                                    1949 — (story)

                                                                                                                                    Musical, Comedy, Romance, 1 hr 33 min
                                                                                                                                    United States • Busby Berkeley

                                                                                                                                      Other — 43

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