Tommy Steele and Gene Kelly: 'Two of a Kind' -1966

[@marjorielegg9016]

Tommy Steele has been my idol since 1956. He is still a fabulous entertainer and the Best 🎶🌟💖

[@barbaraseverson6925]

I didn't know about him until 1968, but he's been my idol since then. I finally got to see him in person in 2015 when he was doing the Glenn Miller tribute tour. It was a dream come true!

[@mrjj_86]

I grew up watching these two greats on film. I've never, ever seen this footage before... What a privilege. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@Pipmus]

What memories. I was the dance rehearsal pianist working with Gene. Working with Gene Kelly was an honor and shall never forget this thrill. My next job was as musical director for "Mame" on Broadway. Quite a change.

[@starlightinkwell]

Donald Pippin I hope you will write out your memories of working with Gene and send them over to [e-mail] where we are trying to gather people's reminiscences of working or knowing Gene Kelly for what we hope will be an online site called The Gene Kelly Project. People like you are a treasure we hope to mine for your insights and experiences working with one of the greatest artists of the 20th Century.

[@TheEchovoices]

How wonderful Gene my fave of all, he really loved Tommy

[@MrDavey2010]

You were also heavily part of the movie Oliver I think sir.

[@chocolatesouljah]

I just saw this post. Mr.Pippin was an awesome and frequent KZbin comment maker. He passed away last summer. Maybe working on a show with Jerry Herman in the "Non=Physical Plane?"

[@susanlloyd7395]

Everyone says Kelly was the consummate professional.

[@elissaschornstein9399]

Gene was about 53 or 54 years old here. How youthful he looks and still so light on his feet. Gorgeous talented man.

[@TinaSudesberry-ho3bt]

Oh God yes ❤.

[@tinasudesberry8057]

I wish KZbin would show the whole show 😊.

[@karenkirkpatrick7337]

Still blows me away that Gene Kelly was in his 40’s when he did Singin in the Rain. Love this clip and Tommy Steele keeping up with Gene Kelly.

[@annedennett7974]

This is real entertainment. Love Tommy Steele. He moves so naturally. Saw him live when I was a teenager in Half a Sixpence.

[@marychristinenewell8780]

Gene Kelly is the best always Tommy Steele is a great performer these two are my favorite entertainers, I'm so glad they did this number!!!

[@showtunestarpower]

This is absolutely fantastic. I never would have imagined that Gene Kelly and Tommy Steele teamed up like this. What a great little moment in show business history!

[@abigalebuss5277]

I read once where Tommy Steele always wished that he could dance with Gene Kelly, and what performance it was and still is!

[@lennysplace3842]

Tommy and Gene go together so well. What great talents.

[@susankelly5585]

Always loved his singing and his films. There was just something about him that made you feel happy when you watched him. He seemed to have such energy and zest for life.

[@Berkcam]

I didn't appreciate Tommy when I was a kid in the 50's/60's but now I see how he was/is such a master of his craft - just take in all his wee gestures and moves in this - brilliant.

[@annedennett7974]

I agree. It all comes so naturally to him.

[@davitalives]

I am somewhat gobsmacked, as a child of the eighties I didn't not realise that these two greats of dance and screen had ever preformed together.. well blow me down with a feather!

[@Sunflowers159]

Well done Tommy Steele! As several others have said, Gene Kelly barely broke a sweat - but then he was a great dancer, whereas Tommy was more of a singer. A little gem of a video.

[@Kahunaseb]

really good perfomance

[@andrewhenry2915]

Tommy Steel is a ledgend. Now, one of a select few who can say they have worked with the two greatest song and dance men in Hollywood, Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire.

[@alexbeggs5280]

Fabulous.

[@abigalebuss5277]

I had read once that Tommy had always wished that he could perform with Gene Kelly and then I found this performace several years ago. I'm so glad that he actually did get his chance. It's so good!

[@amishgirl1000]

Fabulous stuff. Love these guys

[@Wheelstar72]

Two legendary people. My heroes

[@robleo6352]

Watching and listening to a video of Major Tom reminded me of long the forgotten Tommy Steele

[@Nina5144]

rob leo - forgotten?

[@patriciadalton2473]

That's great seeing them together I was in a show with Tommy as a 15 yr old and our dancing school in 1960 at the Wood GReen Empire and shown on TV Xmas Day Would love to find a copy of if It was ATV production

[@operathephantom]

Hi Patricia. The show was 'Val Parnell's Saturday Spectacular: The Tommy Steele Show - The Squire.' Although I don't have a copy, I can confirm that the show does still exist within ITV's archive. Good luck!

[@susanlloyd7395]

What a great teacher Gene Kelly was, and I love how Tommy Steele looks down at Kelly's feet just like Frank Sinatra did twenty years earlier.

[@jcnyc9087]

A wonderful bon bon in the annals of entertainment!

[@donnaturchin2304]

this is great gene kelly and tommy steele

[@Nina5144]

There's a great interview on bbc iplayer Tommy Steele at 80. He tells the story of Gene turning up at his Broadway show, inviting Tommy to dance with him. Tommy tells him he can't tap. I think he did a grand job.

[@starlightinkwell]

Thanks for the heads up on this, J. I hope we can track down the BBC interview withTommy Steele.

[@markkumarkku]

why was i not born in this era... my dad loved tommy steele

[@markwarrington7705]

class act and wrote by another class act bobby Darin great entertainment class

[@MearickLee]

6 weeks of practicing tap for this clip and Tommy Steele pwned in it awesomely for years.

[@Nina5144]

MearickLee - not sure what you mean, . remember Tommy was also starring in Broadway at the same time. Two shows a day......

[@susanlloyd7395]

Gene Kelly's perfect rhythm, precision and timing. Geez.

[@earlady66]

This is great! The two of them were perfect together...great dancing! thanks, Seb!!! :)

[@leehayton]

Bravo 👏 Two talented gents if there were two 😊

[@millerontap]

Love!!! Thank you!

[@seventiesmemories5116]

Saw an old Merv Griffin show and Gene was on, promoting this show. Wish the whole show was posted, or available someplace. Steele is still with us!

[@susanlloyd7395]

Gene Kelly is the greatest and a great dance teacher/choreographer.

[@susanlloyd7395]

They sound really great together.

[@mikehopkins4040]

Just a nice look back in time.

[@lassiemgm]

And there we have both Don Lockwoods together. Gene was the original in the film Singin in the Rain. Then Tommy Steele did the role many years later live on stage in London. I was privileged to see the latter Tommy Steele was and is terrific.

[@dgniewek]

Gene Kelly was simply the best!

[@susanlloyd7395]

Legend

[@MrDavey2010]

Wonderful scene. Thank you for uploading.

[@ssheise]

Remembering that Gene was 54 in this makes is all the more special. He could still outdance a younger dancer.

[@Evilroco]

was Tommy ever a dancer? ,not in the same way as Gene

[@robertbridger111]

Very underestimated talent Tommy Steele .matching the great gene Kelly ,

[@maryheath9869]

Yes very underestimated; he hardly ever gets mentioned as being the start of British Rock'n'Roll before Cliff Richard, whom everybody thinks was the first R'n'Roller in this country. He soon left rock and went on to appear on stage in musicals and later his own shows which I saw many times. My first idol and still is....

[@lefuedebout]

Excellent and enjoyable video. That was a neat trick, by the way, doing a soft shoe shuffle and a tap dance wearing the same shoes! :-)

[@アリアーヌ]

ジーン・ケリー大好き。

[@susanlloyd7395]

Lovely, Gene Kelly is everything. Like most of his partners, you catch Tommy Steele looking at Gene's feet for guidance and that's okay. Even Donald O'Connor did. Can you believe that Gene is fifty four years old?

[@albertdiner]

Gene Kelly amazing here. Tommy tried but Gene was a dance machine.

[@TinaSudesberry-ho3bt]

Yes he was very handsome 😍.

[@johnjurkewicz9925]

👍👍👍👍 I love it so great 👍👍👍👍

[@jayjazz3766]

Tommy Steele showing Kelly how its done!

[@michaelgarfield9845]

Do people realise how bloody stupid they sound when making comments such as yours? Obviously not. As a dancer, Steele wasn't fit to tie Kelly's shoelaces.

[@wickedfeylady]

I actually feel really bad for Tommy. I wouldn't want to dance next to Gene, any comparison would leave the other person coming up short next to Gene. Tommy's pretty good but Gene is looser and more natural than him. Tommy was probably sort of nervous and frankly I don't blame him.

[@susanlloyd7395]

Hahahhahahhahaha

[@Pipmus]

Jane Turner was the dancing partner for Gene. He had a tough time finding just the right lady for the number. It was Jane! Fabulous. Anybody know where she is today? Still with us I hope. I wrote some of the dance music. 1966 what a year, I still had "Mame" to do. Working with the great Gene Kelly was exciting and a joy. May he RIP. Don Pippin

[@adrinathegreat3095]

Tommy was playing that awkward Cockney schitk, he'd have easily left kelly in the shadow, he was a complete all round star in every way, despite his glaring pearly white smile that looked like he could eat an apple through a letter box

[@susanlloyd7395]

Fun to see that Kelly put in a little bit of "The Babbit and The Bromide" moves in his choreography for this number

[@unclealand]

There were a couple of twin showgirls who did this on TV in Las Vegas drag, almost naked.

[@altamontdarby2819]

👍🏾

[@WillScarlet1991]

Gene was 54 here?! He looks about mid-30s!!!

[@namj8145]

Found this a few weeks back, and keep coming back. I've noticed I tend to watch Tommy over Gene, and his slightly lankier build adds a likeable goofiness to the moves. His trenches toward the end are weaker than Gene's, but overall a great job. Of course, assume Gene choreographed it to moves that he knew would look good with Tommy doing them.

[@amymack1954]

Hard to believe that Kelly was about 54 when this was filmed!

[@Hellothere_453]

Amy wait what omg

[@pamlane6295]

Kelly was in his 70 s when he did Xanadu

[@mostlydaydreaming2983]

Wonderful! Thanks for posting this! Have you ever found the whole show? I’d love to watch the whole thing

[@davidcourt238]

Thomas became a very accomplished entertainer, wonder if he's received the queens n y or birthday honour?

[@jamescypler4599]

Not bad for a boy from bermondsey

[@AmyAtkins]

Well, hello, long legs!

[@MajorDenisBloodnok]

Not bad at allTommy but very difficult to dance with (near) Gene Kelly...nothing to compare just for fun i presume... At the end of this little simple routine (for a guy like Kelly), this poor Tommy seems out of breath and his dancing is a little messed up: think that in 1966, Tommy was 30 year old and Gene 54!

[@Nina5144]

Major Denis Bloodnok - think they did pretty well. TS says he was in Half a Sixpence on Broadway when GK invited him here. I suppose doing two shows a day, six days a week would be pretty tiring and affect his performance. it's still great to watch.

[@JohnnyContagious]

Two of a kind? I think not. One is among the greatest dancers the screen has ever known and the singular most important influence in the development of the screen musical, the other is Tommy Steele.

[@adrinathegreat3095]

or you could say one is an obscure dancer that is known to the majority of the world for just one song ' singing in the rain' the other has been famous for 60 years and still going strong, having sold far more records than kelly, appeared on stage, film and TV more than Kelly

[@Nina5144]

JohnnyContagious - Tommy Steele was starring in Broadway at the time and was the biggest name in showbiz. Gene Kelly invited him to dance and must have admired him. Think you under estimate his talent and stardom. Would have preferred to see Fred Astaire. Now there's a great dancer!.

[@susanlloyd7395]

@@adrinathegreat3095 Johnny may have been a little tough but Gene Kelly is still a legend and always will be for Singin In The Rain, An American in Paris, Brigadoon, Cover Girl, Anchors Aweigh, etc. Not only a great star -the Golden Boy of the Freed Unit-but also a great cinematic choreographer who, to this day, is credited for "changing the look of dance on film."

[@susanlloyd7395]

Oh and Adrina, Gene the obscure dancer was nominated for an Oscar as Best Actor for his performance in Anchors Aweigh. He received an Oscar for his contributions to the art of choreography on Film. He was a Kennedy Honors recipient. He was the fifteenth actor to be awarded AFI's Lifetime Achievement on Film. He received the National Medal of the Arts and, oh yeah, Gene Kelly was inducted into the Legion of Honor. Gene Kelly is a national treasure. No one is expecting you to be a film scholar but study up. Thank you.

[@redthorpe]

Videos like this (and with Connor McGregor) show that Gene Kelly wasn't the greatest at anything; he just had the face and the jawline that directors loved at the time. He was a good actor, but his costars always outshone him in both singing and dancing

[@sullfa]

Poor Gene having to sing a song like this with Tommy Steele. I bet Tommy couldn't believe his luck. Gene Kelly was everything Tommy Steele is not - talented, charming, charismatic and a legend.

[@annemulligan8955]

What a terrible thing to say. If you don't have something nice to say, please, please, please don't say anything at all.

[@michaelgarfield9845]

Yes, Gene Kelly was one of the greatest dancers ever (nowhere near as good as Fred Astaire though), but he was also a supporter of the I.R.A., who had a habit of blowing people up, and were decidedly not talented, charming, charismatic or legendary - unless, like Mr Kelly, you support a group of terrorists.

[@elissaschornstein9399]

Absolute nonsense! Gene Kelly did not support or send money to the IRA. He even downplayed his Irish roots all of his life feeling that the Irishman was stereotyped as a drunk and ignorant person which of course isn't true. Gene was a kind, and very intelligent man. A gentleman.

[@susanlloyd7395]

Poor Tommy Steele can barely keep up.

[@lesleyhubble2976]

Very cheesy ,very 60s 😂